How to Grow Green Peppers in Peat and Perlite

Plant green pepper seedling in 5-gallon pots with drainage holes, allowing space for root growth. Using pots 12 inches across gives peppers foliage room to spread.

Mix potting soil, perlite, organic compost and peat moss in equal parts as your potting soil. Add slow-release, granular 10-10-10 fertilizer for more nutrition. This mixture provides drainage, moisture retention and gentle, long-term nutrition, while maintaining a loose consistency for root growth. Fill each pot 3/4 full of soil mixture.

Plant one pepper seedling per 5 gallons of space. Conduct row plantings at every 15 to 18 inches in larger containers. Put the seedlings in holes as deep and wide as their root balls. If you plant seeds, push them 1 inch into the soil at this spacing.

Put the peppers in sites with six to eight hours of bright sun or artificial light every day. Peppers won't bloom or bear fruit without sunshine. Maintain temperatures of 70 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit around the peppers for best growth. Peppers fail in temperatures less than 55 F.

Irrigating the peppers with 2 inches of water every three to four days keeps the soil moist. Peppers produce small, bitter fruit in dry soil.

Feed peppers with water-soluble 20-20-20 or 15-30-15 fertilizer at midseason and every week thereafter. Mix the fertilizer with pure water per manufacturer directions and use the mixture as a standard watering.

Putting a low-power fan on the peppers when they bloom encourages pollination. The plants won't bear fruit without effective pollen transfer.

Harvest green peppers when they achieve mature coloration and desired size. Pick firm, juicy peppers for best harvest. Don't leave the peppers on the vines too long, as they'll rot.