Peppers

Sweet pepper is a tender plant with green oval shaped leaves that narrow to a pointy end. The pepper is a determinate plant that grows through its growing season then dies back after production of its fruit. There are green, Red, yellow, white, purple, brown and orange pepper varieties. There are bell shaped peppers hence the name bell pepper, there are conical shaped peppers and smaller cherry peppers.
There are new indeterminate varieties, that can be pruned back, to produce new stems, leaves, flowers and produce new fruit continuously. They are mainly planted in greenhouses or warmer more temperate climates that allow for longer production periods.

They require fertile sandy loam to loam soils that drain well. As the roots are concentrated in the top 30 cm of soil they are sensitive to both drought and water logged conditions. Irrigation needs to be very well managed. There must be good humus in the soil or compost or organic material must be mixed into the soil prior to planting. The pH of the soil must be between 6.2 and 7.0. The closer to a neutral pH the better the peppers do.

From seed to ripe fruit, being the coloured pepper (red, yellow, purple, white or orange) it can take up to five months to harvest. The green pepper which is the immature fruit can be harvested from eight weeks after planting of seedlings.

Blossom end rot is one of the more common pepper plant diseases. It is caused by a lack of calcium. This problem is easy to diagnose because the bottom of the fruit will have a black spot and appear to be rotting the inside of the pepper. It might look like there is a black hole in the bottom of the fruit. This problem can be solved by watering your plants more thoroughly so that the calcium in the soil can be absorbed by the roots and transferred to the plant.

If the fruit is cracked or has a thin film of dust on it, you’re definitely dealing with a fungal problem. Additionally, you may see dark spots on the leaves or branches. This can be solved by using a fungicide that can be purchased in most garden centers. Also be sure not to water the tops of the plants. Wet foliage will encourage fungal problems to develop.

Other pepper plant problems are caused by insects. You might observe aphids on the underside of the leaves. You also may notice insect “trails” on the leaves or even holes in the leaves themselves. All of these symptoms indicate an insect problem. Choose a good insecticide and apply according to the manufacturer’s directions.