Growing Pepper plants

As peppers are of tropical origin, plants thrive best when temperatures are warm. Being sensitive to the cold, planting should be delayed until the danger of frost is past in the spring. Ideal temperatures are 70 to 80 degrees F during the day, and 60 to 70 degrees F at night.

Extremely high temperatures (90 degrees F or above) during flowering often results in blossom drop. Fruit that set when temperatures average above 80 degrees F may be small and poorly shaped due to heat injury to the blossoms. Temperatures below 60 degrees F at night will also result in blossom drop.

A shortage of water at bloom time can also result in blossom drop or failure to set fruit. Usually, the plants set satisfactory crops when temperatures are between 65 and 80 degrees F and the soil is well-supplied with moisture. Avoid a soggy, water-logged soil condition when growing peppers.

Pepper plants grow best in warm, well-drained soils of moderate fertility and good tilth. The plants are not particularly sensitive to soil acidity, but best results are obtained in the 6.0 to 6.8 pH range. Adjust soil fertility as indicated by soil test results. Arrangements for soil testing can be made through your local Cooperative Extension office. Fertilizers of a 1-2-2 ratio, such as 5-10-10 or 8-16-16 are often used for growing peppers

Peppers are usually grown in home gardens by using transplants rather than by direct seeding. If you are buying transplants at a local garden center, select stocky, sturdy plants that have 3-5 sets of true leaves. Avoid plants that already have flowers and fruit.

Space plants 18 inches apart in rows 24 inches apart or more, depending on the type of cultivation used. Water plants thoroughly after transplanting. Avoid planting under conditions that will stunt the plants and lead to poor production, such as cold weather, lack of sufficient soil moisture, or lack of sufficient fertilizer.

After the plants are well established, apply a mulch to conserve soil moisture, prevent soil compaction and help suppress weed growth.

Once fruits have begun to set, an additional sidedressing of fertilizer will help promote greater plant productivity. Use a 12-12-12 analysis fertilizer or other high nitrogen fertilizer at the rate recommended on the package.

Control weeds by hand-pulling or shallow cultivation to avoid injury to the plant roots. The incidence of disease can be reduced by proper spacing and by watering early in the day so leaves dry quickly or by using soaker hoses.

Aphids should be controlled as they may carry viral diseases that can affect peppers. European Corn Borers may make small holes near the stem of the pepper and cause internal rot of the fruit. Contact your Cooperative Extension office for the latest control recommendations.

Bell peppers are usually picked green and immature but when they are full-sized and firm. However, if they are allowed to ripen on the plant they will be sweeter and higher in vitamin content. Other peppers are usually harvested at full maturity.

Care should be taken when breaking the peppers from the plants, as the branches are often brittle. Hand clippers or pruners can be used to cut peppers from the plant to avoid excessive stem breakage. The number of peppers per plant varies with the variety. Bell pepper plants may produce 6 to 8 or more fruit per plant.

In general, peppers have short storage life of only one to two weeks. Cool, moist conditions (45 to 50 degrees F) and 85 to 90 percent relative humidity are the ideal storage conditions for peppers.

Did you know?: A sweet green pepper is a pepper that is not yet ripe. Let it grow, and it will turn red. The texture will change markedly, and the flavor will change as well.

Happy Gardening, Terry

Fertilizing Tomatoes

Tomatoes have specific nutritional needs such as nitrogen, phosphate, potash,
calcium, magnesium, potassium and other micro-nutrients to build cell wall
structure and increase plant vigor.

Tomatoes are vigorous, fast growing, and heavy feeding plants which require
fertilization a few times during the season.

Too much nitrogen will create tall, very green, leafy tomato plants with little or
no tomatoes during the season.

Add a complete garden fertilizer at the time the soil is prepared. For tomatoes,
use a fertilizer low in nitrogen (N), high in phosphorous (P) and medium to
high in potassium (K). Among the best analyses for tomatoes are 8-32-16 and
6-24-24. Avoid using ammonia fertilizers such as urea or ammonium nitrate
for tomato fertilization

All fertilizer should be worked well into the top 6 inches of soil.

