How To Grow Banana Peppers Step by Step

Let’s be honest about banana peppers – you either love them, or you despise them. These tangy peppers are not a common garden staple for most homesteaders, yet they have a place on just about every dinner table.

Hosting a myriad of health benefits, banana peppers can really spice up your diet and are incredibly easy to grow. All you need is the right soil, a bit of water, a few seeds, and the right know-how to be successful.

sweet banana pepper

Benefits of Banana Peppers

Banana peppers are closely related to bell peppers, but they are different in both size and color.

These tasty peppers aren’t quite as spicy as jalapenos, and have an interesting tang that adds a unique taste to a sandwich or meal. Even better, banana peppers have dozens of exceptional health benefits.

These small vegetables are packed with vitamins and minerals. In particular, banana peppers are known to contain high levels of vitamin B-6. This vitamin can promote a positive mood and also help relieve symptoms like cramping, fatigue, and depression.

Banana peppers are also good sources of fiber, helping you to become more regular and to maintain a healthy digestive tract. Because they are somewhat spicy, they can also help relieve minor nasal and chest congestion.

Banana peppers also contain a property known as capsaicin. Responsible for giving the peppers their mild spice, capsaicin.

Growing Banana Peppers in Containers | Urban Balcony Garden

Types of Banana Peppers

There are four main categories of banana peppers, with dozens of sub-varieties falling within those categories. Banana peppers can be found in either sweet or hot varieties, and are typically harvested when they are orange, yellow, or red.

Harvesting your fruit earlier in the season will result in different color variations as well as different tastes, with later-harvested fruits providing a mellower, sweeter flavor.

The Sweet Banana Pepper is one of the most common types of banana pepper, changing in color from a pale yellow to orange as it matures.

It is often confused with hot yellow wax peppers, but these have tapered shapes and a sweet, mild taste. They are ideal when used as substitutes for bell peppers or when added to salads or sandwiches.

Banana Bill Hybrid Peppers are also sweet banana peppers, ranging in color from light yellow to red.

These peppers are large, growing up to 8 inches in length, with an exceptionally sweet flavor. These should be planted in the spring, and provide high yields for gardeners seeking more bang for their buck.

The Hot Banana Pepper is an heirloom pepper from Europe, and it is relatively hot to taste. These grow to about eight inches in length and take a minimum of 65 days to mature.

Inferno Hot Banana Peppers are hybrid species, also hot when ripe These grow up to eight inches long and cannot be planted before June, as the nights are still too cold in most areas.

Ideal Growing Conditions for Banana Peppers

Banana peppers need lots of sun and warm soil in order to thrive. Because they require a longer growing season than other types of vegetables, they should be started from transplants instead of seeds.

If you live in an area with an extended growing season, you may be able to start them from seed, but be careful and mindful of the weather so that an unexpected late or early frost doesn’t kill your plants.

Before planting, make sure your soil is fertile and well-draining. Mix equal amounts of compost, peat, and manure into your soil, which will help build the soil’s organic matter and improve its overall structure and pH.

If you’re growing your banana peppers in a container, make sure you use a good quality potting mix, which can also be supplemented with the mixtures specified above.

Banana peppers prefer a location that has access to direct sunlight for at least eight hours every day. Try to avoid planting sites that are overly windy, and make sure the climate is nice and warm.

If you live in an exceptionally humid climate where the temperatures regularly rise above ninety degrees, consider adding an organic mulch to the soil to help your plants weather the summer heat. If you are growing in a tropical environment, afternoon shade is also preferred.

Planting Banana Peppers

Start your seeds indoors about forty days before you wish to plant the peppers in the ground. Research your area’s specific growing requirements, and count backwards based on your expected date of last frost.

How to Ensure Germination of Banana Pepper Seedlings

The success of any pepper-growing venture begins with the germination of pepper seeds. There are a few key things to keep in mind when starting pepper seeds indoors.

First, the planting medium should be sterile and well-draining. Second, the planting depth should be shallow – no more than 1/4 inch. Third, it is important to maintain consistent moisture levels throughout the germination process.

