Tips For Growing Pepper Plants

By Tim Gamble

Some folks new to gardening have difficulty growing pepper plants, especially Bell Peppers. This is unfortunate because peppers are not only delicious and healthy, but are extremely prolific. You can get a lot off of each plant. If you have problems growing peppers, here are three tips that should fix your problem:

1) Don't plant peppers too early in the season. Peppers are a hot weather crop. They don't tolerate cool weather very well. Planting them too early in the season, when the weather is still cool, especially at night, will stunt their growth and result in fewer blooms, and therefore fewer peppers. I've noticed that the Big Box Stores, such as Wal-Mart, Lowe's and Home Depot, get their pepper plants in much too early. Buy pepper plants from them as soon as they get them, and you will almost certainly be planting them too early for a really successful crop. In my area, zone 7b, I never plant my peppers before the second week of May. 

2) Peppers definitely need full sun. Some crops can do okay if they are in the shade for a few hours each day, but peppers are NOT one of those crops. They need full sunlight. Plant them where they will not be shaded by trees, fences, or buildings, especially during the critical mid-day through late afternoon time. 

3) Don't over-water or under-water pepper plants. In my experience, pepper plants are very sensitive to being over- or under-watered. Some folks say they need 2 inches of water daily, but I disagree. I have the most success when I water my peppers twice a week (every three days), but water them deeply. 

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