How to Grow Your Own
The Plants
Peppers are a warm-temperature vegetable -
grown as an annual in most of North America - and require a long
growing season. Transplants should be kept close to the
following temperatures:
Days: 65-85 F.
Nights: 60-65 F.
Temperatures above 95 F or below 55 F may
result in flower bud drop. Highest yields are obtained when
soil temperatures remain in the 70-75 F range. Soil
temperatures below 68 F may result in substantial yield
reductions. Transplants set out when the soil is not warm
enough will result in plants which are stunted and never
fully develop.
Seeds should be planted in a heated
greenhouse six to eight weeks before the field transplanting
date. When growing transplants in unheated greenhouses, cold
frames, or field transplant beds, eight to fourteen weeks may
be necessary.
Seedlings are transplanted into other
flats when the first true leaves are 1" long. Transplants
should be spaced 2" apart in the greenhouse or plant bed. At
all times, handle pepper seedlings with care because they are
easily broken or damaged (transplants should be handled by
the leaves only; the stem - which contains the plant's
vascular system - should never be touched).
Harden transplants for two weeks before
transplanting to the field by reducing moisture and
maintaining a temperature of 55-65 F. This will give
resistance to wilting and sunscald. Transplants should be
"hardened off", outside, by exposing the plants to increasing
amounts of sun and wind. Start with only an hour or two, then
increase daily. Initially, set transplants out in the shade,
and do not set out on a windy day.
Depth of transplanting has normally been
to the top of the roots or root ball. Some research suggests
that transplants may benefit from being set deeper - up to
the first true leaf - but other research suggests otherwise.
Our experience has been that in soils with a high clay
content (in other words, soil with a higher water-retaining
capacity), deep transplanting may result in stem rot or
breakage. Try your own experiments - and please report back
your results in our Feedback
section. But approach this experiment judiciously!
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Fertilizing
It helps to apply a starter fertilizer
solution to the transplants when transplanting to the field. We
use a weak solution of fish emulsion (see directions on the
bottle). (We also fertilize our seedlings weekly with this same
solution when they are still in pots.)
Once the peppers have been moved to the
field - or have been transplanted a second time - we begin a
program designed to strengthen their stems. Field transplants
receive 1/2 cup of Epsom Salts (dissolved in 1 gallon of
water) every two or three weeks for the first couple months.
We halve this solution for plants still in pots.
The Epsom Salts, high in magnesium,
enable the increased uptake of calcium, which strengthens
plant stems, prevents disease like blossom end-rot, and
provided far bushier, more productive plants. Back to Top
Spacing
We space plants 18 - 24" apart using a
triangulation system (as opposed to planting in traditional
rows). This system was developed by John Jeavons, a champion of
the double- digging biointensive approach to organic farming.
Transplants look like this:
A benefit of triangulation is that less
land is required than using row-cropping. Plants interweave,
providing increased support, and shading the soil,
suppressing weeds and increasing water retention (the close
spacing provides a mini-climate and a living mulch). This
means less time spent watering and weeding!
Not all crops benefit from this spacing.
When planting tomatoes on a triangle, leave enough room so
the plants never touch! Each time we've allowed tomatoes to
touch, we've had increased problem with disease (mostly leaf
spots and early blight). Tomatoes benefit from increased air
circulation and, as a Mediterranean plant, like soil
conditions which are a bit drier. Back to Top
Soil Management
Double-digging, we've found, is the secret to
effective crop production. According to John Jeavons in his
book, How to Grow More Vegetables (than you ever thought
possible on less land than you can imagine) (Ten Speed
Press):
"Our initial research seems to indicate
that the method [i.e., double-digging and planting on the
triangle] can produce an average of four times more
vegetables per acre than the amount grown by farmers using
mechanized and chemical agricultural techniques. The method
also appears to use 1/8 the water, ½ to none of the
purchased nitrogen fertilizer; and 1/100 the energy consumed
by commercial agriculture per pound of vegetable grown. The
flavor of the vegetables is usually excellent, and there are
indications that their nutritive value can be higher than
that of commercially-grown vegetables."
Jeavons' work was originally based on the
BioDynamic/French intensive method of horticulture, developed
by Alan Chadwick (Chadwick combined Rudolf Steiner's
BioDynamic techniques, which included a holistic approach to
growing, companion planting, and raised-bed planting, with
the French intensive techniques, described in the Spacing section, above. He calls this combined
system "biointensive".)
