Pepper Plant Care
The best way to care for your new pepper plant will vary depending on what region of the country you live in. In cooler northern climates, you'll be best off starting the plants inside your home, as the pepper plant isn't hardy enough to handle cold weather. The soil conditions in your area and the amount of rainfall will also be factors, and they will need a bit less care if you have nutrient rich soil nearby. About two months after planting, your pepper plants should be ready for harvest.
Once you've planted your pepper plant, you'll want to start thinning them out so that they stay about sixteen inches apart. You'll want to grow them inside and keep them there until the temperature starts to stay consistently above 55 F. When you're ready to move them outdoors, you'll want to get soil with great drainage and plant them at the same level they were at in their containers. Give them a healthy dose of vegetable fertilizer after planting. Wet the soil and water on days without rainfall.
You want to keep the soil surrounding the pepper plant consistently moist. Once peppers start to first appear, apply another dose of vegetable fertilizer on top of the soil. If you notice any dew or sticky materials on the bottom of the plant's base, use a light insecticide immediately, as this indicates the presence of aphis that will rapidly take down your new pepper plant. Once your peppers are of a normal size and look fine to eat, you can simply remove them and bring them into your kitchen! See, doesn't it feel great to grow peppers in your garden?
