Sweet Peppers

[Jeanthebean]

HI everyone,

I have been growing veg in my garden this year with varying degree's of success but much enjoyment.. I have had 5 pepper plants in grow bags and nursed them carefully all summer waiting for the lovely multi coloured fruit as promised on the sleeve! I think I have done something wrong but not sure what as I have been rewarded with loads of green peppers (quite small) that havn't changed colour at all and now seem to be going black! Any advice for next year?

[Tigger]

Some peppers go a very dark green, almost black, before they go red. That might be what's going on.

[Primrose]

Did you grow your pepper plants from seed or as seedlings from a garden centre? If you sowed them from a seed packet, the colour of the picture shown should give you some clue as to whether they were red or green peppers, but I suspect that yours are just slow to ripen.

[peter]

Jean, what Tigger said is exactly what happened with my bought in pair of chilli plants in the greenhouse. Keep faith and they will go red.

[Jeanthebean]

Thanks everyone, I will hold back from the unceremonious dumping into the compost bin then.. they are still outside though..should I bring them in?

[Primrose]

I've still got my peppers outside in pots but have moved them right up against the house wall now so that they are less exposed. Most of my peppers are ripe now but to be on the safe side, it would probably be a good idea to check the night temperature weather forecast and bring them indoors by the week-end. On the other hand, once the peppers are picked they survive in the salad tray in the fridge at 5 degrees for quite a while, but obviously if picked green they won't ripen in the fridge so if you want ripe red peppers, probably best to bring them indoors at night but let them get the last of the outdoor sunshine during the day.

[Jeanthebean]

Thanks Primrose.. I will do that. :0)

[Primrose]

Jean - I'm afraid I didn't read your first post properly when you mentioned you were growing your peppers in Grow Bags. And here was me suggesting you bring them indoors to ripen off. I'm sure you'll be delighted to have dirty growbags trailing moisure all over your carpet. Totally impractical suggestion. That's one of the reasons I grow my peppers and chillis in pots with indidivual plastic saucers underneath to catch the water. I just use the compost from the grow bags to fill the pots mixing in a few water retaining crystals to stop them drying out quickly, and some Rooster Booster chicken manure pellets to keep them nourished throughout the season. I find that this way I can move them around the garden more flexibly to catch the best sunny spots. Also, at the end of the growing season, if it's been a cold sunless summer, it's possible to rescue the plants and bring them indoors to ripen them. Hope yours ripen anyway.

[Jeanthebean]

HIya, I have an outhouse that I was going to take them into but I have waited a bit longer as we were promised some sunshien and sure enough they are slowly ripening. I am not sure if they will make it though so next year plan to copy you and oput them all in big pots as they have got so many lovely fruits on and it would have been better to be able to move them around the garden to catch the sun. I'm learning as I go..