How to Plant Sweet Peppers Outdoors

(Cómo Transplantar los Ajies Dulces en el Jardín)

2 Comments

Sweet Peppers (Capsicum Chinense) are known in Spanish as Ajies Dulces They are native to Latin America and the Caribbean.  These sweet peppers are bright green.  However, when they are left long on the plant, they turn yellow, orange and red.  They slightly resemble the habanero pepper in appearance but are sweet with a unique aroma and flavor.

The sweet peppers (ajies dulces) and culantro are the essential ingredients in preparing our famous sofrito (a puréed condiment), which is added to our stewed rice, beans, fish, meats and soups.  In addition, I package and vacuum seal the whole (or halves) sweet peppers (ajies dulces) and place them in the freezer for future use.  I love to add them whole (or halves) to the soups and stews for a more flavorful dish.

Because they are seldom available at the grocery stores in the United States, I learned how to grow indoor sweet peppers (ajies dulces) during the winter months in Indiana.  In this section, you will learn how to transplant your indoor sweet pepper plants to your outdoor garden (See link below on How to Grow Sweet Peppers Indoors).

How to Transplant Your Sweet Pepper Seedlings Outdoors!

It is summer time!  My indoor sweet pepper plants are at least 6 inches tall.  Therefore, they are ready to be transplanted to the outdoor garden.

These are the indoor sweet pepper plants that I grew during the winter months.  Click on the link to learn How to Grow Sweet Peppers Indoors.

Do I Need to Prepare the Soil for the Outdoor Garden?   

Yes, you do!  Pull all the weeds from the garden.  Rototill the garden to turn over the soil.  Spread peat moss on top of the garden soil.  The peat moss allows the garden to retain water.  Add a layer of compost on top of the peat moss.  The compost serves as a fertilizer.  Rototill the dirt again to combine the peat moss with the compost.

Let’s Start Gardening!

With a gardening trowel, dig a hole at least 4 inches deep and 5 inches wide.

Since the peat pot is biodegradable, insert the entire plant, including the peat pot, inside the dirt well.     

With your hands, distribute the dirt that you removed to dig the hole to cover the peat pot completely.

You are done with the first indoor plant and now continue this process until you finish planting the indoor plants outdoors.   Make sure that you allow at least a 24-inch space between each planter since the sweet pepper plants can grow at least 4 feet tall and 3 feet wide.  My sweet pepper plants grew 6 feet tall one year.

Water the plants on a daily basis unless it rains because the plants need to get adjusted from the indoor environment to the outdoor environment.

Click on the button below to watch my YouTube video on How to Plant Sweet Peppers Outdoors!

 

Category: Gardening

2 Comments. Leave new

  • Where can I purchase heirloom amid dulces.? In otherwords, tasting and with fragrance I remember. I’m 68.

    Reply
    • Hi Evelyn, We both are the same age so I understand wanting to purchase heirloom aji dulce seeds with better taste, flavor and nutrition. Small scale gardeners (or local farmers) usually grow their gardens from seeds that they have saved to maintain the heritage of the plant. I normally grow my ajies dulces from saved seeds and I do not use any chemicals or pesticides (organic). However, there are several online sites that sell heirloom aji dulce seeds (sherwoodsseeds.com, etsy.com, Caribbean Peppers, etc.). Enjoy your week.

      Reply

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