Growing Sweet Peppers
I took a gap year out and the communities I seen along the way grew a lot of their own food, which inspired me to grow some vegetables of my own. I decided to be adventurous and grow peppers. They are quite hard work but worth it in the end when you are cutting off ... Read review
Advantages: Taste lovely Disadvantages: When growing from seed it takes a long time
...are cutting off the delicious peppers to eat. Sweet peppers are in the same family as tomatoes and potatoes. They produce large fruits, which can be yellow, green and red depending on how ripe it is.
**HOW TO GROW**
From February/March onwards you can scatter seeds thinly onto moistened compost. Keep this compost moist but not soaked. Cover the seeds with about half a centimetre of compost, then glass and newspaper. ... ...to see the seedlings. Sweet peppers need high temperatures and humidity to grow well.
As soon as the seedlings are large enough to handle prick a single seed out and put them into 3 inch peat pots. Feed them to maintain steady growth. It is possible to grow these plants outside in mild sheltered areas with the aid of cloches or tall-sided cold frames.
Personally I have not tried this and find it easier to stick to using ... more
Growing Sweet Peppers
I took a gap year out and the communities I seen along the way grew a lot of their own food, which inspired me to grow some vegetables of my own. I decided to be adventurous and grow peppers. They are quite hard work but worth it in the end when you are cutting off the delicious peppers to eat. Sweet peppers are in the same family as tomatoes and potatoes. They produce large fruits, which can be yellow, green and red depending on how ripe it is.
**HOW TO GROW**
From February/March onwards you can scatter seeds thinly onto moistened compost. Keep this compost moist but not soaked. Cover the seeds with about half a centimetre of compost, then glass and newspaper. Turn the glass daily to prevent condensation dripping onto the seedlings.
I have successfully germinated seeds with just newspaper over them in a unheated greenhouse. It will take 7 to 12 days for germination to happen. In my experience this may be because I do not have a heated greenhouse it can take up to two weeks to see the seedlings. Sweet peppers need high temperatures and humidity to grow well.
As soon as the seedlings are large enough to handle prick a single seed out and put them into 3 inch peat pots. Feed them to maintain steady growth. It is possible to grow these plants outside in mild sheltered areas with the aid of cloches or tall-sided cold frames.
Personally I have not tried this and find it easier to stick to using the greenhouse as I find it easier. You can plant them out from the end of April to June, really after the risk of frost has passed. These plants really don't like the frost and will not survive in frosty conditions. When planting out you will need to transplant the plants as they now will be bigger into 9 inch pots and space them 18 inch's apart each way so each plant has the best chance of getting enough light and growing properly. At this stage water and liquid feed once a week.
Now your plants should be growing well and once they are 6 inch tall you will need to remove the growing point (this is the leaves at the top of the plant that are clumped together). This will leave 3-4 branches and will encourage the plant to branch. At this point it is best to support and tie them to bamboo canes if necessary.
At this stage onwards you will have to look out for pests and bugs. Some common ones are spray aphids, whitefly or red spiders. If you check the leaves you can remove them manually and if the problem persists you can use sprays to kill or remove them. The main problem I have is slugs eating the leaves. I had to buy slug pellets and made sure I got ones that did not harm my cat, as he is silly enough to eat them. Even so I try to keep the cat away from the plants and pellets. I tried egg shells to start off with but to be honest they weren't very effective and the slugs ate a lot of my plants and even ate some of my peppers quite badly.
Now this is the fun part and this is harvesting the fruits. From July onwards they can be harvested. The fruits will be large, green and glossy. If you leave the pepper for a few extra weeks it will turn red. Some people prefer red peppers but it is just a matter of taste. To remove the peppers from the plant make sure to cut them with something sharp so you don't damage the plant. Then eat your delicious organic pepper, which you have grown.
**OVERALL**
It takes a considerable amount of work to grow pepper plants from seed and it takes a long time before they bear any peppers, however I feel that it is worth the time and effort. Seeds only cost roughly £1.50 and you can half lots of plants from a packet. You will just need to have the space to grow them all.
