Planting, caring for and harvesting peppers

You can also plant heat-loving peppers at home. We will show you what to consider when growing peppers.

The paprika (capsicum) is a member of the nightshade family (Solanaceae) and indispensable in most kitchens. The colorful vegetable is popularly referred to as a “pod” when it is actually a “berry”. However, this does not change the finely spicy taste and the many uses of this great fruit! We'll tell you how you can plant peppers yourself, what the heat-loving vegetables need and what you should consider when caring for the peppers.

Growing peppers: location and proper care

Many hobby gardeners are a bit skeptical about growing peppers because, next to aubergines, they are probably the most heat-requiring vegetable. However, there are enough arguments in favor of growing the colorful pod. Here you will find out step by step how you can successfully plant peppers yourself!

location for peppers

Paprika loves nutrient and humus rich soil. If you work enough humus into the bed before planting your pepper seedlings, the nutrient requirement is covered until flowering.

Important: Observe crop rotation! The pepper belongs to the nightshade family, just like the potato, tomato and eggplant. In the crop rotation tolerated Solanaceae not spread, as soil-borne diseases can be transmitted (Verticilium, Fusarium, mildew etc.). There should be at least a year break between two nightshade plants, ideally even three years.

A warm and sunny location is even more important than nutrient-rich and well-drained soil. Ideally, you should plant your peppers on a south-facing wall, where the sun can create a microclimate.

Notice: The conditions for growing peppers are not given in all regions of Germany. Anyone who can plant peppers in a greenhouse is on the safe side.

Planting peppers: procedure and right time

The best time to plant peppers is mid to late May. When planting in the bed, a distance of approx. 50 cm are observed. The ideal planting depth for peppers is between 5 and 8 cm. After planting, water the bed for the first time. Press the soil around the planted seedlings lightly beforehand to give the fine roots better initial contact with the water.

Notice: Be sure to support your pepper plants with small stakes to keep them from buckling.

Water and fertilize peppers properly

The peppers want to be kept permanently moist. However, waterlogging should be avoided as a matter of urgency. It is best to water the pepper plants several times a day to ensure even moisture.

Before planting, the pepper bed should be given a generous amount of humus or a primarily organic organic fertilizer like ours Plantura organic tomato fertilizer be added. The peppers should then do without fertilization until they bloom. As soon as the first flowers appear, you should support your peppers again. This is also suitable for example Plantura organic tomato fertilizer. More about Fertilizing pepper plants can be found in our special article.

Tip: The first flower that forms on the pepper plant is called the "king flower". Remove these after flowering to avoid channeling all of the energy into the main stem. The greater the chance that several peppers will form.

Cut out the peppers

Opinions differ on the subject of "excessive". Pinching out means removing small side shoots that grow in the leaf axils of the main shoot. Removing the side shoots promises a better harvest yield because less energy is invested in green biomass. For other plants (eg. B. tomato) it is important to pinch out in order to achieve good yields. The Cutting out the peppers It's not absolutely necessary, but it doesn't hurt and it's definitely worth a try!

The most important steps in pepper planting in a nutshell:

1. Observe crop rotation!
2. Prepare bed in late autumn; incorporate compost; left fallow over the winter
3. Place pepper plants in the bed in mid/end of May; 50 cm distance; 5-8 cm setting depth
4. Water regularly; Avoid waterlogging
5. Be sure to support the peppers!

Propagate peppers yourself or buy pepper plants?

You can grow your own pepper plants from seeds or buy pepper seedlings from well-stocked specialist shops. We explain the differences and what you have to consider.

Buy and sow pepper seeds

Paprika seeds are available in any well-stocked specialist shop or from online garden retailers. A bag of seeds costs approx. 1.30 euros. Sow the pepper seeds in small pots or seed trays. Compost rich in humus is suitable as planting medium. However, additional fertilizer should not be used. Cover the freshly sown seeds with transparent foil or cover off. In this way you can use the greenhouse effect to ensure the pepper seedlings have the easiest possible start.

