Bell Pepper Guide

Planting Bell Peppers and General Gardening Information for piedmont NC

What you will need to create a Community Garden:

• Area– Pick a spot outside with at minimum of 6 to 8 hours or more of direct sunlight. It’s better to have morning sunlight and shade in the afternoon sun. This prevents damage to the plant from the sun.

• Soil– You need a well-drained soil (potting soil/mix) with a compost of some sort.

Important Growing Information

• Planting Months-
  • Sow seeds inside late March through early April (3-4 weeks before transplanting). Check your seed package for exact time for that specific variety.
  • Transplant outside mid-April through mid-May.

• Sowing Seeds and Transplanting–
  • Sow seed indoors, there are many ways to do this but I will give you a brief description:
    • You need a seed starting soil, seed tray with lid, and heating pad/or grow light.
    • Put soil in trays then bury 1 to 2 seeds per hole an inch deep.
    • Water soil until moist but not soaking.         
    • Set tray on heating pad or under grow light.
    • Soil temperature should be 75 to 85 degrees.
    • Place lid on top of tray and make sure there are vent holes in the lid for air circulation.
    • Continue to keep soil moist throughout the germination process.
    • Once the seed germinates (emerges from soil) they will need sunlight (min of 6-8 hrs.) or a grow light (need 14-16 hrs.).
    • Before you put the plants outside make sure the average daily temperature is above 65-80°F and night time temperature is above 50°F consistently (after the last frost of the season) and they must be hardened.

• Hardening Process-
• Gradual Exposure:
• Day 1-2: Place the seedlings outdoors for a couple of hours in a shady, protected spot.
• Day 3-5: Gradually increase the amount of sunlight the plants receive each day, working up to 6 hours of direct sunlight.
• Days 8-10 (or until transplanting): Continue to increase sun exposure until the plants can tolerate full sun for the entire day.
• Watering: 
• Reduce the frequency of watering during hardening off, but don’t let the plants wilt. This encourages deeper root growth.
• Monitoring:
• Regularly check your seedlings for signs of stress like wilting, leaf discoloration, or sunburn. Bring them indoors or protect them with row covers if temperatures drop below their minimum tolerance levels or if strong winds are forecast.
• Transplanting:
• Once your seedlings are hardened off (typically 7-14 days), transplant them into your garden or container. Choose a cloudy day if possible to reduce heat stress. Water the plants well after transplanting. 

• Transplanting outside–
  • Dig a hole and mix fertilizer in the bottom of the hole. Do it on a cloudy day or evening (avoid direct sunlight). Then water well.

• Watering–
  • Roughly needs 1-2 inches a week.
  • They like deep watering less frequently.
  • Always check soil with the full length of your finger before watering.
  • On 90°F plus days check soil, it can dry out quickly and might have to water every day to 2 times a day.
  • Water in the morning around 7am or before. This is preferred but you can water in the evening when sunlight is not directly on the plants.
  • Try not to overwater they are picky and will start getting yellow that’s a common problem.

• Fertilizing–
  • Get a good all-purpose fertilizer or any you prefer. Read instruction for how much and apply every 2-3 weeks. Make sure you water it.

• Pruning–
  • You want to start when the plant is 6-12 inches tall.
  • Start with the base remove the side shoots and leaves up about 6-8 inches up.
  • Prune yellow or diseased leaves.
  • Leaves that are touching the soil or very close to the soil are more susceptible to disease, you may want to prune those.
  • You may also want to sanitize your pruning tools with soap and water to prevent the spread of diseases from plant to plant. (Example-if you know there is powdery mildew on the leaf of one plant and not the other. Prune the non-diseased first then diseased one, after finished sanitize your tools.)
  • You may want to remove (pinch off) any flowers with in the first 2-3 weeks to promote growth.

• Harvesting–
  • Check the package for when to harvest based on the type of bell pepper planted. Use garden shears, cut the stem, leaving a 1-inch portion.
  • When harvesting green bell peppers, they will usually get 3-4 inches and feel firm.  For colored bell peppers wait til they fully change color for the sweetest flavor, usually take 2-4 weeks after the pepper reaches its full size.

Varieties of cucumber that grow well in NC:

• Good Varieties of Bell Pepper –
  • Types: Keystone Resistant Giant Strain 3, Yolo Wonder 1, King Authur

• Note: But you can choose any variety you would like, just make sure that this is a variety that would grow well in North Carolina (growing zones)

Common Problems and Possible Solutions:

• Diseases–
  • Bacterial Leaf Spot: 
    • This is a very common destructive disease. It appears as small, water-soaked spots on leaves that eventually turns brown and can cause the plant to lose all its leaves.
  • Southern Blight: 
    • This fungus attacks the stem at the soil line. You may see white, fan-like fungal growth near the base of the plant.
  • Viruses: 
    • Several viruses can infect squash plants, such as Cucumber Mosaic Virus (CMV), Zucchini Yellow Mosaic Virus (ZYMV), and Watermelon Mosaic Virus (WMV). Symptoms include distorted leaves with mosaic patterns and mottled or malformed fruits.
  • Blossom-End Rot: 
    • This is a physiological disorder, not a disease caused by a pathogen. It results in a dark, sunken spot at the blossom end of the fruit. It is caused by a calcium deficiency in the developing fruit, which can be due to a lack of calcium in the soil or the plant’s inability to absorb it.
  • Bacterial Wilt:
    • This disease is transmitted by cucumber beetles. Symptoms include wilting leaves that eventually turn yellow and die.
• Tobacco Mosaic Virus (TMV):
• Symptoms include mottled, light and dark patterns on the leaves and can severely reduce fruit production.

• Treatments for Diseases–
  • There are a lot of different ways to fix and prevent some of these diseases, it is based on what you would prefer.  
    • For fungal diseases you can use neem oil or a copper fungicide.
    • For viruses you should try to get rid of that plant before possible spread to other plants.
• Bugs–
  • Thrips: 
    • They are early season pest which are difficult to control because they hide in flowers.
    • Look out for direct fruit damage (causing dimples).
    • They are major vectors for spreading Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus (TSWV).
  • Tobacco Hornworms: 
    • Large green caterpillar with red horns.
    • They will defoliate the entire plant quickly.
  • Aphids: 
    • These are small insects that feed on plant sap, and in large numbers can cause stunted growth and misshapen leaves. They can also transmit viruses.
  • Stink Bugs:
    • These will pierce the fruit, causing deformed pods, shriveled seeds and wart-like growths.
• Cutworms:
• Fat gray or brown caterpillars that emerge at night.
• They will sever young transplant stems right at the soil line.

• Treatments for Bugs –
• Insecticides
• Make sure you get the sprays that are for elidable plants. Also, READ THE DIRECTIONS on the spray carefully.
• Natural treatments
• Neem oil, Insecticidal soap, Vinegar spray, Diatomaceous Earth.