Proper spacing and staking are essential for healthy plants and good fruit
production. Planting distance depends on the type of tomato grown. Ideal
spacing for home garden tomatoes is generally 24 to 36 inches between plants. Planting closer than 24 inches reduces air circulation around the plants and can trigger disease outbreaks. Large-vine tomatoes should be spaced 36 inches apart. Rows should be 4 to 5 feet apart

Tomatoes grow best when they receive full sunshine. Plant them away from trees and buildings to get highest yield. A tomato plant needs a lot of water, so arrange for easy watering. Select a well-drained area because poor soil aeration leads to root loss and physiological problems such as blossom end rot

A tomato fruit is 95 percent water, so tomatoes need lots of water to grow and develop fruit. They should receive 1 to 2 inches of water a week. If this amount is not received as rainfall, then supplemental irrigation is necessary.
Soak the soil thoroughly when watering. Frequent light waterings will encourage a weak root system. Mulching with straw, clean hay, compost, paper or plastic will reduce soil water evaporation. Plants growing in small containers may need daily waterings

Fertilizer applied at the time of planting will not supply enough nutrients for the entire season. Too much nitrogen in the beginning results in lush vegetative growth and poor fruit set.

Apply the first side-dressing when the first fruits are about one-third grown. Apply 0.5 pound of actual nitrogen per 100 feet of row. This is equivalent to 5 pounds of 10-10-10 fertilizer. Calcium nitrate is an excellent fertilizer to apply as a side-dress. About 3.5 pounds of calcium nitrate can be side-dressed per 100 feet of row. Mix the fertilizer carefully into the top inch of soil. Don’t get fertilizer on the foliage

Blossom end rot
Very common problem on homegrown tomatoes. It appears as a depressed brownish, rather dry rot the size of a dime to a half dollar on the blossom end of the fruit. It is caused by a calcium deficiency coupled with wide fluctuations in available moisture. Training and pruning may increase blossom end rot. Remove the affected fruit so other fruits on the plant will develop normally, and keep the plants well watered. Provide adequate amounts of water along with good soil drainage. Mulch to maintain a more uniform moisture supply. Avoid cultivating, or hoeing, near the roots of tomato plants. Do not use ammonia fertilizers

Cracking
Fruit cracking varies by the variety. Cracking is usually a problem when soil moisture fluctuates. Tomatoes exposed directly to sunlight are highly susceptible to cracking. Select varieties that are crack-resistant, and keep them adequately watered at all times. Soil drying followed by watering encourages cracking

Flower drop
Especially noticeable on early flowers when the grower is anxious for fruit to set for an early harvest. The problem occurs when night temperatures are lower than 55 degrees F, when day temperatures are higher than 95 degrees F, or when night temperatures remain above 75 degrees F. Hot drying winds may intensify the problem.

Varieties also will differ in their temperature response. Fruit-setting hormones may be used to help set fruit early in the season when the weather is cool. The problem usually disappears and fruits set normally after the weather improves.

Happy Gardening, Terry

Growing Tomatoes

Not all tomatoes are the same

First, determine what kind of space you want to put your tomatoes in.

Tomatoes come in two different types; determinate and indeterminate.

As the name suggests, determinates have vines that grow to a determined

point and stop, making them more compact and bushy (They are

sometimes listed as bush tomatoes).

Indeterminates are more viney than determinates; their vines continue to grow

and need support. Determinates tend to be early; indeterminates are a good bet

for later fruit. Obviously the determinates are better suited for small gardens;

they are also a better bet for containers (although you could always provide a

cage or trellis for indeterminates in containers).

Tomatoes are easy to grow from seed (65° F or 18° C to germinate). Unless you

wish to grow heirloom tomatoes, you may wish to simply purchase your tomato

plants if you want to spare yourself the time and trouble.

Tomatoes require plenty of sun. As for soil, they will grow in just about

anything you throw at them.

They do very well when planted in containers, as soil can easily be changed or

improved from year to year (raised beds are good for much the same reason).

Uniform watering is the key to nice fruit. Even watering can prevent leaf-end

roll, blossom end-rot and "cat-facing", those misshapen crags and cracks on

the stem end of the fruit. Can't say this enough; tomatoes are about the

watering! Skimp on amendments, fertilizers and the rest, but if you want

good tomatoes it's all about the water.

It is OK to plant tomatoes in the garden when the temperature is a consistent

50° F, but plants won't begin to set fruit until the overnight low is regularly

above 55°. Plant tomatoes approximately 2 to 3 feet apart from each other or in

rows three feet apart with the plants spaced at a foot. This is a good method for

indeterminate types in smaller gardens; you must simply keep the plant to a

single main stalk.

Next week, I give you some information on fertilizers, and tips onhow to cure

blossom end rot.

Happy Gardening, Terry