When to Harvest Friggitello Peppers?

Site Selection and Preparation

• Friggitello pepper plants require full sun exposure and well-draining soil to produce healthy, flavorful peppers. For best results, select a site that receives bright, direct sunlight for more than six hours each day. Soil fertility is particularly important during the plant's early stages of development; amend the soil in your garden bed with 3 inches peat moss, 3 inches well-rotted compost and 1-inch vermiculite or perlite. Use a shovel, garden fork or tiller to incorporate the organic materials to a depth of 6 to 8 inches.

Planting

• Start your Friggitello peppers from seeds or transplant nursery-grown pepper plants into your garden. Broadcast the Friggitello pepper seeds over the surface of the prepared garden bed and cover them with no more than a 1/2 inch of soil. Plant multiple seeds in the same location; not all will germinate successfully. Dig planting holes for nursery-grown plants that are twice as wide as their containers; space the planting holes approximately 2 feet apart. Plant nursery-grown Friggitello plants at the same depth they grew in the nursery.

Friggitello Pepper Care

• Friggitello pepper plants require frequent supplemental irrigation to ensure optimal pepper production. Water the pepper plants or seeds after planting to thoroughly moisten the soil; provide a 1/2 inch of water for pepper seeds and 1 inch for nursery-grown transplants. Continue to provide your pepper plants with up to 1 inch of supplemental irrigation each week to maintain moist, but well-drained, soil. Fertilize Friggitello pepper plants with a balanced, water-soluble fertilizer once per month while they're actively growing and producing peppers..

Harvest Friggitello Peppers

• Harvest the Friggitello peppers from the plants once they have grown 3 to 4 inches in length and have tight, glossy skins. Friggitello peppers may be harvested at various stages of ripeness, according to your preference. When picked in their light green stage, Friggitello peppers are known as pepperoncinis; these peppers are often pickled in brine and served as a garnish. Friggitello peppers are considered ripe when they deepen to a bright red. Snip the peppers from the plants with sharpened and sterilized pruning shears.