Spring planting doesn’t start when the air feels warm, It...Read More
Purple Beauty Sweet Pepper is a must-have unique addition to your vegetable garden with its deep purple colored fruit that carries the classic crunch and flavor of more common red, green or orange bell pepper varieties. Maturing in just 70 to 80 days, the fruits this plant produces begin as an off-lime color and turn quickly into a deep-purple and remain purple until full maturity, at which point they gain a slightly reddish purple hue. This pepper pant is compact, growing on average 18 to 24 inches, and makes a great variety to grow in containers for porch or patio gardens. When cooked, the deep purple color magically turns to green, but retains its color when eaten raw, adding a wonderful pop of color to salads or veggie platters.
NAME: Pepper (Capsicum annuum)
VARIETY: Purple Beauty
DAYS TO MATURITY: 70 – 80 days
POLLINATION: Open Pollinated
TYPE: Annual
HARDINESS ZONE: Zones 3 – 9
SUNLIGHT: Full Sun
SOIL: Well-draining, fertile soil with a pH 6.5 – 7.2
SPACING: 14 – 24 inches
PLANT HEIGHT: 18 – 24 inches
TEMP: 60 – 95ºF
These seeds do not required stratification.
To learn more about Stratification, click here!
Starting Pepper seeds indoors is recommended to ensure a longer growing season and higher success rate.
Sow seeds 1/4 inch deep in seed starting soil mix 6 to 8 weeks before your last local frost, either in cell trays or small pots. Keep the soil moist and at 75°F and seedlings will emerge in 10 to 21 days.
As soon as seedlings emerge, provide plenty of light on a sunny windowsill or grow seedlings 3 inches beneath fluorescent/LED plant grow lights turned on 16 hours per day, off for 8 hours, raising the lights as the plants grow.
If you are growing in small cells, you may need to transplant the seedlings to 4-inch pots when seedlings have at least 2 pairs of leaves before hardening off.
Harden off seedlings for several days. Do this by taking them outside during the day and bringing them in at night (Outside temps should be above 50°F when you start this process).
After hardening off, transplant into your pre-prepared bed 14 to 18 inches apart, in rows spaced 2 to 3 feet apart.
It is not recommended to start pepper seeds outdoors unless you are in far southern climates.
Wait until after the last frost date in your area when the soil has warmed up and temperatures are consistently above 60°F (15°C).
Choose a sunny location with well-drained soil.
Prepare the planting area by loosening the soil and amending it with compost if needed.
Sow the seeds about 1/4 inch deep and space them 12-18 inches apart in rows that are 24-36 inches apart.
Cover the seeds lightly with soil and water gently to settle them.
Keep the soil consistently moist until the seeds germinate, which usually takes 7-14 days.
Thin the seedlings to the strongest plants, leaving 12-18 inches between each plant.
Before transplanting, you will want to prepare the bed ahead of time by selecting a location in full sun with rich & moist organic soil, removing weeds, adding compost and then covering the bed with mulch or tarp a week before you plan to transplant; this will heat the soil beneath and provide a better growing condition for young pepper plants.
Before planting into the soil make sure the ambient temperatures will not drop below 50°F during the day or night.
Peppers may also be planted in containers; use a container at least 18 to 24 inches wide and deep and use a commercial potting mix rather than garden soil..
Keep plants well-watered during the growing season, especially during dry spells; plants need about 1 to 2 inches of rain per week during the growing season.
Be sure to fertilize peppers with enough compost, calcium, phosphorus, and nitrogen.
Stake plants if they begin to lean over.
Purple Beauty Sweet Peppers can be harvested when they reach their full size and color. Typically, they are ready to harvest when they are firm, glossy, and deep purple in color.
Use scissors or pruners to cut the peppers from the plant, leaving a short stem attached.
Regularly harvesting ripe peppers encourages the plant to produce more fruit.
Enjoy fresh Purple Beauty Sweet Peppers in salads, stir-fries, or grilled dishes. They can also be roasted, stuffed, or preserved through pickling or freezing for longer-term use.
