Soil
Pepper plants grow best in warm well drained soil. Ideal soil Ph is 6.0 to 6.8 range. A soil enriched with plenty of compost and organic material will require less fertilizer. Fertilizers of a 1-2-2 ratio are often used for growing peppers.
Conditions
Peppers love the warm temperatures. They need 6-8 hrs of full sun per day. Planting should be delayed until the danger of frost has passed. They are sensitive to cold. Ideal temps are 70-80 degrees during the day and around 60 degrees at night. To speed up the warming process, use black or dark colored containers to plant in. Peppers do very well in containers. At least a 2 gallon pot per plant, 5 is better. 2 plants in a 5 gallon is ok too. This also gives you the option of moving your plant to follow the sun if needed. Prepare a hole that is twice as wide as the seedling root ball and about 1” deeper so a portion of the stem is below soil level. If planting in-ground, space plants 18-24” apart or more.
Watering
Water pepper plants daily. A shortage of water at bloom-time can cause blossom drop! Water the soil and transplant container thoroughly before transplanting.
Care
After the plants are well established, apply approximately an inch of organic mulch to conserve soil moisture, prevent soil compaction and help suppress weeds. Once fruits have begun to set, an additional side dressing of fertilizer will help promote larger fruit. Use a 12-12-12 analysis fertilizer or other high nitrogen fertilizer like fish emulsion.
Harvesting
Bell peppers are usually picked green when they are full size and firm. Use clippers and take care not to break the branches as they are often brittle. You may get up to 6-8 fruits per plant! Peppers stay fresh in the fridge for up to 2 weeks and also freeze well.
*****AVOID TOUCHING EYES AFTER HARVEST OR HANDLING!!!*****
Information provided by Sue Tanzy, Lake Tahoe Master Gardener