How long do ornamental peppers last

Planting peppers in cold soil may cause them to remain stunted for the entire growing season. Humidity is a less important growth factor, as long as roots stay moist. Ornamental peppers are moderate feeders and need a steady stream of nutrients to keep up with blooming and fruiting.

A fertilizer with more phosphorus and potassium than nitrogen will encourage fruit and bloom production without making plants too leafy. Side-dress the plants with fertilizer when the fruit first begins to form, then a second time about six weeks later. When it comes to ornamental peppers, you can go bright and cheerful or dark and moody.

Here are a few popular types of ornamental peppers. Ornamental peppers and edible peppers belong to the same genus, so what's the difference? Ornamental peppers usually have a very dwarf growing habit compared to edible hot and mild peppers.

Peppers bred for the vegetable garden have many distinct flavor nuances, whereas if you bite into an ornamental pepper, you will only notice a flat and sometimes bitter hot spicy sensation, without any smokiness or sweetness.

Finally, ornamental peppers produce their fruits at the tops or tips of the plants where they can be seen, while the fruits of edible peppers are often hidden in the foliage. If you choose to use ornamental peppers for cuisine, harvest the peppers before the first frost of the fall. Simply use sharp shears or a knife to cut the fruit down and store in the refrigerator. Use super-hot ornamental peppers very sparingly chopped up in hot sauces, salsas, sauces, omelets, rice and bean dishes, and curries.

Ornamental peppers of all types are great container plants. The root system of an ornamental pepper is small and shallow. A 6-inch container is big enough to hold a pepper plant, but remember that small containers also dry out faster. A larger container that holds multiple plants or a mixed planting will be more successful outdoors, while indoor pepper plants will tolerate smaller containers.

Pruning ornamental peppers is not necessary, but it will help them retain a smaller form. Pinch off the growing tips to create a bushier plant. When the stems are long at about 4 to 6 inches, trim a half an inch to encourage less leggy growth. However, do not trim flowering stems. Propagating ornamental pepper plants can be tricky which is why most gardeners prefer planting from seed.

But, you can try to propagate this plant using stem cuttings. Take these steps if you want to try propagating from cuttings. When growing them yourself from seeds, they should be started indoors a full two months before last spring frost.

Seed germination to finished fruit production can take 12 to 22 weeks, depending on variety. If you want to create a border edge of ornamental peppers, starting them from seed is an economical way to get plants by the dozen. Use heating mats or soil warming cables if necessary to get soil temperature to 80 degrees Fahrenheit.

It can take up to 20 days until germination. After germination, grow the seedlings in a slightly cooler environment until you are ready to transplant outdoors into garden soil that has warmed to at least 70 degrees. It takes about six to eight weeks for seedlings to reach a good transplant size. If you're planting ornamental peppers in pots for a burst of color, you will typically need to repot them every two years as the plant becomes root-bound.

You'll also know it's time to repot if you need to water the plants more than once per day because the water will simply seep out of the drain holes if there's no soil to absorb the moisture. When repotting, choose a pot in the next size pot of any material and with a large drainage hole.

When taking the plant out of its pot for repotting, hold the root ball together for less stress on the plant. However, if the root is tightly bound, rake it out a bit with your hands and trim off any shriveled or poor-looking roots.

White, star-shaped flowers grow in the leaf axils in summer and early fall, followed by the real star of the show -- colorful peppers. Capsicum annuum puts on a spectacular display when covered with a bounty of colorful peppers.

However, it's a one-time production. You can expect ornamental peppers to produce fruit for up to 6 weeks. It will not bear fruit again and is usually treated as a temporary house plant and discarded after the peppers have dried up. Ornamental pepper is often sold as a gift plant, already in colorful fruit, before the holidays. Another common name for it is Christmas Pepper. Peppers may be cone-shaped, round, or long and slender, depending on the variety.

But the peppers all change colors as they mature -- from green to yellow to orange to red. Some varieties have purple fruit that is almost black.

These are often sold as holiday plants for their resemblance to tree lights. Choose whatever tickles your fancy Leaves falling off? Both dry or soggy soil can cause leaf drop.

Use a container with drainage holes, and water often to keep the soil lightly moist at all times. Are ornamental pepper plants edible? They're not poisonous , but most are fiery hot and not suitable for eating. The juice from them can cause painful burning of the eyes and mouth. Wash your hands thoroughly after handling the peppers. It is possible to overwinter one inside in a pot, though. First, if the soil is dry, water it. The goal is consistently damp soil but never to the point of making it soggy, which is the fastest way to kill most potted plants.

Second, put the plant in the brightest window you've got. Grow lights would be ideal. Fluorescent lights for 14 hours a day would be second best. A bright window is third best. No need to fertilize. The plant no doubt will get leggy and won't have the rich purple coloring it does outside in summer. But the goal is to keep the roots alive. Assuming the plant survives winter, move it outside after frost next spring.