Pretty N Sweet peppers, a 2015 All-America Selection. Photo courtesy All-AmericaSelections.org
The International Herb Association has declared this the year of the pepper and the Herb Society of Central Indiana decided to celebrate.
Peppers were featured at the group’s meeting earlier this month and again, April xx at the annual conference. It also will be planted in the herb garden at White River Gardeners, where members have been volunteering since 2001, said Sue Arnold, a founding member of the Herb Society of Central Indiana.
Peppers (Capsicum annuum) also will be growing in Arnold’s garden in Brownsburg. “I have a history of growing lots of hot peppers and I competed in the Chili Cookoff for years. I have a trophy in the basement from winning the most popular people’s choice chili,” said Arnold.
This year, she’s started seeds for Pretty N Sweet hybrid, a 2015 All-America Selections winner that I grew last year. It can be grown in the ground or in a container.
This was probably the easiest pepper I’ve ever grown, very prolific and very ornamental, something AAS calls “ornamedible.” The conical-shaped, tasty peppers are red, yellow, orange and greenish, 1-1 ½ inches long. A plant will have about 100 sweet peppers, each weighing an ounce.
Pretty N Sweet was also was a favorite at the AAS Demonstration Garden maintained by Marion County Master Gardener at the Indiana State Fairgrounds, said Steve Mayer, horticulture educator at Purdue-Marion County Extension.
“I also have six other varieties of peppers seeds to plant. I’ll try to protect from the deer,” Arnold said.
Grow peppers in full sun. Don’t rush to plant them outdoors because peppers like warm soil and warm ambient temperatures. Also, practice patience. Peppers need a long, hot, period for fruit to mature for harvesting. For Pretty N Sweet, you can start picking about 60 days after planting transplants.
The Herb Society of Central Indiana’s 2016 spring symposium, Pepper Your Life with Herbs, will be 9 a.m. to 3:15 p.m., April 9, at the Hamilton County 4H Fairgrounds, Noblesville. The public is invited.
Indiana Flower & Patio Show
This weekend begins the eight-day run of the 58th annual Indiana Flower & Patio Show at the Indiana State Fairgrounds. This year, the theme is Tall, Dark and Awesome. The show ends March 20.
