5 Tips to Grow Tons of Peppers: A Guide for Sweet and Hot Varieties

Welcome, gardening enthusiasts! In this blog post, we'll be discussing five tips to help you grow an abundance of both sweet and hot peppers. Whether you're a seasoned gardener or just starting out, these tips will help you cultivate healthy pepper plants and yield a bountiful harvest.

Tip #1: When to Start Peppers

Did you know that sweet peppers take around three months to start producing, while most hot peppers take about five months? To ensure you get your peppers earlier in the summer, you must start your pepper plants indoors or in a greenhouse in January or the first week of February, depending on your zone. You can grow your pepper plants from seed or purchase them from a nursery. If you live in a warmer climate, you can overwinter your pepper plants to get a head start in spring.

Tip #2: Pepper Plants Love Cow and Chicken Manure

Pepper plants love moist soil with plenty of compost and manure. Make sure to add a lot of cow and chicken manure into your garden along with some compost. However, be careful not to over-fertilize your plants, especially tomatoes, as this can result in an abundance of foliage but no fruit.

Tip #3: Location, Location, Location

Peppers love full sun and need at least eight hours of sunlight per day. Bell peppers are an exception, and you can grow them in partial shade. When planting peppers, space the plants 18-24 inches apart and the rows 30-36 inches apart.

Tip #4: Watering

Pepper plants love moist soil, so make sure your soil is moist at all times while growing peppers. The amount of water you give to your plants depends on many conditions, such as temperature, soil type, and more.

Tip #5: Harvest Often

Don't let your peppers ripen on the plant; instead, pick them often. Once the peppers ripen, the plant thinks it's fulfilled its purpose in life and will not produce any more fruit. By picking often, you can trick the plant into producing more fruit.

In conclusion, these five tips will help you grow lots of peppers in your garden. By starting your peppers early, providing them with enough manure, locating them in full sun, keeping the soil moist, and harvesting often, you can enjoy a bountiful harvest of both sweet and hot pepper varieties. Happy gardening!