Sweet Peppers
Featured Recipes: Gardening Tips: Delayed Gratification
For a greater overall pepper yield, remove any blossoms that appear on your young transplants up until the time you set them in the ground. You'll miss out on the earliest fruits, but by letting the plant put its energy into its growth rather than early fruits, you'll get more productive plants later on.
The Look for Late Summer
Most of us grow peppers because they taste so great, but I find
them equally useful as an ornamental. If I want to add some
edibles to a dooryard plot, I might not pick a sprawling cuke or
tomato vine, but I’d pick a few pepper plants, with their healthy
green foliage, tidy upright habit and colorful fruits. There they
are, quietly green but growing steadily, until all of a sudden
the plants are as showy as rosebushes. Though red ones are always
my favorites, the yellow ones are gorgeous too. And they appear
at a time in the season when many flowering plants have passed
their prime--especially herbs whose flowering time is usually
spring and early summer. Try some in
pots on the terrace, too.
Turn Up the Heat
From start to finish, peppers are a crop that like it hot. Unless
your climate is truly steamy, you must start them ahead in a warm
spot, on a heat mat if possible, or on top of the refrigerator or
kitchen cabinet. Only after warm weather has settled in should
you set them out--in the sunniest part of the garden. |
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Peppers ought to be experienced right off the vine after harvest. They need at least ten weeks of hot weather to produce well. Sow seed indoors, six to eight weeks before the last frost date in your area. They like rich soil and need regular additional fertilizing. To protect peppers from sunburn, pinch plants to encourage leaf growth. Keep peppers picked to sustain production levels.
Average seed life: 2 years
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#3505 Romeo Bell Peppers (green/red): 70 days
An elongated European variety, Romeo grows up to 7” long while sweetening and maturing from dark green to radiant red. Its tasty fruits are shiny, smooth, four-lobed and well-formed with substantial crunch. Its leafy, vigorous plants provide good sunburn protection. It sets fruit continuously even in cooler summers. Romeo’s spiciness was made for roasting or grilling. (F1.)
Packet of 15 Seeds / $3.25
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#3515 Diamond Bell Peppers (white): 75 days
Be the first on your block to grow this
tawny-alabaster, American-bred beauty. Rarely seen in even
the finest of produce markets, its medium-thick fleshed,
blocky fruits have a mouth-watering, rich flavor and a
sweet, juicy crunch. Borne on sturdy, prolific, 2' high
plants, Diamond remains translucent ivory for quite a while
before gradually maturing to pale yellow and, finally,
scarlet-red. Harvest while lustrous alabaster, and julienne
it in combination with green, red, orange and yellow peppers
with thinly sliced red onions for a sweet rainbow salad
dressed with a citrus vinaigrette. Or, sauté the colorful
combination of julienned peppers in a little olive oil until
crisp-tender; then, add a bit of your favorite vinegar,
lemon zest and a touch of herbs as a tasty and colorful
layer over open-faced, grilled eggplant and goat cheese
stacked baguettes. (OP.)
Packet of 20 Seeds / $3.15
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#3520 Red Beauty Bell Pepper (red): 68 days
Exquisite Red Beauty turns the most vivid fire-engine red. And, it is fast, reaching its mature green stage about 68 days from transplanting and its red stage just two weeks later. The 4” by 3 1/2” peppers have thick walls and elegant high shoulders. Red Beauty outperforms most hybrids and we have been known to eat these straight out of the field like apples! The blocky shape suits slicing and stuffing and its sweetness sings in peperonata, an Italian side dish. Braise chopped Red Beauty with onions and fresh tomatoes in good olive oil. Serve at room temperature, strewn with fresh herbs such as basil, thyme and parsley. (F1.)
Packet of 12 Seeds / $3.15
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#3535 Orange Sun Bell Peppers (orange): 75-80 days
A beautiful, bright orange, big blocky pepper, Orange Sun is 4” to 5” long, maturing from green to vivid creamsicle-orange. Its erect, sturdy 2’ plants yield a abundant harvest of uniform, three- to four-lobed peppers with thick, crunchy, spicy-sweet flesh. Perfect for grilling, sautéing or roasting, Orange Sun is perfect paired with Blushing, Purple and Red Beauty peppers for a Roasted Rainbow Pepper Salad dressed with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, crushed garlic and salt and pepper. (OP.)
Packet of 30 Seeds / $2.95
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#3540 Blushing Beauty Bell Pepper (blush): 72 days
When we first laid eyes on Blushing Beauty, we knew this pepper was for us. Gleaming fruits drooped sinuously from lush, deep green foliage in all colors from delicate ivory to blush to deep red. Delicious at any stage, Blushing Beauty is an outstanding variety. Fruits are about 4” by 4”, thick walled, juicy, sweet and borne in large numbers on robust plants. Try this chameleon-colored pepper in warm orzo salad: combine diced Blushing Beauty with orzo, cooked al dente and cooled. Add halved cherry tomatoes and crumbled feta. Toss gently with an olive oil and red wine vinaigrette, garlic and lemon zest. Garnish with fresh basil and toasted pine nuts. (F1.)
Packet of 20 Seeds / $3.05
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#3545 Banana Sweet Peppers: 60-70 days
New! AKA Hungarian Wax Sweet, this popular banana-shaped pepper produces scads of 6” by 2” fruit that tapers to blunt points. Its thick, crunchy, sweet, waxy flesh matures from pale green to bright banana-yellow, then to orange-red. Pick it when bright yellow for use raw on sandwiches, salads and crudités or sautéed, fried, stuffed or pickled. (OP.)
