I have not successfully managed to get a good crop of green bell peppers. Ever. I can turn out enough tomatoes to feed the world, but I always come up light in the pepper department. What am I doing wrong? What do I need to do to get a bumper crop of gorgeous green gifts of the gods?
Yeah, I know it’s December, but I’m in planning stages for 2015
I was NEVER EVER able to get sweet peppers to do well in Colorado. I don’t know why, but I just gave up after a few years.
[QUOTE=Simkie;7922147]
I was NEVER EVER able to get sweet peppers to do well in Colorado. I don’t know why, but I just gave up after a few years.[/QUOTE]
Darn. And I finally saw your question on the pig thread and responded. I can pm you my digits if you want!
Do you start from seed or buy seedlings? In Colorado, I would think you either need to start from seed inside in late winter, or buy plants when you are ready to plant outside.
The problem I have is getting peppers to turn colors in the fall- I don’t want big green ones I want red/yellow/purple/orange ones!!
Peppers like lighter soil where they can really spread their roots. The also do NOT like a lot of water. FULL sun, and a good dose of horse manure. Peppers that are very green and leafy have too much fertilizer, and will not set fruit. For that reason I’d stay away from chemical fertilizers on peppers.
Too much leaf is too much nitrogen, they need a balanced fertilizer at different stages, they also require a long season, plenty of sun and H2O in well drained soil.
http://ag.umass.edu/sites/ag.umass.edu/files/fact-sheets/pdf/peppers.pdf
For whatever reason, pepper plants like to be touching each other. Plant them close enough that the leaves from each plant will overlap. Like 8/10 inches. The one year I gave my peppers full sun was a disaster. I give them filtered sunlight by planting on the east and west of my tomatoes and planting them close together they do fine.
Also, they are self pollinators. So when you’re out there shaking your tomato plants, don’t forget to shake the peppers to get the pollen spread. Then pray for a hot summer. Last year the first fruit to set dropped because we got cool and wet right away and the peppers slammed on the brakes and I was protecting them through several frosts just to get them fully ripe.
Peppers 
They like a sandy-loomy or soft soil w/ lots of organic matter - that provides drainage. That said they basically don’t like over watering or sitting in water. They need lots of bright sunshine 8 or more hours a day & don’t need a large space to grow in. A soil that’s rich in phosphorus. PH between 6-8. I have success w/Blood meal, bone meal & miracle grow. Don’t over-do the blood meal.
Look for Big Bertha or Goliath variety if you want that giant oversized peppers.
I have been buying plants. They get full sun, but in CO, that may be too much. The plants just never seem to grow, and while I had lots of blossoms, I never got more than 3 peppers. Off 4 plants.
I will do some soil adjustments and move them to a different spot to keep them from getting too wet
One thing to consider is maybe some heirloom types for colder climates? I did this for tomatoes last year and bought some short season ones and got tons. Usually can only get seeds, though, not plants, but it might be worth trying.
I’m starting to obsess about my garden now…want to start planting seeds but it’s way too early. Sigh.
I agree with the heirloom seeds for your climate. I have a sand base that I put about a foot to 18 inches of manure on to make a raised bed. Then I plant them like I am planting sardines. I then put in companion plants in the sardine can of a raised bed. So they really don’t mind being crowded. Good luck and happy gardening.
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