Sweet Frying Pepper

Sweet frying peppers are elongated, usually thin-walled Capsicum annuum cultivars. Shape alone does not establish mildness, so buy seed explicitly labeled sweet.

Sun

Full sun

Water

1 in/week

Spacing

18 in

First harvest

60–85 days from transplant for immature fruit; ripe fruit later

Tips

• Verify that the cultivar is nonpungent.
• Support branches carrying long fruit clusters.
• Pick full-sized green fruit or allow the listed ripe color.
• Harvest regularly for cooking-sized fruit.
• Start seeds indoors 8-10 weeks before transplanting, using 80-85°F soil for germination.
• Transplant at the original growing depth once nights stay above 55°F and soil has warmed.
• Water deeply for about 1 inch weekly and mulch after the soil warms.
• Stake heavily loaded plants and inspect leaf undersides for aphids.
• Harvest firm, full-sized green peppers or wait for the variety's mature color, cutting rather than pulling fruit.

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