How to Transplant a Mature Bird's Eye Pepper Plant

Water the bird's eye pepper plant thoroughly the day before transplanting. The best time to move the plant is early in day while it is cool or during the afternoon on an overcast day.

Select a location to move the plant to that has full sunlight and plenty of room. Dig the hole ahead of time. This will allow you to immediately plant the bird's eye pepper plant, once it is dug up. Make the hole about 1 foot deep and twice as wide.

Place a shovel from 6 to 12 inches out from the stem of the pepper plant, or the width of the plant's spread. Push the shovel in as deep as you can and continue around the plant until you created a circle. The main object is to get as much of the roots and soil that you can easily lift.

Slowly go around the circle placing the shovel at an angle under the bird's eye plant's root system severing any roots. Lift the entire plant with the shovel, if it is small enough and this is possible, or place the root system with the soil on a piece of burlap to move.

Adjust the depth of the new hole to match the depth of the root system by adding or taking out soil. Put the bird's eye plant in the center of the hole. Backfill the hole and then flood the entire area with water to settle the bird's eye pepper plant into place.

Apply a starter fertilizer as directed after transplanting, if the bird's eye plant is actively growing. Water the plant as needed to maintain moist, but not soggy soil throughout the growing season.