(Capsicum annuum - Capscum baccatum) - Domesticated by Indigenous farmers in the American tropics, peppers have been cultivated there for at least 7,000 years. They've really gotten around in the millennia since, and were enthusiastically adopted into cuisines as diverse as Sichuan and Hungarian. We're offering several dozen varieties that have proven to thrive outdoors in our Atlantic Canada growing season.
Growing: Peppers are a plant of warm climates, which means for us in the north we have to start them early and ideally also protect them in the fall.
I aim to start my seeds early March. I use heat mats while germinating (which can be slow, extra heat helps the process along) and then grow lights as they develop. Your sunniest window can be an option instead, but I find a bit of supplemental light makes a positive impact for them.
Transplant out after the risk of frost (early June for us). They appreciate full sun and fertile soil.
In September the plants should be covered in fruit. Peppers often reach their peak just as the first fall frosts arrive. I like to keep a collection of plastic sheets and tarps handy to quickly cover my rows on nights when temps are meant to drop. Keeping them protected on those initial frosty nights can extend the harvest well into October.
