Pepper is a hot-tasting spice used for cooking. Pepper is a fruit grown in a plant called Piper Nigrum. Hot pepper originated from the lowland of Brazil as small red, round fruit.
This area has the greatest number of wild species of hot pepper in the world. Pepper is a universal specie to flavor all types of dishes in cuisines over the world.
Hot pepper is beneficial to heart health as it helps to promote healthy heart and prevent blood clots. It also help to fight against Cancer.
Some Varieties Of Hot Peppers
- Serrano pepper
- Jalapeños pepper
- Carolina reaper
- Chili Pepper
- Habanero family
- Scotch pepper
- Trinidad moruga scorpion
- Tabasco pepper
- Kung Pao pepper
- Peter pepper.
What Is Needed To Know Before Growing Hot Peppers
Hot peppers are grown in areas that get 8 hours of full sunlight per day. The soil must be well drained to prevent standing water around the roots of the pepper plants. The soil should be composed with organic matters like chicken manure before the plants can be planted. Space out the plants 40cm apart.
When selecting the type of hot pepper to grow, consider,
- The amount of capsaicin,determine how many scoville heat units a pepper has( jalapeños with 2.500-8000 SHUs, the world hottest pepper)
- The growing time to fits the growing season( bred peppers for early harvest)
-The temperature that will be good for germination and growing ( hot peppers needs warm temperatures)
- The color and shape of the hot pepper( peppers comes in different colors and shapes)
- The type that resist diseases.
How To Start Grow Hot Peppers From Seed
Starting from seeds and buying seedlings
Growing your own peppers comes with numerous benefits. You have control over the varieties you grow, ensuring you get the flavors you love, whether it's hot cayenne peppers or sweet bell peppers. Plus, freshly harvested peppers taste far better than store-bought ones.
By planting your own pepper seeds, you can also save money and enjoy the satisfaction of growing your own food.
How To Nurse Pepper Seed
Once your pepper seedlings start to grow, you’ll need to give them the proper care from the moment they emerge.
Pepper seeds germinate best in warm conditions. Aim for a temperature range of 70-8°F (21-29°C). You might use a heat mat if necessary.
A hot pepper can take one month on the nurse to be transplanted for grow
How To Care For Pepper Plants 
1. Water the plants. When the seeded hot peppers have been transplanted, water them regularly. This will help maintain a uniform and moist soil. Mulch the plants round to preserve soil moisture.
2. Check the plants regularly. Checking the plants regularly is very important because, signs of stress or diseases will be discovered earlier and will be treated early to prevent the diseases and pests from spreading in the whole garden.
Frequent visits of the garden will also help to notice weeds in the garden that are competing with the plants over nutrients found in the soil.
3. Do not over fertilize the plants. Over fertilizer in the plants will reduce the level of scoville heat and also reduce the amount of peppers produced.
Instead of putting plenty fertilizer, apply compost or organic matters in the soil before planting. Dilute Epsom salts in water and spray on the leaves. This will help the plants greatly.
Weeds
Plastic and organic mulches (straw, leaves and grass clippings) effectively control weeds. Healthy vigorous plants outcompete weeds, once they are established. Cultivate shallowly to avoid root damage if weeds are a problem.
How To Get Super Hot Pepper
1. Stress the pepper plants. These plants can be stressed by avoiding watering regularly. Watering regularly helps the plants to grow but when the plants are kept dry, it becomes stressed and produces capsaicin. The plants can also be stressed by imbalances in soil fertility.
2. Harvest the peppers when it's mature. When pepper are harvested when it's still green and young, it will not be hot the way it supposed to be. For your pepper to have the best flavor and heat, it has to be harvested when it's mature. This is because pepper produces more capsaicin when it is mature
3. Consider the variety of hot pepper to produce. As there are many varieties of peppers, people just take and plant without checking if the plants will produce hot peppers or not. So it's important to select the type of peppers that will give the hot and spicy peppers. Also make sure to always buy seeds from legitimate and trusted suppliers.
Some Pepper Diseases And Pest
Symptoms
Circular lesions on fruit which contain tan to orange to black concentric rings in the center; lesions usually reach 3 cm (1.2 in) in diameter but may enlarge to cover most of the fruit surface; lesions may also occur on leaves and stems and appear as irregularly shaped gray spots with dark margins
Cause
Fungi
Comments
Anthracnose is found in all major vegetable growing areas worldwide and can cause large losses if left untreated
Management
Always plant disease-free seeds and transplants; seeds can be freed from infection by treating with hot water at 52°C (125.6°F) for 30 minutes; if disease is known to present, the field should be rotated with non-susceptible crops for a period of 3 years; plowing crop residue deeply into the soil r removing crop debris can help to reduce inoculum in the soil
How To Treat Pepper Diseases And Pest
Control aphids. Destroy infected plants and weeds. Don’t use tobacco products when handling plants.
Diseases promoted by cool, wet conditions. Don’t apply over-head irrigation late in the day and let soil dry between watering. Apply appropriate fungicide once disease identified.
Identify the causal disease. Plant resistant varieties if available. Crop rotation and soil solarization can help reduce wilt diseases.
Dark spots on stem, leaves or fruits. The diseases eventually spread to all plant parts. The foliage eventually dies, exposing fruits to the sun, which causes premature ripening, Diseases promoted by cool, wet conditions. Don’t apply over-head irrigation late in the day and let soil dry between watering. Apply appropriate fungicide once disease identified.
Sucessful Harvesting
Hot peppers takes about 60 - 120 days to be mature depending on the variety. This is because some hot pepper takes longer periods to be mature while some get mature earlier. The color of the peppers tells us when the pepper is mature for harvest.
When harvesting hot peppers, used gloves to protect your skin from the oil in the pepper. Use scissors or gardening shears to cut the peppers to avoid damaging the stems.
Conclusion
Depending on the size of the pepper varieties planted, spacing should be 12-18 inches apart. Peppers can double as ornamentals, so tuck some into flowerbeds and borders. Most hot peppers mature in 60-90 days; hot peppers can take up to 150 days.
making a more detailed and expressive pepper bear takes a little creativity and patience, but the end result is a delightful edible sculpture that can add flair to your dishes.
By carefully carving the pepper, adding unique features, and garnishing thoughtfully, you can transform a simple bell pepper into a charming pepper bear that is both visually appealing and full of flavor.
Congratulation for a sucessful garden