Packet of 30 Seeds / $2.95
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#3550 Nathalie Bell Pepper (green): 75 days
A particularly great American hybrid, Nathalie produces dark green, elongated fruits, about 4” by 3” with thick three-lobed walls, on sturdy upright plants growing to 2’ high. This green beauty eventually turns red, but we love its fresh, spicy taste in salads or halved, brushed with olive oil and grilled. Nathalie is eminently suited to Greek salad: combine chunks of green pepper, cucumber (Sweet Slice is perfect), ripe tomatoes and a few rings of sweet onion. Dress with a simple vinaigrette, crumbled feta, Calamata olives and oregano leaves. (F1.)
Packet of 20 Seeds / $3.15
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#3555 Corno di Toro Rosso Pepper (red): 75-85 days
This long, curved pepper was named for a bull’s horn. Corno di Toro has a complex flavor: somewhat sweet, with a touch of heat. An heirloom variety from Italy, Corno is popular with Italian chefs and homemakers alike. Tall, sturdy plants produce lots of attractive 8” to 10” fruit. We offer two colors - Rosso (red) and Giallo (yellow) for your culinary pleasure. This is one versatile pepper: great raw, (in salads or stuffed), terrific grilled with olive oil or at room temperature dressed with capers, anchovies, chopped garlic and tiny Sicilian olives. Corno di Toro Rosso (red) (OP.)
Packet of 30 Seeds / $2.85
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#3557 Corno di Toro Giallo Pepper (yellow): 75-85 days
This long, curved pepper was named for a bull’s horn. Corno di Toro has a complex flavor: somewhat sweet, with a touch of heat. An heirloom variety from Italy, Corno is popular with Italian chefs and homemakers alike. Tall, sturdy plants produce lots of attractive 8” to 10” fruit. We offer two colors - Rosso (red) and Giallo (yellow) for your culinary pleasure. This is one versatile pepper: great raw, (in salads or stuffed), terrific grilled with olive oil or at room temperature dressed with capers, anchovies, chopped garlic and tiny Sicilian olives. Corno di Toro Giallo (yellow) (OP.)
Packet of 30 Seeds / $2.85
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#3560 Pequillo Pimento Peppers: 75-90 days
A prized Basque variety, Pequillo is a piquant pepper that is smaller than a bell pepper, triangular in shape (ending in a point) and pimento-red. Pequillo's savory flavor marries well with seafood, cheese, mushrooms and other vegetables. They make an excellent tapa alone when stuffed or can be added to soups or stews. Coveted by chefs, Pequillo is traditionally roasted over a wood fire until blackened and blistered, placed in a bag for 10 minutes to steam and then peeled and seeded: it acquires a bold flavor that is complex, rich, smoky and spicy-sweet. Pepper heaven. (OP.)
Packet of 30 Seeds / $3.25
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#3570 Purple Beauty Bell Peppers (purple): 70-75 days
Rarely seen, Purple Beauty produces beautiful blocky, 3” by 3” emerald-green peppers that mature to eggplant-purple with thick, crunchy walls. The compact, 18”, disease-resistant plants provide good foliage cover for the tasty, sweet fruit, and produce abundantly on each limb as well as on the crown. These crunchy peppers hold their dazzling purple color even when cooked! (OP.)
Packet of 30 Seeds / $2.95
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#3580 Quadrato d'Asti Giallo Bell Peppers: (golden-yellow)75-85 days
Meaning square, these Italian heirlooms are huge, blocky, thick-walled bell peppers with a rich sweet taste
that is enhanced when roasted, grilled or baked with a
savory stuffing. Producing tall sturdy plants, Quadrato
yields big beautiful golden-yellow bells
up to 4 ½” by 6” big. (OP.)
Packet of 30 Seeds / $2.85
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#3585 Quadrato d'Asti Rosso Bell Peppers: (candy apple-red)75-85 days
Meaning square, these Italian heirlooms are huge,
blocky, thick-walled bell peppers with a rich sweet taste
that is enhanced when roasted, grilled or baked with a
savory stuffing. Producing tall sturdy plants, Quadrato
yields big beautiful candy apple-red bells
up to 4 ½” by 6” big. (OP.)
Packet of 30 Seeds / $2.85
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#3590 Cubanelle Sweet Peppers: 62-70 days
New! AKA Cubanella Sweet Fryers, Pimento del Pais or the Country Pepper, this productive Cuban native yields plentiful 3-lobed fruit that is up to 6” by 2 ½” with rounded, blunt ends. Its irregular wrinkled and waxy flesh matures from pale yellow-green to red but do pick when yellow-green. Plants grow about 2’ tall and are very productive. Versatile Cubanelle is popular for it’s sweet, fruity, medium-thick flesh~perfect for frying, roasting or in sauces. (OP.)
Packet of 30 Seeds / $2.95
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#9110 Rainbow Bell Pepper Garden
Our complete Rainbow Pepper Garden has all the colors of the rainbow.
Romeo Pepper green-red (about 15 seeds)
Quadrato d'Asti Giallo Pepper yellow (about 30 seeds)
Red Beauty Pepper red (about 12 seeds)
Orange Sun Pepper orange (about 30 seeds)
Blushing Beauty Pepper blush (about 20 seeds)
Diamond Pepper white (about 20 seeds)
Purple Beauty Pepper purple (about 30 seeds)
Packet of 157 Seeds / $19.25
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