I’ve never had good success with growing bell peppers but wanted to try a pepper that would stand up to our summer heat and produce well. Banana peppers have far exceeded that expectation.
I have a container garden in a water trough. I started with 6 banana pepper transplants purchased from Harlow’s Nursery and Home Depot in early March. They were fast growers and strong producers as I picked the first peppers in mid-May. They continue to produce now even during the hot dry month of June, getting early eastern sun and filtered tree shade from noon. The only fertilizer/soil amendment I’ve added is organic compost. I water daily now during our hottest months and made some ollas to help the soil stay moist (directions to make the ollas are available on the Native Seed Search website- nativeseeds.org/ollas).
The peppers can be eaten raw or pickled. I prefer them pickled with garlic added. It’s easy to make in small or large batches and tastes delightful. To my taste, they’re a lot like peperoncini peppers and are a wonderful addition to sandwiches, salads, pizza and anything else you’d like to add a little pep to, not too spicy or hot. So far, I’ve been able to pickle 5 pints of peppers from my 6 plants and there are plenty more peppers growing. I have enough to store some in the pantry and give some to family/friends. I can’t think of a better way to share my garden!
Marty Reimer, TOG
