Pepper Patience is a Virtue

Or, Just Plant More Early Ripening Sweet Pepper Varieties Next Year!

Lesson learned the hard way: we consume a lot of sweet peppers in our household. Grilled or stir-fried sweet peppers are a great side dish at dinner. And, their sweetness and color add a lot of zing to a green salad. And for a sandwich topping, homemade pepper relish can’t be beat (more on that later).

The problem is…hot summer weather. Sweet peppers tend to stop setting flowers when temperatures get above 90 degrees, so their productive growth spurts are early in the season (late April, the month of May, and early June here in USDA Zone 9) and late in the season (September, October, November, early December).

Sweep peppers picked in December!

If you start picking peppers in June, chances are they will be few, rather small, and not wanting to go into a repeat mode, especially with early, triple-digit heat waves in late June and early July…just when you get into pepper picking mode.

Another reason this malady hit our backyard garden this year: pepper planting was cut in half (just nine plants) to make room for different crops, such as sweet corn, pumpkins and what may be a futile attempt to grow rhubarb (if past history is any indication).

So, next year, we will return to growing the standard 18 different sweet pepper varieties in the garden, with a twist: choosing those varieties that can get to full size in 70 days or less.

Harris Seeds, which offers pepper seeds with maturation dates ranging from 55 to 95 days, publishes a handy chart in their catalog that can help out those of you facing a similar dilemma:

Having grown sweet peppers for over 40 years, several of our favorites are on that list, including Flamingo, Giant Marconi, and Early Sunsation. Other yearly standards for us to grow include Tequila (75 days to maturity), Jimmy Nardello (75 days), Corno Di Toro (72 days), Gypsy (65 days), Cornito Giallo (75 days), Sweet Sunset (85-90 days) and Big Red (75 days).

Of all of those, Gypsy and Flamingo have been the most reliable producers over the decades.

But back to my current tale of pepper woe: July and August - if recent history is any indicator - will be low production times, because of long bouts of 95+ daytime temperatures. So, it looks like having enough peppers to put up a few dozen jars of sweet pepper relish may have to wait until late summer or early fall.

I’ve raved about my wife’s recipe for sweet pepper relish on the radio, blogs, and podcasts for many years. Another recent comment from a listener echoed that sentiment:

Clarenda writes in: “I ran upon this recipe last year and made a big batch. I shared it with family and friends and they loved it. Of course I used red, green, yellow, and orange peppers. I'm growing my own peppers this year but I've already hit the produce market and made 2 batches so far. Thanks for such a great recipe!”

Well, there’s always that: hit the farmers’ markets if you’re in a hurry to try this recipe:

Sweet Red Pepper Relish Recipe:

6 pounds of sweet red peppers, seeded and cut into one-inch squares (we sometimes throw in a few Anaheim or Poblano peppers for a touch of heat). Use your favorite blend of sweet and hot peppers (if you dare!).

3 pounds onions, cut into one-inch chunks

4 cups distilled white vinegar

3 cups sugar

2 Tbs canning salt or non-iodized table salt

1 Tbs mustard seeds

Chop the peppers and onions, then put in a food processor or food chopper with a medium blade.

Pour chopped peppers and onions into a heavy-bottomed, 8-10 quart stainless steel or unchipped enamel pan.

Mix in the vinegar, sugar, salt and mustard seed.

Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally.

Reduce heat to medium-low and let it boil gently, uncovered.

Stir often to prevent sticking.

Cook about 50 minutes, until relish is thickened but still juicy.

Makes about 7 pints.

A quarter-cup serving has 81 calories, 1 g protein, 16 g carbohydrates, 2 g total fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 43 g sugar, 3 mg sodium

Storage:

Unprocessed: Ladle into pint jars or refrigerator containers, leaving a half-inch head space. Apply lids, let cool, then refrigerate. Refrigerator life: 1 month.

or

Processed: Ladle hot relish into clean, hot pint jars, leaving a half-inch headspace.

Run a narrow nonmetallic spatula between relish and jar sides to release air bubbles.

Wipe rims and threads clean. Top with hot lids, then firmly screw on bands.

Process in boiling water canner for 15 minutes. Shelf life: up to 1 year.

