From sweet peppers to hot peppers, this nutritious and versatile plant deserves a spot in in every garden. If you are new to growing peppers, this post is a great place to start. I'm excited to share with you the tips I have learned through my growing seasons on how to grow this delicious fruit.

Peppers are one of my must have plants in the garden every year. I grow several different varieties of sweet peppers and just a few spicy ones. I love the beautiful colors and different textures peppers have. We use peppers in many different recipes from candied jalapeños to sweet potato hash. I have a post on how to freeze peppers that may be helpful when you are bringing in a ton of peppers this gardening season.

There are so many peppers varieties to choose from. So many more than you are probably aware of. It is pretty easy to look at seed catalogs and want to order all of the different varieties, we've all been there, but when starting out I recommend growing varieties you are familiar with. Add in 1 or 2 new ones each year to discover what you like.

A few of my favorite varieties to grow are, Craig's Grande Jalapeño, Bull Nose Bell Peppers, Sweet Banana Peppers, Nadapenos and Ancho Grande Poblano.

Peppers thrive in warm weather. It is important to wait to plant peppers until the nighttime temperatures are consistently in the mid-60s and all chances of frost have passed. You can search your areas last expected frost date to get an idea of when to plant your peppers. I like to use The Farmer's Almanac. I also like to wait to plant my peppers 1-2 weeks after I have planted my tomato plants. They usually grow better when the soil has warmed up. In the past when I have planted my peppers at the same time as my tomatoes they have not performed as well. I imagine this is because peppers like warm soil as much as they like warm air. The ideal soil temperature for growing peppers is 60° F - 65° F.

Pepper plants that are planted too early will be stunted and not produce as much fruit as plants that are planted when the temperatures are right.

Pepper plants need to be planted in a well-draining sunny area. For the best growth and production plant your pepper plants in an area where they will receive 6-8 hours of direct sunlight.

Pepper plants need at least 12-inches all the way around each plant to thrive. Some recommend giving pepper plants more room to grow, but I find that pepper plants grow well when planted "shoulder to shoulder". 12-inches of growing space is enough room for healthy root development, plants are not competing for nutrients and allows for more space for growing other plants.

Like planting tomatoes, I like to plant my pepper plants deep. Not quite as deep as tomatoes, just a few inches deeper than the pot they are in. This helps pepper plants grow stronger and sturdier.

Pepper plants need to be staked or caged. Because their fruit becomes heavy, the branches will sag to the ground, or the entire plant may fall over. Large tomato cages are great for supporting pepper plants. Using stakes or old branches are also great for staking pepper plants.

Pinching the first blooms after planting is a great way to encourage your pepper plants to grow healthier instead of focusing on fruit production as soon as they are planted. Plants can become stressed when transplanted, pinching the first blossoms converts their energy to more growth. I like to wait to let fruit set until the plants have been in the ground, and thriving, for at least two weeks.

Water when the top 1 inch of soil is dry. Water the roots deeply to encourage root development. To check if your plant needs water simply test the soil for moisture. Feel the top 1-inch of soil, if the soil is moist don't water. If it is dry, give the plant a deep watering. Plants benefit more from deep watering than they do from shallow watering. Deep watering encourages the roots to grow down in search of nutrients instead of close to the surface.

Amending your soil with fresh compost each growing season is the best way to add nutrients to your soil. I focus a lot on soil health, which I believe really makes a bountiful garden. When it comes to using fertilizers, I like to use all natural fertilizers, typically when I plant out my transplants. I add bone meal, blood meal, eggs shells and worm castings to each hole when I transplant out my plants. Throughout the season I give my plants a little boost with a mixture of fish emulsion and water. The only other time I fertilize is when I see a plant struggling. Healthy soil is enough to grow healthy plants.

Peppers can be harvested when they are green or any color in between. It is important to note that while peppers can be eaten at any stage, the flavor changes with the stages. Sweet peppers typically ripen faster than hot peppers. When harvesting sweet peppers, I like to let them fully ripen before harvesting. Hot peppers I tend to harvest when green. When fully ripe, hot peppers are at their spiciest. You will learn when you like to harvest certain varieties the more you grow them.

I hope you found this post helpful! Happy gardening!

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There is nothing quite like growing tomatoes. Whether it is from seed or from a start, growing your own tomatoes is a rewarding experience. Once you harvest and taste your first tomato, you will be hooked. At least that is how it started for me. I am willing to bet; it will happen to you too.

Tomatoes are my favorite thing to grow in the garden. That comes from my love of all things tomatoes and the sheer fascination in the many different varieties there are to grow. Did you know there are black, purple, pink and even white tomatoes? How cool is that! Those tomatoes are most likely not in your local grocery store and if they are, I am almost certain they will not taste as good as home grown.

Through my years of gardening, I have learned quite a few things about growing this wonderful fruit and I am so happy to be able to share that knowledge with you. So, pull up a chair, grab a notebook and get ready to start growing tomatoes.

Types of Tomato Plants

Tomatoes come in different varieties and types like, slicers, cherry and pastes. The two main types of tomatoes are Indeterminate and Determinate. When growing tomatoes, it is important to know which type of tomatoes you want to grow and to know the types.

Indeterminate

Indeterminate type tomatoes, also known as vining tomatoes, continually grow and set fruit until they die. Which is usually from sickness or a frost. These types of tomatoes need to be supported by a trellis to grow successfully.

When left to vine across the ground they are more susceptible to disease and insect/animal damage. They can grow to 10 feet or even higher if you have a long growing season and the conditions are right. Which means a lot of fruit! I grow mostly indeterminate tomatoes in my garden.

