Paprika
Pimiento
‘Purple Beauty’
‘Sunrise Orange’
‘Vidi’
‘Yellow Bell’
‘Yolo Wonder’
Hot Peppers
‘Almapaprika’
‘Anaheim’
‘Chili D’Arbol’
Jalapeño
‘Mexibell’
‘New Mexico’
‘NuMex Big Jim’
‘Paradicsom Alaku Zold Szentesi’
Serrano
‘Tepin’
‘Thai Hot’
1998 Pepper Garden: Twenty Varieties
Sweet Peppers
‘CalWonder’
‘Figaro’
‘Golden Bell’
‘Gypsy’
‘Italian Long’
‘Orange
King’
‘Shishitou’
‘Sweet Banana’
Hot Peppers
Chiltepín
‘Fiesta’
‘Golden Cayenne’
Habañero
Jalapeño
‘Jalapeño Frienza’
‘Red Cherry’
Serrano
‘Thai Dragon’
‘Thai Hot’
‘Variegata’
‘Yellow
Ornamental’
how to grow peppers
Peppers are substantial plants and many, including the New Mexico types and bells, need sturdy supports or they tend to fall over in the wind. A path between rows gives access to the plants for weeding, maintenance, and harvesting.
Like every gardener, I must admit I succumb now and then to impulse buying at the nursery. However, like most gardeners who have spent much time growing peppers, I have learned the hard way that my most successful pepper plantings result from planning and doing my homework. So, before I (or you) touch shovel to soil, here are two critical questions that need to be answered:
1. Where is the best place in the yard for my peppers?
2. What are the best pepper varieties for my climate?
When you have the answers to these two questions, you are well on your way to growing a bounty of beautiful peppers.
Planning Your Pepper Garden
Peppers are tender perennial plants, and only a few varieties have the slightest tolerance for frost. Consequently, most gardeners grow them as warm-weather annuals. They need warmth and sunshine and good soil drainage. Find a place in your garden with at least 8 hours of sunlight a day (except in extremely hot areas, where afternoon or some filtered shade is best). Then test the soil to make sure it drains well. Many of the diseases that affect peppers are caused by poor soil drainage because peppers are quite susceptible to root rot. If you think you might have a problem, the section “Preparing New Garden Beds and Adding Soil Amendments” on page 19 gives information on testing your soil for drainage.
Peppers needn’t be alone in their perfect spot. You can add them to a vegetable garden, interplant a few peppers among your ornamentals—particularly your summer annual flowers—or design a new garden. In addition, many peppers do wonderfully in containers or in large planter boxes—which may be necessary if your soil drainage is poor or your soil has fungus or nematode problems.
If you become excited enough to plan a fabulously large pepper garden, there are design considerations, including bed size, paths, and maybe even fencing. Once you plan a garden of a few hundred square feet or more, you need to provide paths, and the soil needs to be arranged in beds. Beds are best limited to 5 feet across, which allows the average person to reach into the bed to harvest or pull weeds from both sides. Raised beds of mounded soil (6 to 8 inches high) are great for peppers because they warm up more quickly in the spring than flat beds do, and they drain well too. Paths through any garden should be at least 3 feet across to provide ample room for walking and using a wheelbarrow. Protection is often needed, so consider putting a fence or wall around the garden
