Lesson 7: Vegetable Gardening
Holy Jalapeno!
Americans love their hot peppers. Not only do they add zest and heat to an ordinary meal, they have additional benefits to your health. The pepper family offers varieties ranging from the mild Poblano or Anaheim chilis, often seen in rellenos or other mild dishes, to the fiery hot habanero, that can blow the top of your head off with its heat.
The hot pepper plants are very tidy and attractive, with their deep green leaves and upright shrubby habit. Like their sweet cousins the bell pepper, they are best planted after the last frost, in ordinary, well-drained garden soil. Because of their thin, fragile stems, they require protection from heavy wind.
Plant them in full sun, as they don’t perform well in shadier corners of the garden. Like tomatoes, if the temperatures go over 85, they stop producing fruits. They are prone to sunscald, so using a shade cloth is recommended in very high heat.
Peppers need deep watering, and shouldn’t be allowed to dry out. You can see the leaves begin to droop and wilt when this happens. To help set fruit, put a tablespoon of Epsom salts in a quart of water, and feed the peppers until blossoms appear. Do this once a week.
To prevent cutworms from reaching the plants, place stiff paper collars into the soil around each plant, leaving an inch protruding above the soil. Once fruiting begins, they can be removed. Aphids and thrips can be controlled using neem oil or insecticidal soaps.
Always wash your hands thoroughly after handling hot peppers. They contain volatile oils that can burn your eyes. To reduce the heat, when preparing for cooking, you can remove the seeds and fleshy pith. The freshly harvested peppers can be pickled, frozen or dried.
To make a ristra, (a string of peppers), cut a slit on each side of the pepper, near the top. Using jute, or clean cotton twine and a large needle, insert the thread through one side of the pepper and out the other. Keep adding peppers until the string is full. You need to hang this in a warm dry place. They make wonderful gifts for a housewarming or bridal shower.
Topic of Discussion: What is your favorite recipe using chili peppers?
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