Ornamental peppers are small bushy plants with bright glossy fruits. If you are looking for best garden decor ideas this is definitely one to go for; find an area to grow this fantastic plant as it will add a cheerful splash of color in the late summer and autumn. They are really beautiful plants frown mainly for their brightly colored fruits. Originally from South America, they are related to the peppers we use in cooking.
These ornamental peppers, however, are very fiery and best grown ad decorative plants rather than for use in the kitchen. It is fairly easy to grow but needs sunshine and regular watering. Flowers appear at the beginning of summer and the fruits develop during the summer as well. They are yellow or green at first and ripen to become red, white, golden, lilac or black. They have a similar smell to the larger fruits of paprika. The size and shape of the fruits varies from round and berry-like to long and narrow.
They usually grow to about 30cm and when purchased are covered in fruit. Plants grown from seed will reach an equal size. Place several of these plants on nice terracotta pots and display around your garden if you don’t want them in a confined area. An individual plant in a glazed green or white pot also makes an ideal gift at Christmas when this plant is often available.
Although ornamental peppers are inexpensive to buy, it is fun to grow them from seed. Sow need in March or April in a peat-based mixture. A temperature of 21 degrees Celsius will be necessary for germination, which takes place after two weeks. Transplant the young plants into small pots. After four weeks pot them up and place in their growing spot.
Peppers make their fruits at the end of the growing shoots or terminal points. You can pinch out some of these growing tips in the early stages of development to encourage the plant to make new, more compact growth, with many more growing tips. Each growing tip is capable of flowering and fruiting. Pinching out early will increase the production of glossy decorative fruits.
Try to buy your ornamental peppers from spring until the end of the summer (it is also best to buy them when in fruit). Check it has green leaves and compact growth. Fruits should be glossy and fat and you should reject the plant if it shows any wrinkles. Although they are very beautiful plants, their life span is short term. It will wither when the fruit is ripe.
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