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Onions, peppers, and celery are the Holy Trinity of Louisiana cuisine. It’s generally accepted that the pepper part of the Holy Trinity is bell peppers. But Louisiana is also world famous for their hot sauces and common use of peppers to create zesty foods that delight any and every palette. And it just so happens that Louisiana has the growing conditions for successfully growing almost any variety of pepper.
Figure 1: Pepper seeds germinating on moistened paper towel. Note the root radicals of differing lengths.
1. Seed is swollen but not yet germinating. 2. Seed germination has just begun. Radicle is visible. 3. Radicle has lengthened. 4. Radicle is a few days old. Root hairs are developed. 5. Radicle looks more like a root. Lots of root hairs. Seeds like 2 and 3 are best for transferring to potting soil. Roots like 5 are easily damaged or broken when transferring to soil.
Germinating Pepper Seed It is recommended that pepper transplants be started indoors from seed and not direct seeded in the garden. Pepper seeds can take from a week up to 3-4 weeks to germinate depending on the variety and the germinating conditions. Most pepper varieties germinate best at soil temperatures of 80-90o F. Presoaking the seed overnight in water can help to break the dormancy and speed up germination. There are reports all over the internet about soaking pepper seeds in a weak tea solution, or in hot water, or in a peroxide solution, etc. to improve germination. However, studies have shown that pre-soaking in plain water is just as effective as any of the internet secret soaking methods. Plant the seeds about ¼” deep in a light, fine-textured germinating medium. Place them on a heat mat at 85o F or in a warm location. Keep the soil moist but not soggy. As soon as seedlings begin to emerge, make sure they are getting at least 8 hours of daily sunlight or good artificial lighting. When the first true leaves appear, transplant seedlings into 4” pots and continue to grow in a protected environment until outdoor conditions are suitable. Pepper plants should be hardened off before transplanting into the garden. There is another method for starting your pepper seedlings that is especially useful if you have expensive varieties or only a few seeds. This is similar to how you do a percent seed germination test. Place your seeds spaced well apart on a folded moistened paper towel. Have the towel folded so it will fit inside a quart zipping plastic bag. Close the bag and place it in a warm location. Check the seeds daily for signs of germination. As soon as the radical appears, gently remove the seed from the paper towel (tweezers are good for this) and plant in germinating medium just as you would a seed. It’s important to check the seeds daily. If the radical grows too long, it can easily get broken during the planting process (Figure 1)
Planting Peppers. Peppers are a warm season crop and should be transplanted into the garden only when soil temperature is 65-70o F. The general recommendation for spacing pepper plants is 12-18”; however, it is best to check the mature size of the pepper variety you are using and adjust plant spacing accordingly. Like most vegetables, peppers prefer a soil pH of 6.0-6.5 but you can get a good harvest if the soil pH is slightly higher or lower if the other conditions are good. Peppers prefer soil high in organic matter with excellent drainage. Poorly drained locations lead to root problems. A soil test is recommended prior to planting. Without soil testing, it is recommended to incorporate 1 pound of a balanced fertilizer (e.g. 8-8-8 or 10-10-10) per 100 ft2 of garden space or 2 Tbsp. per plant. A steady supply of calcium and phosphorous are needed for best production.
Figure 2: Staking pepper plants. Left uses individual bamboo stakes. Right uses a wire plant cage.
Producing Peppers At first fruit set, side-dress with ½ pound of calcium nitrate per 60 ft2 or about ½ Tbsp. per plant. Repeat the side-dressing about once per month. Pepper plants need a steady supply of nitrogen to maintain adequate foliage to protect the pepper fruit from sunburn or sun scorch, a common occurrence with many home gardeners. Peppers need 8-10 hours of direct sunlight daily. Too little light leads to leggy plants and poor fruit production. Peppers need about 1 inch of water per week for optimal production. This can be provided by rain or irrigation. Peppers tend to have shallow root systems so water thoroughly when the top one inch of soil is dry. Most commercial pepper varieties are bred to be heavy fruit producers. This desirable trait has the side effect of plants that can’t support the weight of their fruit. Therefore, it is recommended that peppers be staked, caged, or provided with some support system (Figure 2). This will keep the plants from breaking due to fruit weight, will help the plants withstand high winds, and will keep the foliage well-positioned to protect the fruit from sun damage. My personal preference is wire cages. They more easily contain all the pepper branches without tying them individually. It is also a good idea to mulch around the pepper plants. Mulching helps maintain soil moisture, moderate soil temperatures, and reduce weeds (Figure 3).
Figure 3: Raised bed of pepper transplants with pine straw mulch.
Harvesting Peppers Peppers are harvested for culinary purposes as both green and ripe fruits. Most pepper varieties have green immature fruit that will change to red, orange, yellow, or purple when they mature and ripen. Some varieties start out some color other than green and mature to some color other than those mentioned. Peppers are generally classified as nonclimacteric fruit, which means they don’t continue to ripen once removed from the plant. However, recent studies indicate that pepper varieties of the Capsicum frutescens species are climacteric and will continue to ripen if picked at maturity. The taste of green peppers has been described as slightly bitter and, in most cases, as peppers ripen, they get sweeter. While hot peppers also get sweeter as they ripen, they also get hotter. Hot dry growing conditions also tend to increase the hotness level of peppers. Fresh harvested peppers store best in mesh bags or open containers in the refrigerator. Clean, dry, unblemished peppers can easily store for two weeks or more like this. Next month, we will look at “Pepper Pests and Diseases”.
~ Dr. Joe W. Willis
Easy Gardening – Peppers. 2010. Texas A&M Agrilife Extension. Pub. EHT-038 Florkowska, M. & B. Westerfield. 2014. Home Garden Peppers. UGA Extension. Circular 1005. Fontenot, K. et. al. 2017. Peppers. LSU AgCenter Pub. 2132 Hou, B., C. Li, Y. Han, Y. Shen. 2018. Characterization of the hot pepper (Capsicum frutescens) fruit ripening regulated by ethylene and ABA. BMC Plant Biol. 2018 Aug 10;18(1):162. Characterization of the hot pepper (Capsicum frutescens) fruit ripening regulated by ethylene and ABA - PubMed (nih.gov) Pavlis, R. 10 Ways to Germinate Pepper Seed Faster – What Works and What Doesn’t Work?. 10 Ways to Germinate Pepper Seed Faster (gardenmyths.com) Reeves, W. & F. Rushing. 2007. Guide to Louisiana Vegetable Gardening. Cool Springs Press. Smith, E.C. 2009. The Vegetable Gardener’s Bible. Storey Publishing. P. 276-279.
