Cultivating Peppers
When to Plant Peppers
Each plant type requires different temperatures. Depending on where you live, most crops can be started in early spring. Peppers are a tender, warm-season crop, which can be grown in 1 to 11 USDA Hardiness Zones (click here to check your zone).
You should start seeds indoor 8-10 weeks before transplanting, which means 2-3 weeks after the expected last frost. Only the gardeners in the Deep South should plant the seeds directly in the garden.
Ideal Soil for Growing Peppers
Peppers prefer a rich, sandy, loamy soil that has lots of nutrients. The soil needs to hold some water but drain well because the roots like to be moist but not flooded. This isn’t as complicated as it sounds; if you have super sandy soil, work in some compost. If you have extremely rich, dense soil, work in some sand.
Since we’re growing inside, shoot for a mix of about half sand and half soil/organic compost. If you want to get particular, go with 1/3 garden soil, 1/3 vermiculite and 1/3 sand. For example, if you use seed starter mix in containers with poor drainage, the plants will develop large, weak stems, and then die.
Choosing and Germinating the Seeds
First, don’t go with any seed that has genetically modified organisms (GMO) or is hybrid. The problems with GMO foods are just now starting to be researched and there is considerable cause for concern so it’s best to avoid them. Look for a reliable provider for your seeds.
You don’t want to plant anything hybrid because historically, hybrids aren’t stable in the second generation. Hybrid seeds have been modified to combine the positive aspects of two different types of plants. Though your first crop will grow gangbuster, your second crop grown from your 1st generation seeds will be unpredictable.