Growing peppers can be a rewarding and delicious experience, but it’s important to get the planting process right.
Peppers are not just a treat for the taste buds; they’re also one of the most rewarding plants to grow in your edible garden. They’re like the overachievers of the garden, producing more fruit than you can eat and looking stunning while doing it. But here’s the kicker: how and when you plant your peppers makes all the difference in their growth speed and productivity, lasting all the way until the first fall frost.
Whether you are growing sweet, rainbow-colored peppers or habañeros hot enough to make you cry, planting day is the key to success. This day sets the stage for giving your peppers the nutrients and support they need right from the start. Peppers, being the slowpokes they are, take longer to set roots and grow than most other veggies, especially in early spring.
But don’t worry! With a few simple tips and tricks on planting day, you can get your peppers growing strong, healthy, and fast!
Stay tuned for six sizzling tips to get your pepper plants off to a fast start and maximize their production.
Avoid Planting Early
One of the biggest mistakes we can make is getting too eager and planting our pepper plants too early. Much like tomato plants and sweet corn, peppers are a warm-weather crop. Planting them when the soil and air temperatures are still cool can spell trouble.
When pepper plants sit in cool soil, they’re more susceptible to pests, diseases like mildew, and molds. Roots in chilly soil can’t absorb nutrients or water effectively, so the plants just sit there, stagnant and weakening.
Before planting them in your garden, make sure the soil is a toasty 70°F (24°C). You can speed up this process with some black plastic to trap the heat or by planting them in raised beds.
In addition to the soil temperature, peppers do best when the night temperatures are between 60° and 70°F (16° to 24°C), and daytime temperatures hover around a pleasant 75°F. If it gets too cold, peppers start to sulk. When pepper plants sit in cool soil, they’re more susceptible to pests and diseases like mildew and mold. Their roots in chilly soil can’t absorb nutrients or water effectively, so the plants just sit there, stagnant and weakening.
Space Your Plants Properly
Spacing your pepper plants correctly is vital for good air circulation and reducing disease risks. Some pepper varieties can grow quite large and bushy, while others remain more petite.
In general most pepper plants, space them about 18-24 inches apart from each other, stem to stem. but When square foot gardening, plant 1 pepper per 1 squares. This means each pepper plant gets a full square foot of growing space. This spacing ensures that each plant has enough room to grow.
Planting peppers closer together has several advantages. Firstly, you get a higher yield per square foot of garden space. Secondly, the plants act as a windbreak for each other, protecting the tender plants from wind damage.
If you’re growing in containers, the size is equally important. Most pepper plants do well in 3-5 gallon containers, but larger varieties, like the bhut jolokia, might benefit from even bigger pots.
Plant at the Right Depth
When it comes time to transplant your peppers, it’s crucial to get the depth right. Peppers benefit from being planted slightly deeper than they were in their seedling pots. This allows the stems to develop surface roots, which can strengthen the plant. Planting too shallow can leave the root ball exposed and unstable, while planting too deep can cause stem rot.
A good rule of thumb is to plant your pepper seedlings so that the top of the soil in the pot sits about one to two inches below the soil surface in your garden bed. This depth encourages root development without burying the plant too deeply.
Power up Planting Hole When Transplanting Pepper Seedlings
One thing is for sure – when it comes to growing a big harvest of peppers, the last thing you want to do on planting day is to simply dig a hole, plant your pepper transplant, and then cover the roots with soil. Peppers are heavy feeders, and giving them a powerful boost of nutrients in their planting hole is one of the best ways to get them growing and off to a fast start!
When planting, For each planting hole, use about one tablespoon of bone meal and one tablespoon of Neptune harvest crab and lobster shell meal. Mix these thoroughly with two tablespoons of all-purpose fertilizer. Use a trowel to stir the fertilizers into the soil. This ensures even distribution and makes the nutrients readily accessible to your plants.
I recommend using a granulated organic fertilizer, as they provide a balanced nutrient supply over time.
Slow-release fertilizers ensure that your plants receive a steady supply of nutrients. This is crucial for the sustained growth of leaves, stems, and fruits. Understanding the nutrient ratios in your fertilizers can make a big difference in how well your peppers grow. Let’s break it down.
Fertilizers are labeled with NPK ratios, which stand for Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P), and Potassium (K). For example, a 5-5-5 ratio means the fertilizer contains equal parts of each nutrient. For peppers, I usually recommend a balanced 5-5-5 fertilizer. However, I recently used a 7-6-9 fertilizer, which also worked well. The key is to choose a fertilizer where the numbers are close together.
Last but not least, if you happen to have spent coffee grounds on hand – now is the time to use them! Just like when you plant tomato transplants, mix in 1/4 to 1/2 cup of coffee grounds in every planting hole to provide much-needed nitrogen to your plants to power fast growth!
Support Your Plants Right Away
Another key to success with pepper plants is supporting them early on. By giving them a little support right from the start, you protect those tender young plants from wind and strong storms. A hard rain or strong wind can easily break a young pepper plant, setting back growth or even wiping the plant out entirely.
By putting supports in on planting day, you also avoid the risk of damaging the plant’s roots later. Damaging roots can seriously hamper the plant’s health and ability to produce peppers. So, save yourself the trouble and put those supports in right away!
Mulch with Magnesium Boost
Once your pepper plants are in the ground and supported, Add Epsom salt to your watering can during the first watering and again when the plants start to flower.
This provides a concentrated dose of magnesium exactly when the plants need it most. After that, finish off with a 2-inch layer of organic mulch (applied after the soil temperature has heated up above 60°) will help the garden retain moisture between waterings. Shredded leaves, arborist’s wood chips and straw are all good mulch choices.
