You can also plant heat-loving peppers at home. We'll show you what to look out for when growing peppers.
The bell pepper (Capsicum) is a member of the nightshade family (Solanaceae) and is indispensable in most kitchens. The colorful vegetable is popularly referred to as a “pod” when it is actually a “berry”. However, this does not change the finely spicy taste and the many uses of this great fruit! We will tell you how you can plant peppers yourself, what the heat-loving vegetables need and what you should consider when caring for the peppers.
Growing peppers: location and proper care
Many hobby gardeners are a bit skeptical about growing peppers because, next to aubergines, they are probably the most heat-requiring type of vegetable. However, there are enough arguments in favor of growing the colorful pod. Here you will find out step by step how you can successfully plant peppers yourself!
Location for peppers
Peppers love soil rich in nutrients and humus. If you work enough humus into the bed before planting your pepper seedlings, the nutrient requirement is covered until flowering.
Important: Note crop rotation! The pepper belongs to the nightshade family, just like the potato, tomato and eggplant. The Solanaceae do not get along in crop rotation, as soil-borne diseases can be transmitted (Verticilium, Fusarium, powdery mildew, etc.). There should be at least a year break between two nightshade plants, ideally even three years.
A warm and sunny location is even more important than nutrient-rich and well-drained soil. Ideally, you should plant your peppers on a south-facing wall where the sun can create a microclimate.
Note: The conditions for growing peppers are not given in all regions of Germany. Anyone who can plant peppers in a greenhouse is on the safe side.
Planting peppers: procedure and right time
The best time to plant peppers is mid to lateMay. When planting in the bed, a distance of approx. 50 cm should be maintained. The ideal planting depth for peppers is between 5 and 8 cm. After planting, water the bed for the first time. Press the soil around the planted seedlings lightly beforehand to give the fine roots better initial contact with the water.
Note: Be sure to support your pepper plants with small stakes to prevent them from buckling.
Water and fertilize peppers properly
The peppers want to be kept moist all the time. However, waterlogging should be avoided as a matter of urgency. It is best to water the pepper plants several times a day to ensure even moisture.
Before planting, the pepper bed should be generously mixed with hummus or a primarily organic organic fertilizer such as our Plantura organic tomato fertilizer. The peppers should then do without fertilization until they bloom. As soon as the first flowers appear, you should support your peppers again. The Plantura organic tomato fertilizer, for example, is also suitable for this. You can find out more about fertilizing pepper plants in our special article.
Tip: The first flower that forms on the pepper plant is called the "king flower". Remove these after flowering to avoid channeling all of the energy into the main stem. The greater the chance that several peppers will form.
Peppers out
When it comes to the topic of "squeezing out", opinions differ. Pinching out means removing small side shoots that grow in the leaf axils of the main shoot. Removing the side shoots promises a better harvest yield because less energy is invested in green biomass. With other plants (e.g. tomato), pinching is important in order to achieve good yields. Cutting out the peppers isn't absolutely necessary, but it won't hurt and it's definitely worth a try!
The most important steps in pepper planting in a nutshell:
- Note crop rotation!
- Prepare bed in late autumn; incorporate compost; leave fallow over winter
- Put the pepper plants in the bed in mid/end of May; 50 cm distance; 5-8 cm setting depth
- Water regularly; Avoid waterlogging
- peppersbe sure to support yourself!
Propagate peppers yourself or buy pepper plants?
You can grow your own pepper plants from seeds or buy pepper seedlings from well-stocked specialist shops. We explain the differences and what you have to consider.
Buy and sow pepper seeds
Pepper seeds are available from any well-stocked specialist shop or from online garden retailers. A bag of seeds costs about 1.30 euros. Sow the pepper seeds in small pots or seed trays. Compost rich in humus is suitable as planting medium. However, additional fertilizer should not be used. Cover the freshly sown seeds with a transparent film or cover. In this way you can use the greenhouse effect to ensure the pepper seedlings get off to an easy start.
