Pepper, Sweet
- A Description of Sweet Peppers
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History: Peppers are native to Central and South America and have been grown there for over 7000 years. Columbus, thinking he had found the East Indies when he landed in the West Indies, assumed that the hot fruit he was introduced to was the highly-valued black pepper from that region and so, in yet another case of mistaken identity, gave it that name. Sweet peppers have been developed from those pungent ancestors through natural selection. Interestingly, green peppers are really only popular in North America. There is no such thing as a green pepper variety - all sweet peppers go through a green phase before turning various colours as they ripen. So a green pepper is only an unripe bell pepper. Cultivation: Peppers are heat-lovers and need to be started indoors to produce fruit in this climate. Sow seed 1/4-1/2" deep in soil-less mix in flats 7 - 8 weeks before last frost. Harden off & plant out 18-20" apart when temperatures and the soil have fully warmed. Companions: basil, oregano, parsley, squash, tomatoes, cucumbers and eggplants.