Baron (red) - The aristocrat of bell peppers, bright red Baron is distinguished by high yields of blocky, 4 in. (10 cm)-long fruits. Thick-walled, with heavy flesh, Baron is excellent for eating fresh, roasting and stuffing. Red Standard (red) - This colossal, green-to-red bell pepper produces thick-walled fruit that adjusts well from cool to warmer seasons. It offers early maturity and high yields, and the peppers will ripen to red quickly in hot climates. It also offers excellent disease resistance and an early, bush-growing habit. Gardeners love how easy it is to grow these peppers in the ground or in patio containers. California Wonder (green) - The standard bell pepper for many decades! This 1928 introduction is still the largest open-pollinated, heirloom bell pepper you can grow. A perfect stuffing pepper - blocky, 4 x 3.5 in. (10 x 4 cm), thick-walled, tender and flavorful. Fruits mature in 75 days. Better Belle (green) - Thick-walled, tasty fruit! This sweet bell, hybrid pepper yields plenty of shiny, firm and blocky fruit that ripens green to red. Thick walled and tasty, it's perfect for slicing, stuffing or baking. Gold Standard (yellow) - This great, big, green-to-gold bell pepper offers an excellent disease resistance package for easy and successful gardening, all while producing high yields. Yellow Bell (yellow) - Yellow, thick-walled, sweet fruits add appetizing colour and vitamins to fresh salads, and are superb for stuffing as well as fresh use. Plants can get quite large, so be prepared to support them, especially when carrying lots of fruit. Ripens green to yellow. Confetti (small fruit) - Unique eye-catching variegated foliage and multi-colour fruit! Confetti is a mini bell pepper with unique eye-catching variegated foliage. Its mounded plant habit will hold up in a vegetable garden or patio container. Its fruit ripens from light green to bright red, with a sweet, crunchy flavor that is perfect for fresh eating at any stage of ripeness. Can be grown with or without support cage or trellis. Pinot Noir (early sweet) - 'Pinot Noir' Peppers are sure to generate interest, as they paint the vegetable garden landscape with a wide spectrum of colors displayed simultaneously. The large blocky peppers are light green when young, blushing to shades of citrus, lavender, purple and finally brilliant red. Jungle Parrot (red/compact plant) - Gorgeous red colour on this sweet pepper! Jungle Parrot is an excellent choice for space-saving gardening. The plants grow strong without support and perform equally well in containers or in the ground. The blocky, bell-shaped fruit ripens from dark green to red, and can be eaten at either stage. Mature fruit size is 3"; harvest more than a dozen peppers from each plant! Mad Hatter (unique shape) - Mad Hatter is a member of the Capsicum baccatum pepper species from South America commonly used in Bolivian and Peruvian cuisine. You can impress your friends by growing this pepper and showing off the novel three-sided shape and deliciously sweet taste. Cute Stuff Gold (yellow) - Miniature variety that yields continuously big harvests. Light requirements Full sun. Planting Space 12 to 48 inches apart, depending on type. (See information above for specific recommendations.) Soil requirements Peppers need well-drained, nutrient-rich soil. Amend soil with 3 to 5 inches of compost or other organic matter prior to planting. Soil pH should be 6.2 to 7.0. Water requirements Keep soil consistently moist throughout the growing season. Mulch soil to reduce water evaporation. Frost-fighting plan Pepper is a hot-weather crop. A light frost will damage plants, and temps below 12ºC slow growth and cause leaves to look yellowish. If a surprise late spring frost is in the forecast, protect newly planted seedlings with a frost blanket. Common issues Plants drop flowers when daytime temps soar above 30º C. Few pests bother peppers, but keep an eye out for aphids, slugs, pill bugs, and leafminers. Humid weather (especially in gardens with heavy soil that doesn’t drain well) can invite fungal diseases like leafspot. Harvesting Check image on plant tag (or at the top of this page) to learn what your pepper looks like when mature. Some peppers turn red, yellow, or other colours at maturity. Others are ready in the green stage, but will turn red if left on plants. Use pruning shears or a sharp knife to cut peppers with a short stub of stem attached. Pulling peppers by hand can cause entire branches to break off. Fruits store longer for fresh use if you don’t remove the stem, which can create an open wound that’s ripe for spoiling. Storage Store unwashed (or washed and dried) peppers in the refrigerator in a loosely closed plastic bag. Moisture is a pepper’s enemy and hastens spoiling. For peak flavor and nutrition, use within a week.
