Peppers
Botanical Name
 Capsicum annuum
Origin Both sweet peppers and hot peppers are warm-weather perennial shrubs from the tropics, but are treated as annuals in gardens.
Growth Habits The plants usually grow about 2 feet tall with an equal 2 foot spread. The fruit of sweet peppers grow 3 to 4 inches long and 2 1/2 to 3 inches wide. If blossoms and young fruits form during a period of low humidity, they will fall to the ground, but if the growing season is long enough and the level of humidity increases, the plants will flower and fruit again. Unused pepper seeds will keep for about two years.
Season Where winter frosts are expected, start seeds indoors in six to eight weeks before minimum night temperatures are expected to average above 55°. The plants need indoor temperatures of 70° to 80°. Wait until at least two weeks after outdoor temperatures can be relied upon to stay above 55° before transplanting the seedlings to the garden.
Location Peppers grow best in soil with a pH of 5.5 to 7.0.
Spacing Sow the seeds in a flat and transplant the seedlings to individual pots when they are about 1 inch tall. Or sow two or three seeds in individual pots, and when the seedlings become an inch tall, cut off all but the strongest one in each pot. then set them 18 inches apart in rows 2 to 3 feet apart.
Tips To prevent cutworm injury, cover the plants with paper cups that have had the bottoms removed. Fertilize twice--when the plants are about 8 inches tall and again when they are about 12 inches tall--scattering an 8- to 12-inch band of 5-10-5 fertilizer along each side of the row at the rate of 5 ounces to 10 feet of row. Both sweet peppers and hot peppers are edible and flavorful at all stages of their growth.
Harvest Peppers are often harvested while still green and crisp and are eaten either raw or cooked; if allowed to ripen, they turn red or yellow and may become slightly soft, with a sweeter flavor. When picking peppers, cut them from the plant instead of pulling them; the branches are extremely brittle and will break easily if pulled.
   

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