It's often a good idea to stake pepper plants. Although many peppers are strong plants that do a good job at holding themselves upright, sometimes they need a little help — especially toward the end of the season.
With peppers, staking or caging is optional. A lot of people do not stake or cage their peppers and the plants do perfectly well. It is probably a matter of personal preference more than anything else, unless you live in a high-wind area and/or your garden site is pretty exposed to the elements.
Don't gamble on the security of your crop – the safest strategy is to support your pepper plants with stakes or cages. Staking is a standard procedure with commercially-grown peppers, because staking increases yields of high quality fruits.
Bell peppers are large fruit, which require larger supportive plants, which may require a supportive cage or trellis or using twine attached to something strong above the plant. Gently wrap the twine around the main stem (two or three feet of the main stem) to hold it upright and support it as the fruit matures.
Soil, Planting, and Care
Peppers have a naturally upright growth habit, so they often benefit from staking, which keeps brittle branches from breaking when they become heavy with fruit.
Plants in the nightshade family, like peppers, often grow too tall to hold themselves and need support to prevent falling over during a big storm or heavy wind.
Brassicas: Brassicas such as broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage are not good companion plants for peppers as they require similar nutrients from the soil, which can lead to competition and reduced yield.
Not only are there a host of varieties, but they will also make spectacular houseplants come fall, as they will continue to produce in the house! If you are already thinking of extending the harvest into the cold season by growing them indoors, the ideal is to grow them in a pot.
Now is the time to trellis and prune your tomatoes. A trellis is simply a support system for your tomato plants to keep them off the ground and promote good air circulation. Trellising is important because it supports strong stems, prevents disease issues, and allows for easier access to fruit.
Plant 4-6 pepper seeds ½ inch deep and 18 inches apart in the row. After the seedlings have two leaves, thin to a single plant Transplants should be planted 18 inches apart in row, with rows 18-24 inches apart. Transplants that are stocky, dark green, have 6-9 leaves and are 5-8 inches tall, grow most rapidly.
Epsom salt delivers an immediate shot-in-the-arm of magnesium to the plants and boosts growth when applied as a foliar spray. Mix 2 tablespoons of Epsom salt in an average size spray bottle... shake it vigorously and apply to plant every 2 weeks with a thorough soaking.
Coffee grounds can be used to fertilize your pepper plant at any stage of development, but they are best added at the start when growth is most important. Coffee grounds can be composted or added directly to the soil, but the coffee grounds that you add must be used.
Miracle-Gro® Performance Organic® Edibles Plant Nutrition Granules will feed your pepper plants for up to 6 weeks, providing loads of extra nutrients to the beneficial microbes in the soil as well as to the plants. A month after planting, mix this into the soil around your pepper plants, following label directions.
Finally, varieties that produce large peppers appreciate the extra support under the weight of their bounty. To stake pepper plants, simply drive a 2- to 3-foot wooden, bamboo, or other sturdy-material garden stake at least 6 inches deep into the soil right beside each plant.
These tropical natives like hot temperatures and fertile soil. Plant in a location with well-drained soil that gets full, direct sun at least six to eight hours each day. You'll be rewarded with healthy plants and abundant fruit. Peppers are very sensitive to cold; rush them outside in spring and you'll regret it.
In general, determinate tomatoes tend to do better in pots, so look for those. It's also possible to grow indeterminate tomatoes in containers, of course, as long as you provide enough support and soil volume.
A simple string trellis made of twine or jute strung between two posts provides all the support a cucumber needs to climb. This can be as simple as T-posts or wooden stakes driven into the ground, or it can be more decorative, like the wood-framed string trellis pictured here.
Bell peppers need full sun to grow and ripen properly, so keep them in a sunny spot in your vegetable garden—unless you live in a climate susceptible to extremely high heat and intense sunlight, in which case shade cloth or nearby plants can be used to manage temperatures.
Some growers believe in topping their pepper plants each season for better plant health and fruit production. Others, however, say that topping isn't necessary and can actually lead to decreased pepper yields, depending on a number of different factors.
Peppers (Zones 3-10):
May is not too late to plant as many different varieties as possible!
Bell Peppers: Vulnerable to damping-off disease, it is advisable to avoid using coffee grounds to deter fungal growth. Instead, consider using well-draining soil and proper spacing for optimal plant health.