• Varieties:    Peppers are incredibly variable, but can be loosely grouped in the following two categories (though there are others):  Hot or Chile and Sweet Peppers.  Any of the more brightly colored hot peppers are excellent for use as ornamental annuals.

  Heritage notes:  Originates in Central and South America.  Member of the Nightshade family.  Peppers are mostly self-pollinated, but separate cultivars to prevent cross-pollination if you’re planning on saving seed.

  Days to harvest:  Extremely variable.  Pick peppers when ripe; their flavor and/or heat will be best.  Keep track of what color each pepper should be when ripe and wait until then to pick.  Some peppers are also good picked before their mature color is developed; for example, New Mexican chiles are good picked green too.  In early season harvest the first peppers one each plant quickly to encourage the plant to produce more.  Always cut peppers from the plant.  Pick all the fruit when a frost is predicted (end of season) or pull up each plant and hang in a cool, dry place indoors for the fruit to ripen more fully.

  Transplanting tips:  Transplant when nighttime temperatures remain above 50 degrees Fahrenheit and the daytime soil temperature is at least 60 degrees Fahrenheit, usually 2-3 weeks after the last frost.  Transplant on a cloudy day, in the evening, or provide temporary sun shade to avoid sun scorch shock to your transplants. 

• Culture/ growing conditions:  Choose a site with full sun throughout the day.  Larger peppers like bells and New Mexican chilies are susceptible to sunburn as they ripen.  This can be alleviated by choosing a site that will provide 2-4 hours of shade or partial shade during the hottest part of the day.  Space plants 18-24 inches apart, and rows   Denser planting can also help prevent sunburn.  Water thoroughly, but not too frequently; evenly moist soil is essential to good growth.  Shelter pepper plants from winds if possible as they are easily blown over, especially when heavily laden with fruits.  Staking plants to prevent wind damage, or to prop up leaning plants, can save your harvest.  Be careful not to damage plant roots when pushing stakes into the soil.

  Soil preparation tips:  Don’t plant peppers where tomatoes or eggplants grew previously, because all three are subject to similar diseases.  Make sure the soil drains well so as to prevent root rot.  Peppers need nitrogen-rich soil; blood meal, fish bone meal, or composted chicken manure can help ensure this.  When plants start to flower, side dress with a small amount of complete organic fertilizer or compost. 

   Disease/Predator resistance if known:  Peppers usually suffer little from insect pests, in fact sprays made of ground-up hot peppers can be used to deter insects.  Keeping your garden free of debris is a good way to prevent most pest damage that would otherwise occur.  Crop rotation and resistant cultivars are your best defense against most pepper diseases. 

Storability/how to store:  Freeze without blanching or dry hot types.  Dried peppers can be ground and saved and used as a condiment to spice up foods.  Some varieties can be pickled.  Any pepper can be preserved in canned sauces or salsas.

Flavor & Heat Scale:  In addition to describing the flavor of each variety, we will be assigning a number to each hot variety to describe its relative heat; this number rates the entire pepper, including its seeds and membrane.  On a scale of 1-10, 1 is mildest and 10 is hottest.

Culinary uses/health notes:  With amazing flavors, colors, and shapes, peppers, both hot and sweet, are essential to world cuisines, from far eastern Asia, to the southwestern U.S.  Peppers are rich in vitamins A and C.  They are also said to have bacteria-deterrent and antioxidant qualities that can extend the keeping periods of fats, meats, and casseroles made with them.  The seeds and seed membrane in the center of each hot pepper is where the highest concentration of heat is located, so remove if not wanting the full blast.  The preventative and curative health benefits of capsaicin, the “heat” in hot peppers, are widely touted and the subject of much scientific study.  Chiles have been used for everything from fighting infections and aiding digestion, to lowering blood pressure and triglyceride levels, and are often used topically to treat muscular pain.