RED BELL PEPPERS HELP PLEASE

[Treblot84]

Hello, we want to grow Red Bell Peppers this year, but have never grown them before. My kids have already turned / tilled all of the soil in the raised bed that we plan on growing them in. Could someone whom is experienced in growing them please give me some guidence in the best way too see the seeds, and on how to raise strong and healthy pepper plants!! THANK YOU EVERYONE!!!

 

[Chuck]

Hello, we want to grow Red Bell Peppers this year, but have never grown them before. My kids have already turned / tilled all of the soil in the raised bed that we plan on growing them in. Could someone whom is experienced in growing them please give me some guidence in the best way too see the seeds, and on how to raise strong and healthy pepper plants!! THANK YOU EVERYONE!!!

Here is how I do it and it NEVER fails. First get you seedling containers, they should hold about 1/2 - 3/4 cups of potting mix. Next, get enough GOOD QUALITY potting mix for your purposes. Sterilize this potting mix by heating to 180F-200F for 30 minutes. You can easily do this in your oven. Next fill up the containers with the mix almost to the top. Next place the containers in water almost as deep as the containers and saturate the soil until it stands on the surface of the soil. Next, slightly depress the soil until it is slightly packed in the container. Next place 2 seeds in each container. Next, sprinkle dry potting mix over the wet mix covering the seed 1/8 - 3/16 inch and very lightly pack the mix down onto the seeds. Next place Saran Wrap over the containers as tightly as you can and place them in a very warm location (+/- 80F). If the soil dries out water with a spray bottle. They should sprout inside 10 days. As soon as they sprout remove the saran wrap and place in the warmest sunniest location you have. The seedlings should receive at minimum 6 hours of sunlight. If your weather is nice, warm and no wind you can place them outside in partial shade. When they get their 1st set of true leaves you may transplant into a larger container but I recommend waiting until the 2nd set of leaves to appear before transplanting. The larger your transplant is the less chance of damage occurring when finally setting out in the garden and the less chance of something eating it. And before you transplant snip off the smallest weakest seedling in each container.

 

[Chuck]

Peppers are, IMO, one of the easiest vegetable to grow. Here is how I do it. I take a big shovel full of soil from the ground for each of my transplants. So if I had 4 pepper plants I'd dig out 4 separate holes about 1 1/2 feet apart and I put this soil into a wheelbarrow. I use pelleted organic fertilizer and I put 3 or 4 handfuls of fertilizer per hole and mix it all up together and then put the soil back into the hole.. Now the next step you don't have to do but I always do. I water thoroughly the places where the plant will be located. Then I come back the next day and plant the transplant. I also plant my pepper seedling deep. They will not grow roots up the stalk like a tomato will but in my experience the plants seem to grow better when planted deep. I fertilize again when the plant starts to bloom and again 2 or 3 times during the growing season. Sometimes, depending on how the plant is growing I will prune the plant to make it bushier. Red bell peppers are a little more difficult to grow simply because of the time involved in them turning red. That's why red bell peppers cost 3 or 4 times what a green bell pepper costs at the store.

 

[headfullofbees]

Here in the UK they cost the same.
Peppers are climacteric, so, if you want a ripe one, look for one which has started to change colour.
It means that it has started its climacteric stage and will continue to ripen, which you can hasten by keeping it somewhere warm. So if you can plan ahead, or are willing to wait, buy them and wait.

 

[Treblot84]

Thank you for all of the info @Chuck. I started my seeds today and i feel pretty confident that we will produce some winners. Your posts were very helpful!

 

[Treblot84]

I will post some pictures as soon as the plants begin to grow. Thanks again!