Double-digging, notes Jeavons, is the
term used for the process of preparing the soil two spades
deep (about 24 inches). Double-digging results in a bed which
is raised up to 10" above the surrounding pathways. "Loose
soil with good nutrients", continues Jeavons, "enables roots
to penetrate the soil easily, and a steady stream of
nutrients flows into the stem and leaves." Additional
information on "the method" can be found in Jeavons' book
(highly-recommended for growers of any age). The book also
contains detailed planning and planting charts.
Last year, we experimented with another
raised bed technique, called Hugulkultur. These are two-foot
high mounds, created on top of a lattice-work of sticks (some
of which have actively-growing fungus). On top of the sticks,
one places turned over sod, then a layer of unfinished
compost. On top of that goes a mix of finished compost and
top soil. In the first two years, one should avoid planting
root crops, so last year we planted kale, peas, beans,
tomatoes, and lettuces (the tomatoes, peas, and lettuces did
best.) As they break down, Hugulkultur mounds become
wonderfully fertile, and add more than a little bit of
interest to the landscape. Back to Top
Composting
We improve our soil each year with compost
made out of cow, sheep and horse manure, leaves, grass
clippings, small sticks, and fruit and vegetable scraps from the
kitchen. When available, we also add fish parts, crab shells,
seaweed, and anything else one would find in nature.
If you live in or near a city, you'd do
best to avoid cooked products, as they tend to attract
rodents. In addition, you should avoid composting dog and cat
manure, as they harbor parasites which may be passed along to
humans should the compost pile not reach a high enough
temperature to kill them.
In order to increase the microbial life
of the soil, we introduce fungus (usually found growing on
decaying branches) into each of our compost piles. Increased
microbial activity helps break down organic matter, and
provides an increased level of nutrients for each of our
plants. This year, we will also add our first set of
BioDynamic preparations to each pile (and, later, to our
growing environment).
There are many texts - Jeavons' among
them - which provide instruction on building a compost pile.
Some give very detailed recommendations regarding the mixture
of elements within a pile. We've found, however, that common
sense is the best guide. In general, an even mixture of brown
(ex: manure and leaves) and green (ex: grass clippings and
kitchen scraps) components will produce the best
compost.
Remember: when building your compost
pile, make sure to provide proper aeration (in other words,
make sure the pile is decomposing aerobically as opposed to
anaerobically). The best way to do this is to build the pile
on top of a lattice-work of criss-crossed sticks. To aerate
the center of the pile, we use 5"-diameter PVC drainage pipe
(the pipe with the holes). During the warm months, if we
properly aerate our pile, we can create finished compost in
less than one month. Back to Top
Mulch
We recommend mulching each of your growing
beds. The use of mulch increases soil temperature, conserves and
regulates soil moisture, and controls weeds, increasing yields.
We mulch with hardwood chips, grass clippings, or straw -
whatever we happen to have on hand. Make sure your grass has not
gone to seed - and ensure you're buying straw instead of hay -
to reduce weed problems.
Remember to keep mulch a good 1 - 2
inches away from plant stems, to avoid problems with rotting.
(Another word of warning: if you are having problems with
slugs, you might want to avoid mulch until the problem is
eliminated. Slugs love to hide in the cool provided by a
mulch - especially during hot days - and you may find you've
exacerbated your problem.) Back to Top
Watering
Apply water uniformly to reduce the incidence
of blossom end rot (more of a problem on tomatoes than peppers)
and other plant diseases. Plants need approximately 1" of water
per week. Again, mulch can significantly reduce your watering
requirements.
Be careful not to overwater peppers, as
too much water tends to make hot peppers less hot (it also
promotes disease). In fact, hot and dry years will provide
significantly hotter, though smaller, peppers. Back to Top
Staking and Support
Any pepper over two feet tall should be
staked. We stake plants within two weeks of transplanting -
often at the actual time of transplanting - in order to avoid
interferring with the developing root ball. Although we use
branches cut from our trees, you may choose to stake with bamboo
or other natural supports. Many garden centers or catalogs sell
such supports - though we find them to be rather pricey,
especially for a moderately-sized operation.
Tie pepper plants to the stakes with
pieces of cotton rag. Be careful not to scratch the stem as
you are tying plants, as any scratch may invite infection.
Plants should be 1 - 2 inches from the support, to leave
enough room for growth and expansion. Back to Top
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