Advantages: Wow what a flavour Disadvantages: Store with care, in the fridge yes...but not in a bag, and not for long
...the spring!? ... cut your peppers into 1/4's and stick them into it for about an hour or so, then whack'em on the BBQ LIPSMACKIN :¬P
AUTUMN - Get some cooked rice, a bit of left over meat (can be chicken, lamb, beef, pork, seafood, fish, ham, bacon, anything (even sausages!!)). Throw it all in a pan, add some herbs (esp fennel - contrast to the pepper), finely chopped veg, onion, garlic, s+p ... whatever ... enjoy yourself!!(that's what it's all ... ...peppers, (now at this point many <~~yawns~~> 'COOKBOOKS' tell you to cut the top off, dont, ... they fall over!) cut them in 1/2 lengthways, pull out the seeds and pith [you takin the pith???]. Fill the pepper 1/2's with you stir-fried rice mix, >>> 10-15 in the oven and WOW!! (tell you what a bit of cheese on top is nice too!) WINTER - Blow tradition, nothing warms you up better than a good curry, packed full of peppers:
1/2 red, 1/2green, 1/2 ...
HotChef 30.03.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Peppers
Advantages: Can be used in lots of recipies. Unusual plant to grow. Disadvantages: Needs warmth and shelter.
Peppers are not easy to grow, especially given the weather in this country! Ideally they should be grown in a greenhouse, or in pots on a warm patio. I, however don't have either of these so here's how I do it on my allotment...
In Feb/March several seeds should be sown in a pot indoors, and kept at an ideal temperature of 17°C to 21°C . When they're big enough to handle, having developed a few leaves, they should be pricked out and potted up seperately, ... ...good dose of sunshine. As Peppers like slightly acid soil with a good structure, it's a good idea to add garden compost of well rotted manure before planting. Help to warm the earth up by using a black plastic sheet (or bin liner) pegged to the ground. This will not only warm the soil, but keep weeds down, and conserve moisture!
If you prefer, you can use grow bags, but they need watering very often.
If your plants have not produced side shoots ...
kung-fu-jams 15.01.2004
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Peppers
Advantages: Stylish. Well designed. Reliable. Hardwearing. Disadvantages: Pricey. Batteries are fiddly to install.
What is five inches tall, battery operated, buzzes and is spicy? A pepper mill of course - what were you thinking of?
I got this product as a present, and would consider £30 to be out of my price range when buying a pepper mill for myself. If I was going to choose, I would get a traditional wooden mill - but I have had problems with these being unreliable in the past, so was more than happy to get this as a pressie.
This is a very high quality mill, which is adjustable for those who like small or large pepper granules, simply by adjusting the blades at the bottom. It is very simple to use, only requiring a push botton operation, which delivers a steady stream of pepper onto your plate. It also looks very stylish and modern, with a sleek, brushed chrome effect. Then again, it is not cheap, so you get what you are paying for.
It ...
Advantages: tasty addition to stews and cassorole Disadvantages: maybe to strong for your taste
-3tbs chopped coriander
2-3 tbs basil
2tsp chopped mint
salt and pepper
Cook the lentils in a pan with the bay leaves and onion untill tender.
Drain and throw away the bay and onion.
Heat a pan and add the oil then fry all the herbs except the basil, for 3-4 minutes.
Stir in the lentils and heat through, add the salt , pepper and the b
asil.
Serve on a bed of rice or with fish.
Enjoy. ...
Sunnysmiles 02.07.2009
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Bay
Advantages: everything you need Disadvantages: some a little expensive
There are several Deans garden centres I know about, one at Scarborough and one near York, this shop is excellent, it stocks everything you need from tools to seeds!, they have the most amazing range of plants for home and garden although some are quite expensive, I have bought peppers, tomatoes the lot and they are such good quality.
They stock a huge range of water features and ornaments too, plus everything you need for your pond, fish, plants, the lot and these are very reasonable. The ornaments and accessories are really good too, you get a lot of different things you wouldnt see anywhere else.
plus there is garden furniture,and everything else you would ever need under one roof.You can also get any advice on any area of your garden from helpful experts in store. ...
