Transplanting Your Peppers Bury them a bit deeper than the root ball to encourage additional root growth that will make them sturdier. Plastic mulch and row cover can be used to increase warmth and hence, earliness and yield.
Planting and Spacing:
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.
Pepper Plant Transplant Shock
Peppers can be shocked if you don't acclimate them to the outdoors first before transplanting outside after starting them indoors. We like to harden off seedlings over a series of days first to get them used to the strong sunlight and breezes.
Pepper plants usually require a little extra care than many other types of plants when transplanting them to the garden. They are more sensitive to the transplanting shock. Hardening the plant enables it to withstand the planting shock.
Transplanting Your Peppers
Bury them a bit deeper than the root ball to encourage additional root growth that will make them sturdier. Plastic mulch and row cover can be used to increase warmth and hence, earliness and yield.
They can't handle extreme heat or inadequate light. Inadequate light can leave your plant looking like it's just pulled an all-nighter, with droopy, tired-looking leaves. On the other hand, extreme temperatures, particularly heat, can cause your plant to wilt faster than an ice cream in the Sahara.
Transplant outdoors after nighttime low temperatures are above 50°F. Dry soil, temperatures above 90°F, or night temperatures below 60°F or above 70°F, can weaken plant growth. Transplant in late afternoon or on a cloudy, calm day. Pepper flavor is best when the season has been warm and sunny.
Plants need to adjust and rebuild their root systems, a process that can span several weeks. During this period, it's essential to provide consistent care, including adequate watering, proper sunlight exposure, and regular monitoring for any signs of stress or nutrient deficiencies.
Pepper plants tend to do best when grown in close proximity to each other, but not quite touching.
Space in-ground holes 18 inches apart for most peppers; some of the larger bells may need 24 inches. Step 2: Gently remove the plant from its pot. Step 3: Set the plant in the hole so that the top of the root-ball is level with the ground surface. Do not plant deeply like tomatoes, or the plants may rot.
Before planting, fill the holes with water and let it soak in. Into each planting hole, put two or three wooden matchsticks (for sulfur) and 1 teaspoon of low-nitrogen, high-phosphorus fertilizer (too much nitrogen will reduce fruit set).
Quick Guide to Growing Peppers
They grow well in raised beds, containers, and in-ground gardens. Plant them 18 to 24 inches apart in a sunny, well-drained spot. Pepper plants need at least 6-8 hours of sunlight per day. Mix compost or other organic matter into the soil when planting.
When plants are about two feet tall, prune out the foliage from the bottom 12" of larger pepper varieties like bell, cubanelle, and poblano peppers. For smaller varieties such as jalapeno, shishito, and Thai peppers, remove foliage from the lower 6-8" of stems.
For the best harvests and healthy plants, we like to plant pepper plants in deep beds, we recommend 18-24" of soil depth. Small peppers (less than one foot high) can grow well in two-gallon containers, but bigger plants need at least five-gallon pots, and all peppers thrive best with more room.
Disturb the roots as little as possible – Do not shake off the dirt or bump the root ball of the plant or rough up the roots. You should do as little as possible to the root ball when moving the plant from one location to the next.
Sugar water does not do anything to help plants with transplant shock, and it can make it worse. Often, plants recover on their own. Just give them time, keep them well-watered, and protect them from too much sun to prevent more leaf scorch.
When daytime temperatures move into the 80s, water newly transplanted plants every other day. Once the air temperature hits the 90-degree mark, check the plants morning and evening, looking for wilted leaves as an indicator of dryness. Initially, a daily watering will be needed for small plants.
Handle the roots gingerly and place into hole about 1" above the established root line so that more of the plant is underground than when in pots. Peppers will grow additional roots from the stem that is now underground. This will "anchor" the plant better and it will grow stockier.
Peppers require consistently moist soil for optimal growth. The soil should be kept damp but not waterlogged to prevent root rot and other issues. A general rule of thumb is to water deeply once or twice a week, though this can vary based on weather conditions and soil type.
Yellowing leaves
Prolonged overwatering can lead to yellowing leaves. Yellow leaves is usually a sign of nutrient deficiency in the plants. When you water too much, you may be flushing out vital nutrients from the soil, leaving your peppers without much to use. Yellowing pepper plant.
Inadequate Watering
Watering your pepper plants can be a major focus area for them not growing adequately. Underwatering pepper plants - especially young seedlings or newly transplanted plants - definitely stunts their growth and dries them out completely.