Doe Hill Sweet Pepper
Botanical Name: Capsicum annuum
Description
70 days. A most unusual heirloom pepper that is early, prolific, and has standout flavor. We love these fruits because they remind us of Sheepnose Pimento, one of our all-time favorites. Orange, thick crisp walls are oh-so-sweet, fruity, and scrumptious! Fruits are a bit smaller than Sheepnose (2¼” diameter). Plants are compact and perfect for small gardens and containers. Although this is an heirloom from Doe Hill, Virginia; its earliness and productivity make it a great choice for northern growers. Eat fresh, roasted, grilled or stuffed. CC
Growing
Growing Instructions (for USDA Zone 5b):
All peppers are warm loving plants. These pepper plants have the capacity to grow big & produce lots of peppers if given proper care. Sow seeds indoors 3/15-4/1 into good seed starting mix (we recommend Vermont Compost’s Fort Light). Ideal temperature for germination is 80-90° (use heating mat). Days to germination: 6-28. Once leaves appear, grow plants at 72°. Be sure seedlings have adequate light (a windowsill will not do for peppers) and keep plants from becoming pot-bound because this will permanently stunt plants. If seedlings are getting too big for their pot but the weather is still too cold outside, transplant them into bigger pots. Plant seedlings outside late May into fertile garden soil with lots of compost or decomposed manure. If your soil pH is greater than 7 (which is typical of clay soils in Southeast Michigan) add sulfur to acidify soil. Space plants 1 ½ - 2ft apart. If plants begin to flower when plants are less than 1ft tall, hand remove early flowers for 2 weeks until plants are bigger. Stake pepper plants if they begin to fall over.
Harvest:
For full flavor, harvest peppers when fully ripe (orange). Peppers can also be harvested green.
Seed Saving Instructions for gardeners:
Peppers are primarily self-pollinating but insects will cause significant cross pollination between pepper varieties. To keep variety pure, cover plants with low tunnels (using thin row cover fabric) to exclude pollinators. Or, isolation distance: 300 ft. Always save seeds from the best plants. Save seeds from fully ripe peppers. Rinse and dry seeds.
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