Bell pepper

Bell pepper

Bell pepper, also known as sweet pepper or a pepper (in the United Kingdom and Ireland) and capsicum (in India, Australia and New Zealand), is a cultivar group of the species Capsicum annuum. Cultivars of the plant produce fruits in different colors, including red, yellow, orange, green, chocolate/brown, vanilla/white, and purple. Bell peppers are sometimes grouped with less pungent pepper varieties as "sweet peppers".

Peppers are native to Mexico, Central America and northern South America. Pepper seeds were later carried to Spain in 1493 and from there spread to other European, African and Asian countries. Today, China is the world's largest pepper producer, followed by Mexico and Indonesia.

Cultural/Environmental Problems

¢  Ideal growing conditions for bell peppers include warm soil, ideally 21 to 29 °C (70 to 84 °F), which is kept moist but not waterlogged. Bell peppers are sensitive to an abundance of moisture and excessive temperatures.

¢  Pepper plants are frost-sensitive perennials grown as annuals in temperate climates.

¢  Plant stems become semi-woody when mature and the growth habit may be compact, erect or prostrate.

¢  Pepper plants are largely self-fertile but insects may be responsible for considerable crossing within and between species.

¢  Therefore, saving seed from year to year can lead to unpredictable results unless plants are screened from insects or separated by 500 ft.

Practice

¢  For best results, pepper plants should each be given 3-5 sq. ft. of growing area and a minimum of 6 hrs. Of direct sunlight.

¢  The soil should be well-drained and amended with organic matter and have a pH in the 6.0-7.0 range.

Nutritional

¢  Slow, early season growth - due to cool conditions or purchasing overgrown, stressed transplants. Planting before soil temperature reaches 65°F will cause plants to “just sit there.”

—  It is better to pot plants up into a larger container and grow them indoors until the ground has warmed.

—  Fertilizing with a high phosphorous, soluble fertilizer, setting plants through a black plastic mulch and covering plants with a floating row cover can help encourage early growth.

¢  Small peppers - may result from inadequate fertilization.

Control/Practice:

¢  Pepper plants require a supply of nutrients throughout the growing season, particularly during fruiting.

¢  Feed plants lightly with a balanced fertilizer every 2-3 weeks after fruiting begins.

¢  Pinching off early buds and flowers will accelerate root development and improve yields.