A few of my favorite types of indeterminate tomatoes to grow are, Dr. Wyche's Yellow Tomato, Big Rainbow, True Black Brandywine and Barry's Crazy Cherry.

Determinate

Determinate type tomatoes, also known as bush tomatoes, grow to a predetermined size, and only produce a certain amount of fruit. These plants will stop fruiting after the top buds have set fruit and ripened.

While Indeterminate type tomatoes will continue to grow and set fruit, Determinate types only produce fruit in a short amount of time before they stop producing. This is usually about 1 month. This is the tomato type that you typically see tomato cages on. Trellis systems are not necessary for determinate plants, but they still need support from cages.

A few types of determinate tomatoes are, Roma, Celebrity and Better Bush.

When To Plant Tomatoes

Always wait to plant your tomato plants after your last frost. You can search your areas last expected frost date to get an idea of when to plant your tomatoes. I like to use The Farmer's Almanac. This is just an estimation based on previous years. Always track the weather and don't plant until the chance of frost has passed.

For me, I am in Zone 8b, my last expected frost date has been March 24th for several years. Most years this is true, but there have been a few years where we have had frosts into early April.

Tomatoes like warmer weather so it is best to wait until the soil temperature is at least 60° F before planting. Planting too early can stress your plants and potentially kill them.

Where To Plant Tomatoes

Tomato plants need to be planted in a well-draining sunny area. For the best growth and production plant your tomatoes in an area where they will receive 6-8 hours of direct sunlight.

How To Plant Tomatoes

Tomatoes need quite a bit of room to grow. Plants thrive when given enough room for healthy root development and airflow. When planted too close plants are more susceptible to diseases like blight. Overcrowded plants will compete for nutrients in the soil. When given enough room the roots will not need to compete for nutrients. I find that 12-18-inches all the way around each plant is perfect for my trellis/staking system.

When planting in the ground try to plant the tomato plant deep. Tomato plants will grow roots from any spot on their stem that touches the ground. When you plant them deep, they are able to set out more roots. Which makes a sturdier plant.

I like to pinch leaves off of the bottom of the plant and dig my hole deep enough to plant the plant several inches deeper than the pot it was in. Also note that is important that none of the bottom leaves are touching the soil.

Caring For Tomatoes

Tomato plants are prone to disease and need support to help them stay healthy. Two of the best things you can do for your plants are increase the airflow and get the leaves up off of the ground. Using tomato cages, stakes and trellises are all ways to support your tomato plants to get them off of the ground. This will help with airflow and keep the soil, which contains fungus, off of the plants. Healthy plants equal happy plants.

Pruning your plants also helps with airflow and is beneficial in healthy growth. By pruning the bottom branches, you are increasing airflow around your tomato plant. Remember airflow is a tomato plants friend. You want to make sure none of the leaves are touching the ground or are close enough to have splash back from water hitting the soil. It may seem wrong to cut branches off, but this is necessary in caring for your plant.

Indeterminate tomato plants require a little more pruning than determinate tomato plants. Since indeterminate plants will continuously grow and set fruit it is important to prune to a single stem. To do this you will need to prune the suckers from your plants. Too many suckers will cause your plants to take up a lot of space and reduce airflow.

A "sucker", if left on the plant, will grow, branch out and produce fruit. This takes a lot of energy from the rest of the plant. So, it is best to prune off the suckers to allow the plant to focus its energy to the fruit it is producing on the main stem.

Learning how to identify a sucker is very important. A sucker grows in between the main stem and a branch. I like to call it the "armpit". It will look like a tiny leaf growing in between the main stem and a branch.

DO NOT prune the suckers off of your determinate plants! Since they will only produce a determinate amount of fruit, pruning the suckers will decrease your yield.

How to Water Tomato Plants

Always water around the roots of your tomato plant. Avoid watering from the top and never use a sprinkler. This helps reduce the chance of disease. Drip tape, soaker hoses or watering with your watering can/water hose are the best ways to water your tomato plants.

Knowing when to water is also important. Tomato plants are grown in hot weather and require a lot of water for production. To check if your plant needs water simply test the soil for moisture. Feel the top 1-inch of soil, if the soil is moist don't water. If it is dry, give the plant a deep watering.

Plants benefit more from deep watering than they do from shallow watering. Deep watering encourages the roots to grow down in search of nutrients instead of close to the surface.

Fertilizing Tomato Plants

Tomato plants are heavy feeders and grow best in rich nutrient dense soil. Using fertilizer can help keep the plants healthy as they grow. I like to amend my soil with fresh compost every year. That is what I rely on the most for adding nutrients to my soil.

Another step I take is adding eggshells, bone meal, blood meal and worm castings to the hole when I plant my tomato plants. Throughout the growing season I will mix together fish emulsion and water and fertilize my gardens.

These are all natural fertilizers that you can use to add nutrients to your soil. The only other time I use fertilizer is when I see my plants need it. But for the most part, healthy soil is all the plant needs to thrive. Before fertilizing it is recommended to have your soil checked. This will help provide you with the information needed to properly amend your soil.

When to harvest Tomatoes

The best part! Nothing is more exciting than getting to harvest and eat your first tomato of the season. When do you harvest it and how do you know it is ready? First, you can look at the color. Is it the color that particular variety should be when ripe? Second, feel it. Gently squeeze the tomato. If it is still hard, let it go another day then check again. When ripe, a tomato will give slightly.

Unripe tomatoes that have started to blush can be harvested and left to ripen on a countertop or windowsill. Do not refrigerate unripe tomatoes, they will not ripen.

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