More on growing peppers from the UCCE Master Gardeners of Alameda County:

CARING FOR YOUR VEGETABLE PLANTS: PEPPERS

There are two types of peppers: the large-fruited, mild-flavored bell types and the hot varieties. The mild peppers include Bell, Banana, Pimiento and Sweet Cherry, while the hot peppers include Cayenne, Celestial, Large Cherry, Serrano, Tabasco, and Jalapeno.

Hot peppers are usually allowed to ripen fully and change colors (except for Jalapenos) and have smaller, longer, thinner and more tapering fruits than sweet peppers. Yields are smaller for hot peppers.

Bell peppers, measuring 3 in wide by 4 in long, usually have 3 to 4 lobes and a blocky appearance. They are commonly harvested when green, yet turn red or yellow when fully ripe. About 200 varieties are available.

The cultural and climatic requirements for both types of peppers are the same as those recommended for tomatoes.

Transplanting

Peppers generally have a long growing season. They are a warm-season crop, like tomatoes and eggplants, and will not thrive when temperatures are below 60°F.

They will grow slowly during cool periods. However, very little fruit set occurs above 90°F, especially with bell peppers. Some hot peppers are more heat-tolerant.

Peppers grow best when daytime temperatures are in the low 80’s. Night time temperatures should remain mostly above 55 degrees.

The best scenario is to get peppers transplanted as soon as the weather is warm and settled, so that fruit set occurs when temperatures are between 65°F and 85°F.

After the soil has thoroughly warmed in the spring, you can set out transplants to get a head start toward harvest.

Peppers perform best in well-drained, fertile soils with a pH around 6.5, which is very-slightly acid to neutral. Abundant levels of phosphorus and calcium will result in better yields. Bury them a bit deeper than the root ball to encourage additional root growth that will make them sturdier. Tomatoes and peppers will grow additional roots from the stem that is now underground. This will "anchor" the plant better and it will grow stockier. Immediately water the plants well at the soil level.

It's best to do your transplants at early evening so that they are not immediately infull sunlight. Dig a hole for each plant that is a bit larger than the root ball of the plant, spacing plants about 2 feet apart. Hold the plant by the rootball (not the stem) and place in the hole, trying to disturb the roots as little as possible. Fill in the hole with soil, then press firmly around the plant base to form a slight depression or moat around the stem to accumulate water. Water deeply. An application of diluted fertilizer solution may help each plant as a starter fertilizer. Plastic mulch and row cover may be used to increase warmth.

Watch the transplants closely the first week. If the weather is hot they may need more water. In hot weather, you can provide some afternoon cover.

Watering

Proper watering is very important. Drip irrigation or furrow irrigation on raised beds, instead of using sprinklers, will keep your soils well drained and protect against diseases such as root rot. Keep the root zone moist throughout the growing season.

Avoid shallow, frequent watering which will encourage shallow roots. Peppers and eggplants root to about 2 feet deep and plants should not be subject to water stress. Stress during the bloom can cause substantial reduction in fruit set and stress during early fruit growth can induce blossom end rot in peppers. Keep adequate moisture in the deeper soil layers even when plants are small. Deep moisture is harder to replace later in the growing season without over irrigating. A layer of mulch will help retain soil moisture.

Fertilizing

When fertilizing your peppers, look for a fertilizer with more phosphate and potassium than nitrogen. A higher phosphate and potassium number will encourage more fruit production. A lower nitrogen number will help the plant grow, without doing it at the expense of producing fruit. New plants can be side-dressed with fertilizer four weeks after transplanting and again at eight weeks. Once fruit starts to set, you can side dress monthly with a complete balanced fertilizer to encourage plant growth, but this is often unnecessary. Established plants typically require fertilization only if they show poor vegetative growth, which leaves the pepper pods vulnerable to sunscald.

Harvesting

Harvest fruits of mild peppers when they are green or red-ripe. When allowed to mature on the plant, most varieties turn red and sweeter and increase in vitamin A and C content. Cut, instead of pulling, to avoid breaking branches. Hot peppers that you plan to dry are allowed to ripen on the plant. Hot peppers turn red when ripe; they may then be cut with 1 inch of stem attached, strung on a thread, and hung in a sunny place until dry and brittle. Use a sharp knife for cutting, as the stems are tough.

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Fred Hoffman is also a University of California Cooperative Extension Master Gardener in Sacramento County. And he likes to ride his bike(s)