Warning: The optimal germination temperature is 25°C, so a warm place in the greenhouse or on the windowsill at home is absolutely necessary! When the pepper plants are about 5 centimeters tall, they can be pricked out by hand or with the help of tweezers. Put the plants in slightly larger pots, there you can spend the rest of the time until planting out.
Buy pepper plants
Pepper plants are available in every larger garden center or online retailer. Depending on the variety, you can pay between 3 and 6 euros for a ready-grown pepper plant. The seedlings from the trade are usually grafted, which means they have better growth characteristics from the start. Even if it is a bit more expensive to buy ready-made seedlings, it is usually more successful when harvesting and you save yourself the tedious grafting.
Pepper Varieties: A Great Variety
From mini peppers to fiery chillies: the peppers come in a wide range of varieties. We have put together an exclusive selection of the best-known and most exotic varieties for you:
- Long Sweet: juicy, regional paprika variety; robust; suitable for colder regions
- Purple Beauty: purple pepper variety; juicy and delicately spicy; suitable for pot cultivation
- Sweet Chocolate: new, exotic variety; very sweet in taste; chocolate brown
- Jalapeno: best-known chilli variety; hot and spicy taste
- Black Pearl: mini peppers; suitable as a house and balcony plant
You can find many other great pepper varieties inour variety article.
Harvesting and storing peppers
The best time to harvest the peppers is in late summer, but the colorful pods can still be harvested well into October. Harvesting the peppers is comparatively simple: simply cut off the pods a few centimeters above the base of the stalk with a sharp knife or scissors. Make sure the cut is smooth so that the pepper plant remains as undamaged as possible.
Leave the peppers to ripen
Often the weather conditions don't allow it or you're just too impatient to wait until the peppers are really ripe. However, it is best to harvest the peppers when they are ripe so that they can present themselves fresh, crunchy and colorful at the same time. If you want to help out, you can try the following tips:
- Put the peppers in a bag with the apples: apples give off the natural phytohormone ethylene, which can speed up the ripening process of the peppers. However, most nightshade plants (the exception being the tomato) do not respond well to this treatment or become mushy quickly. It's still worth a try
Tip: If you realize early enough that you failed, you can always conjure up a delicious salsa out of the ripened peppers - Put the peppers in a sealed box in a moderately warm place: Place your peppers in a box to ripen and seal it.
With a bit of luck, the heat and reduced exposure to light can help them ripen.
Note: In order for this method to have a chance, there must already be a colored beginning of ripening on the peppers.
Preserving and storing peppers
- Peel the peppers
Peppers are easy to pickle. To do this, they must be washed, cut and blanched in boiling s alted water for a few minutes. Let your blanched peppers cool down while you prepare the marinade. Good olive oil and two to three tablespoons of vinegar are particularly suitable for this. Depending on your taste, the marinade can be refined with garlic, s alt, pepper and other spices. Finally, put your peppers in a sealable container and fill it with your marinade until the peppers are completely covered. Pickled in this way, your peppers will keep for about a year.
- Freezing peppers
Peppers can also be frozen. To do this, they should be blanched briefly beforehand so that they do not become too mushy when defrosted and retain their colour.
- Drying peppers
Another way to preserve peppers is to dry them. To do this, cut the peppers into strips and spread them out on a baking sheet. At a constant 50°C, the peppers should then "dry out" for 6 to 8 hours until they have lost most of their moisture. Peppers can be dried either in a standard oven or in a special drying oven.
- Boiling/canning the peppers
Of course you can also boil or can your peppers. Wash, cut and blanch your peppers as described in the point “Insert the peppers”. Then put the prepared pods in a mason jar and pour boiled s alted water over it until the jar is full. Finally, leave the sealed jar in the boiling water bath for another 20 minutes and you're done!
Pepper plants can benefit from intercropping with the right neighbors, resulting in a more bountiful harvest. In our article you will learn which plants are good neighbors for peppers and which planting combinations you should avoid.