Ornamental peppers with their decorative yellow and red fruits are a real eye-catcher not only in the flower window, but also in the pot on the terrace. The maintenance is not very complicated, a favorable location is more important. This is how you properly care for ornamental peppers.
How do you properly care for ornamental peppers?
Ornamental pepper plants need regular watering without waterlogging, fertilizing every two weeks until the first flowering, removing the royal flower for better branching and sufficient air circulation. They are annual and do not need to be overwintered.
How do you water ornamental peppers?
The non-poisonous ornamental pepper does not tolerate complete dryness or waterlogging. Water the plant regularly, especially in summer. You must pour off excess irrigation water immediately to prevent rot from developing.
When and how do you fertilize ornamental peppers?
Until the ornamental pepper sets flowers, fertilize it every two weeks with a little liquid fertilizer (€13.00 on Amazon). After the first flowering there is no more fertilization.
You should avoid fertilizing with flower fertilizer if you plan to eat the fruit later.
Why should you cut the first flower?
The first flower to develop is a single bud in the middle, the so-called royal flower. If you cut these off, the ornamental pepper will branch better and more flowers will form later.
Is repotting necessary?
Since the ornamental pepper is only cared for as an annual until the fruits ripen, you do not need to repot it.
However, it may be worthwhile to place purchased plants in fresh substrate immediately after purchase. The soil supplied is often far too moist.
Potting soil is suitable as a substrate. If the fruits are grown for consumption, you should put together the substrate yourself from compost and garden soil.
What diseases and pests can occur?
- Gray horse
- Spider mites
- Aphids
Gray mold mainly occurs when the substrate is constantly too moist and the ornamental pepper doesn't get enough air. Do not place it too close to other plants to allow air to circulate.
Spider mites and aphids are more common, especially in very low humidity.
Can you keep ornamental peppers over the winter?
Ornamental pepper is an annual ornamental plant. After the fruit has fallen, it is used up and disposed of in the compost. So it doesn't have to be overwintered, but rather sown or bought again every spring.
Tip
The fruits of ornamental peppers are edible. However, you should only eat them if you are sure the plant has not been sprayed. Pretreated plants are too heavily contaminated with pollutants.