Finally, peppers need warm temperatures to germinate; a soil temperature of 75-80 degrees Fahrenheit is ideal. Using a heat mat with your seedlings can help add heat, even if your house is on the cooler side.

When Can Banana Pepper Seedlings Go Outside?

In most cases, you can expect to transplant your banana peppers in June.

The soil temperatures need to have warmed to at least 60 degrees Fahrenheit (15 Celsius), and there can be no prolonged danger of frost – banana peppers cannot tolerate even a mild cold snap.

Sow your banana pepper seeds in the spring, and transplant outside once the weather has warmed. If you want the ground to warm more quickly, consider spreading down a layer of black plastic.

This will help warm the soil more rapidly after the snow has melted, allowing you to plant your peppers a few weeks earlier.

How to Transplant Seedlings

When you’re ready to plant, you don’t even need to remove the plastic – simply cut holes into it to plant, and you’ll have an excellent weed barrier already laid down, too.

When you’re ready to plant, regardless of whether you are planting directly into the ground or not, you should start by digging a hole of the same depth and twice the width of the root ball of your plant.

Loosen the roots lightly with your fingers, then place the ball into the soil. Your plants should be grown about six or seven inches apart, with at least a foot between rows so that you have plenty of room to walk among them to harvest.

Caring for Banana Pepper Plants

Here are a few tips to help you take care of your banana pepper plants once they’re in the ground.

How Big Do Banana Peppers Get?

Banana peppers are a type of sweet pepper that falls on the smaller side, typically growing to be about six inches long. However, some banana peppers can grow to be up to a foot long.

Dealing With Weeds

Banana peppers are relatively easy to care for, but they don’t contend well with weeds. Too many weeds can result in plant death or decreased yields (or simply fruits that are smaller and less flavorful) so it’s important that you stay on top of your duties.

Mulching can help reduce weed populations and also conserve moisture. Consider laying down a two-inch thick layer of an organic mulch like wood shavings or straw to help keep your garden balanced and healthy.

Do Banana Peppers Need a Trellis?

While banana peppers can be grown without a trellis, using one can provide several benefits. For example, a trellis can help to support the plant as it grows, preventing the peppers from drooping or breaking off.

Additionally, a trellis can increase air circulation around the plant, which can help to prevent fungal diseases.

If you choose to grow banana peppers with a trellis, make sure to select a sturdy one that can support the weight of the plant as it matures.

How to Water Banana Peppers

These vegetables need regular watering, much more so than other types of vegetables. Make sure you water the plants regularly and deeply, allowing the water to reach down to the bottom roots of the plant.

The soil should be consistently moist throughout the growing season, but make sure it’s not too wet, as this can cause the soil to become waterlogged and root rot can develop.

To help ensure adequate and balanced moisture levels, consider adding a mulch to the soil or install an in-ground irrigation system.

This can help water reach the roots of your plants only, preventing rot from developing on your plant’s delicate leaves.

Banana Peppers Pests and Diseases

Banana peppers are relatively resilient to most pests, but they can be prone to typical diseases caused by moisture, like fungal growths. To prevent disease from developing, try not to water overhead and use seeds that are disease-resistant.

They are commonly affected by insects like aphids, whitefly, cutworms, thrips, and flea beetles.

These pests can be controlled by manual elimination (i.e., pulling them off the plants when you see them and disposing of them in an area outside of the garden) as well as natural pesticides.

Diseases can also be prevented by avoiding overwatering and watering in the evening. This helps prevent fungal growth, as does using disease-free soil.

Fertilizing Banana Peppers

If you did a good job of creating fertile, nutrient-dense soil before you planted your banana peppers, you don’t necessarily need to fertilize throughout the growing season.

However, your banana pepper plants will benefit from organic fertilizer added twice a month.

Do not use a high nitrogen fertilizer, as this can inspire excessive foliar growth instead of fruit development. You might need to spray Epsom salts occasionally if your soil is magnesium deficient; otherwise, basic compost or worm tea works just fine as an organic fertilizer.