Attention: The optimal germination temperature is 25°C, so a warm place in the greenhouse or on the windowsill at home is absolutely necessary! When the pepper plants approx. 5 centimeters in size, they can be pricked out by hand or with the help of tweezers. Put the plants in slightly larger pots, there you can spend the remaining time until planting out.

Buy pepper plants

Pepper plants are available from any major garden center or online retailer. Depending on the variety, you can pay between 3 and 6 euros for a ready-grown pepper plant. The seedlings from the trade are usually grafted, which means they have better growth characteristics from the start. Even if it is a bit more expensive to buy ready-made seedlings, it is usually more successful when harvesting and you save yourself the laborious grafting.

Types of peppers: A great variety

From the mini pepper to the fiery chili: the pepper comes in a wide variety of varieties. We have put together an exclusive selection of the best-known and most exotic varieties for you:

• long cutie: juicy, regional pepper variety; robust; suitable for colder regions
• purple beauty: purple pepper variety; juicy and delicately spicy; suitable for bucket cultivation
• SweetChocolate: new, exotic variety; very sweet in taste; chocolate brown
• jalapeno: best-known chilli variety; hot and spicy in taste
• Black Pearl: mini peppers; suitable as a house and balcony plant

You can find many more great paprika varieties in our Varieties Article.

Harvesting and storing peppers

The best time for the pepper harvest is in late summer, but the colorful pods can still be harvested well into October. Harvesting the peppers is comparatively simple: simply cut off the pods a few centimeters above the base of the stalk with a sharp knife or scissors. Make sure that the cut is smooth so that the pepper plant remains as undamaged as possible.

Let the peppers ripen

Often the weather conditions don't allow it or you're just too impatient to wait until the peppers are really ripe. However, it is best to harvest the peppers when they are ripe so that they can present themselves fresh, crunchy and colorful at the same time. If you still want to help, you can try the following tips:

• Place peppers in a bag with apples: Apples give off the natural phytohormone ethylene, which can speed up the peppers' ripening process. However, most nightshade plants (the exception being the tomato) do not respond well to this treatment or become mushy quickly. It's still worth a try
  Tip: If you realize early enough that the attempt has failed, you can always conjure up a delicious salsa from the ripened peppers
• Place the peppers in a sealed box in a moderately warm place: Place your peppers in a box to ripen and seal it.
  With a bit of luck, the warmth and reduced exposure to light can contribute to post-ripening.
  Notice: In order for this method to have a chance, colored ripening must already be visible on the peppers.

Preserve and store peppers

• Put the peppers
  Peppers are great for pickling. To do this, they must be washed, cut and blanched in boiling salted water for a few minutes. Let your blanched peppers cool down while you prepare the marinade. Good olive oil and two to three tablespoons of vinegar are particularly suitable for this. Depending on your taste, the marinade can be refined with garlic, salt, pepper and other spices. Finally, put your peppers in a sealable container and fill it with your marinade until the peppers are completely covered. Pickled in this way, your peppers will keep for about a year.

• Freeze peppers
  Peppers can also be frozen. To do this, they should be blanched briefly beforehand so that they do not become too mushy when thawed and retain their color.

• Dry peppers
  Another way to preserve peppers is to dry them. To do this, cut the peppers into strips and spread them out on a baking sheet. At a constant temperature of 50°C, the peppers should then "dry out" for 6 to 8 hours until they have lost most of their moisture. Peppers can be dried either in a standard oven or in a special drying oven.

• Cooking/canning peppers
  Of course, you can also boil or preserve your peppers. can. Wash, cut and blanch your peppers as described in the point “Insert the peppers”. Then put the prepared pods in a mason jar and pour boiled salted water over it until the jar is full. Finally, leave the sealed jar in the boiling water bath for another 20 minutes and you're done!

Pepper plants can benefit from being intercropped with the right neighbors, resulting in a more bountiful harvest. Our article will tell you which plants are good neighbors for peppers and which plant combinations you should avoid.