Preparation

• Prepare the soil where the peppers are to grow in advance, adding organic material and a slow-release balanced fertilizer. The pepper is a heavy feeder and requires regular feeding and consistent watering throughout the season.
  
  

Starting Out

• Plant peppers a week or two after the last frost date in your area, after the soil has warmed up and night temperatures can be relied upon to stay above the 40's. If your growing season is so short that you must plant peppers as soon as possible, be prepared to protect the plants with plastic milk jugs or frost caps purchased at a garden store. A pepper plant that has been chilled will refuse to set fruit, although the plant may grow luxuriantly.
  
  

Planting

• Dig a hole for a pepper plant that is only slightly deeper than the plant's root ball. Unlike a tomato plant, a pepper plant will not grow roots along its stem. Planting too deeply only weakens the pepper plant's stem. Space pepper plants about 18 inches apart. Peppers generally do not require staking.
  
  

Cultivation

• Mulch around the plants to conserve moisture and control weeds. Remove weeds by hand before they compete with the plant for water and nutrients. Because of their more shallow root systems, the roots of pepper plants are vulnerable to damage during cultivation.
  
  

Harvest

• Peppers can be picked in the green stage as soon as the fruit is large enough for your needs. Almost all pepper fruit starts out green (a few varieties start out a pale yellow) before ripening to red, orange, deep yellow, purple or brown. Fully ripened bell peppers are considered sweeter tasting than green, and are the best type for roasting. Fully ripened hot peppers, such as jalapenos or habaneros, are considered both hotter and sweeter than green ones.
  
  

Season's End

• The first fall frost will end your pepper plant's productivity. Pull up and destroy the frostbitten plants to reduce the possibility of soil-borne disease overwintering in the garden bed.