Growing Peppers – The Key Steps to a Bountiful Harvest

4. Maintain and care for your pepper plants

The success of your pepper crop also depends on good maintenance throughout the season.

Here are some essential steps to take care of your plants and ensure their correct development:

1. Watering:   Peppers need cool, moist but not soggy soil. Water regularly, being careful not to wet the leaves to avoid diseases. In warm climates, mulching with straw, grass clippings, or wood chips can be beneficial in keeping the soil moist.
2. Stake:   To prevent your pepper plants from falling over due to the weight of the fruit, feel free to tie them to stakes or support them with nets or cages.
3. Removal of suckers:   to promote fruiting, it is advisable to eliminate the suckers, these small lateral shoots that appear between the main stem and the branches. Simply pinch them with your fingers or cut them with a clean, disinfected clipper.
4. Plant pruning:   at the end of the season, do not hesitate to prune the ends of the branches of your pepper plants, to stimulate the ripening of the last fruits and facilitate their harvesting.

Finally, to prevent diseases and pest attacks, take a preventive approach by encouraging biodiversity within your garden (hedges, honey flowers, insect hotel) and ensuring the good health of your plants (watering, fertilization, aeration).

5. Harvest and store your peppers

The harvesting of peppers is usually carried out  between July and October  , when the fruits have reached their final size and color.

To do this, simply cut the peppers with pruning shears, keeping a small piece of the stem. You can then store them for a few days at room temperature or place them in the refrigerator for longer storage.

If you want to save your peppers for the winter, you have several options:

• Freezing: Wash, seed, and cut the peppers into strips or cubes, then place in freezer bags.
• Storing in jars: Prepare sterilized jars and fill them with peppers cut into strips, then cover with olive oil and some herbs (garlic, thyme, bay leaf).
• Drying: Cut your peppers into thin strips and dry them in the sun, in a dehydrator, or in the oven at low temperature, then store them in an airtight jar.

By following these tips, you can enjoy your peppers all year round, and add a colorful and tasty touch to your dishes.

In conclusion, planting and growing peppers is not an insurmountable task, as long as you follow the key steps and adopt good practices. So don’t hesitate, embark on this adventure and savor the pleasure of tasting your own peppers, freshly picked from your garden