How to grow peppers / RHS Gardening 26/05/2019, 12*57
Peppers
Sweet peppers – also known as
bell peppers – are so versatile in
cooking. They can be used raw in
salads and cooked in stir-fries and
casseroles.
Peppers will grow well in a
greenhouse, but will also thrive in
pots outside if you place them in a
warm, sunny spot.
Sow Do now
Sow from mid-February to early April indoors Harden off before planting outside
in pots or seed trays of seed compost. You
will need to keep the temperature around 18-
21°C (65-70°F), so use a propagator or place Month by month
on a warm windowsill, with plastic bags over JANFEBMARAPRMAYJUNJULAUGSEPOCTNOVDEC
the pots to keep the heat and moisture in.
Sow
✔ ✔ ✔
Young plants are available from garden Plant
out ✔ ✔
centres in spring as an alternative to sowing.
Harvest ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
Grow
RHS Plants Shop
You can grow peppers in containers or in
Peppers
growing bags or in open ground, as long as
it is a sheltered, sunny spot (at the base of a
wall for instance).
Transplant into 7.5-9cm (3-3.5in) pots when
two true leaves have formed.
Further transfer plants to 30cm (12in) pots of
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How to grow peppers / RHS Gardening 26/05/2019, 12*57
good compost once the roots fill the 9cm
(3in) pot in late April (if growing in a heated
greenhouse), mid-May (if in an unheated
greenhouse) or late May if growing outside.
Pinch out the growing tips of chillies when
they are about 20cm (8in) tall to encourage
bushiness; sideshoots (the shoots forming
between the main stem and leaves) can be
further pinched back if you want lots of View all
smaller fruit. Peppers
at the RHS Plants Shop
You may need to stake and tie plants in if
they produce lots of heavy fruit.
Water regularly and feed with a high potash
liquid fertiliser once the first fruit has set.
Common problems
Glasshouse red spider or two
spotted mite: Leaves become
mottled, pale and covered in
webbing, on which the mites can be clearly
seen; leaves also drop prematurely.
Remedy: They thrive in hot, dry conditions,
so mist plants regularly. Use biological
control in the greenhouse.
More info on Glasshouse red spider or two
spotted mite
Aphids: Look for colonies of greenfly on the
soft shoot tips of plants or on leaves. They
suck sap and excrete sticky honeydew,
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How to grow peppers / RHS Gardening 26/05/2019, 12*57
encouraging the growth of black
sooty moulds.
Remedy: Use your finger and thumb
to squash aphid colonies or use biological
control in the greenhouse.
More info on Aphids
Blossom end rot: Dark blotches
appear on the ends.
Remedy: Water regularly and not
sporadically and never allow the soil to dry
out.
More info on Blossom end rot
Harvesting
Pick the fruit as required when it is green,
swollen and glossy. Alternatively, keep the
fruit on the plant to turn red; this affects both
flavour and heat. However, leaving fruit on to
mature does reduce yield.
Recipes
Gregg Wallace tempts us with his grilled
vegetable terrine.
Varieties
‘Gypsy’ AGM:This is an early-cropping,
bright red sweet pepper with good flavour.
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How to grow peppers / RHS Gardening 26/05/2019, 12*57
‘Gourmet’ AGM:A beautiful bright orange
sweet pepper with a long cropping season. It
is well-suited for growing outdoors in
containers, or in a greenhouse.
RHS PLANTS SHOP
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