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Grow Ornamental Peppers to Heat Up Your Fall Décor

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Everyone wants that perfect fall garden. Especially we who are obsessed with our flowers and the natural world around us. We take such care to plan our summer display to host such bright colors. Colors like gorgeous summer pinks and pure whites, but towards the end of the warmest season, the world begins to change and the beautiful garden that we’ve been toiling over with such love begins to fade. Summer annuals are on their last legs. It’s been a long, colorful season, but all good things must come to an end.

It’s time again to plan for a new season. An exciting season full of warm hues and fresh garden plants! Among this new selection of plants are the Ornamental Peppers. High on the list of the top 10 most popular vegetables for home gardens in the US, they are not only easy to grow, but long-lasting plants that fit the fall color bill to a T. We’re talking about warm yellows, oranges and reds. And don’t forget the purples! You can make a unique choice and pick out some beautiful, rich purples included in the collage of colors that Ornamental Peppers provide.

These peppers are edible, but not normally used for eating. There are many peppers which boast much better flavor and most Ornamental Peppers are very spicy. If you do plan to consume them, please do so responsibly. Normally sold as purely ornamental, many Ornamental Peppers are treated with pesticides and should be thoroughly washed before being made into a meal. They are the perfect fall plant for garden beds, containers and even fall event favors. Unlike other peppers, they cleverly display their fruit above the rest of the plant for all to see and are thus more visually appealing than the average pepper in your veggie garden. Once planted, the vibrant peppers can last for months and will continue to make your fall display the envy of all others until the first hard frost.

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How to care for and keep Ornamental Peppers happy
Keep them thriving by following these few, simple steps:

1)The biggest key to successful pepper growing is sunlight. The more sunlight the better, but most peppers (including the Ornamental ones) will thrive on a minimum of 6 hours of direct sunlight.

2)A moist soil is the next step to pepper growing. Moist, but not too wet or waterlogged. If the peppers can take advantage of natural rainfall, you should only have to water after several dry days. In planters, they will need a little more attention, especially when under a porch or overhang. This can be the tricky step when maintaining Ornamental Peppers because too little water can cause the plant to wilt, but too much can cause the colorful peppers to fall off. The best way to keep that perfect balance of soil moisture is to watch the surface of the soil. After watering it will look wet, but as soon as it starts to look lighter and dryer, you can get that watering can out again.

3)You may need a little fertilizer. A really good one for Ornamental Peppers is the Bumper Crop Tomato and Vegetable Food. You’ll only need to apply until the peppers have fully matured. Most varieties start out green and start to color with maturity turning their respective colors of red, orange, yellow or purple.

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The most common problem gardeners face when it comes to Ornamental Peppers are an occasional bout of Aphids. If you should come across aphids in your garden, a quick spritz of Bonide’s Neem Oil will take care of the problem in no time!

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When added to a fall display, Ornamental Peppers look amazing! Not everyone plants them, but they are well worth your time. They are such interesting, colorful little plants.

Happy gardening!