Veggie garden update – the secret to peppers
So, it’s been three months now since we first started our veggie garden. Our watermelon plant has taken upon itself to try and escape along the garden, down the driveway and out onto the street – but I have plans for it. The cherry tomato plants have grown so thick and heavy that they’ve fallen over (using wooden dowel supports I put up to help them when they were smaller). They’ll have to stay that way until we’ve taken all the tomatoes we can. The corn are almost finished now, seems they only produced one each.
As you saw last month, we finally had some delicious corn and more peppers. I’ve specifically left a pepper or two from the first batch of fully-grown peppers since I wanted to prove to my mom that the different coloured peppers aren’t different species but the same green peppers that are cultivated for much longer to get their colour.
Well, I don’t know what it’s like overseas, but here in South Africa green peppers are a standard price but yellow, orange and red peppers are on average at least 50% more expensive than green peppers (sometimes even more). It always irked me that they were so much more expensive – just for different coloured (and sweeter) peppers.
But now I’ve seen first hand how much more work goes into these peppers. They need to stay on the plant (like mine) for at least a month, or more, longer than the green peppers. And it seems like it’s turned (almost) completely yellow overnight – not gradually as I had expected them to grow.
I’ve added a photo below (I haven’t picked it off yet) as well as a photo showing off one of our (picked six already with four more growing) egg plant fruits (bringel). We gave four of them to my folks and hopefully get to make some Moussaka this weekend with the other two. Oh, and there’s a handful of our cherry tomatoes as well!
Tags: eggplant, garden, pepper, ramblings, tomatoes, vegetable, veggies
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As always .. great information from you whether you’re talking about a vegetable garden or a computer. Like your mom, I always thought the variety of pepper colors come from different species. Here in the US, Green peppers are also less expensive than red or yellow peppers. Thanks for the valuable info.
You will have to update us on how that Moussaka tasted.
Haven’t had any of that in years! Yummmmm!
Thanks sweetie – interesting to hear non-green peppers are also more expensive in the US. I remember when we lived in the UK we often bought all the different coloured peppers as they were all sold at the same price there. I’ll let you know how the Moussaka turns out when we have it
Hi Deems
Thanks for the info. I planted green pepper seeds in a large long pot at the end of August and they are all coming up now like crazy. There are so many that we have had to give some away (even though they’re not actually ready to be transplanted yet)
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I also want to experiment with the plants and pick some when they are green and leave others to change colour. My question is, at what stage will I know that the green peppers are ready to pick? Also, should I be thinning out my crop as they are growing all clumped up, or can I just leave them to grow all bushed together? Any other tips will also be appreciated as it is my first time growing this veggie.
Thanks again
CJ
Oh Wow, I never knew that about peppers that the color is different due to the length of time it stays on the plant. Did you find it hard to grow them? What condition must the soil be in? I am based in Gauteng
Yeah Jo-Anne, before seeing this for myself, I just thought they were different families of the pepper plant.
I am growing peppers and chillies in pots. The chillies are fantastic – had the first one at the weekend. So far the pepper flowers and you can see a small fruit forming but then it drops off. Am I doing anything wrong. I water my pots every night in this hot weather (Cape Town) and fertilise once a wek with the food that I give my indoor pot plants.
Hi Ruth,
Two years later and we’re still planting green peppers (and this year peppadews as well) and we’ve not had the problem you’re experiencing. We do however not add fertilizer often (only before planting the seedlings in the garden). It could be that you’re perhaps over-fertilizing them or the containers are too small? Hope that helps.
Yes, in this hot Cape Town weather they need water often – I usually water the garden in the morning and evening. I also got my seedlings from Stark Ayers and Stodels if that helps – perhaps try a different source for seedlings.
Deems