Some gardeners swear by the pinch method of encouraging banana pepper growth. As an alternative to pruning, this method involves pinching off the tips and shoots of the plant.

This makes it bushier and more productive, removing pieces that may be weaker and drawing unnecessary nutrients and resources away from the plant. You might also need to provide some kind of trellis or support system if the plant becomes too lanky.

What to Plant With Banana Peppers

One of the best ways to ensure a healthy and productive garden is to practice companion planting. This involves choosing plants that will benefit each other, and banana peppers are a great companion plant. They help to improve the flavor of other plants, as well as deter pests.

When companion planting with banana peppers, it is important to choose plants that have similar growing requirements.

For example, tomatoes and peppers are both sun-loving plants that need well-drained soil. Eggplants and beans are also good companions for banana peppers. Together, these plants can create a balanced and healthy garden that is less susceptible to pests and disease.

Harvesting Banana Peppers

Banana peppers are ready for harvest when they are full-sized (anywhere from six to eight inches in length) and have firm skins.

Check the firmness of the skin with your fingernail, and try not to harvest before the skins have hardened. While they will likely taste fine, they will not keep for very long, even if they are refrigerated.

You can harvest your peppers from the plant when they are yellow, or wait until they mature to a darker color. Just keep in mind that the pepper plants will show a huge drop in production when nighttime temperatures begin to cool.

Most plants are ready to be harvested about seventy days after they are transplanting.

When you are ready to harvest, cut the stem about a half of an inch above the fruit. Don’t pull it off by hand, as this can damage the plant.

After the season has ended, you can harvest your remaining peppers and dispose of the plant in your compost bin.

Growing Banana Peppers in Containers

If you’re limited on space or restricted by a lack of ideal growing conditions, you can also grow banana peppers inside in containers. Peppers thrive in containers, as many varieties were adapted to grow well in pots.

Make sure you choose the appropriate sized pot, ideally one that is at least two gallons in volume (five or ten will be even better). Your container also needs plenty of drainage holes so that water has a way to escape.

Use bagged soil, ideally one that is a mixture of compost and organic potting soil. Do not use houseplant soil, as this is often pre-fertilized and can contain too many nutrients for your delicate plants.

When you are growing plants in a container, they will need more fertilizer than if they were being grown outside, but you should still veer away from synthetic fertilizers as these do not introduce beneficial microbes into the soil (which organic fertilizers do).

You will also need to water your plants more often. If you can stick your finger into the soil and it is dry, you need to water.

While plants that are being grown outside can get by with only weekly or twice-weekly waterings, those grown in containers may need to be watered every single day.

Make sure you place your container in a spot that receives plenty of warmth and sunlight, and know that you may still need to cage or stake your peppers as they grow larger.

Besides that, there is really nothing different that you need to do when growing banana peppers indoors versus outside.

Storing, Preserving, and Using Banana Peppers

Banana peppers are versatile vegetables, and can be used fresh or preserved in a variety of methods. Many people pickle banana peppers, saving them to use on salads or sandwiches.

You can also string the peppers up and allow them to dry, or slice them lengthwise to dry in a dehydrator.

Banana peppers can also be frozen. You do not need to blanch them first, as you do with other vegetables, but they should be stored in airtight containers.

If you plan on using your peppers as a garnish, pickling them is always a good method, as it gives the vegetables a nice crunch.

Once they are pickled, they can be canned in a water bath canner. When preserving banana peppers, you should always cut and remove the seeds.

They can be canned whole, but develop an odd texture if they are frozen or dehydrated with the seeds intact.

Whether fresh or preserved, there is no shortage of tasty recipes for banana peppers. If you find yourself with a bumper crop this year, consider using them as a pizza topping, slicing them for a sandwich creation, or stir frying them as you would bell peppers.

How to Save Seeds from Pepper Plants

To save seeds from banana pepper plants, start by cutting the peppers in half lengthwise. Then, use a spoon to scoop out the seeds and pulp.

Place the seeds on a plate or sheet of paper and allow them to dry for at least 24 hours. Once they are dry, store the seeds in an airtight container in a cool, dark place until you are ready to plant them.

When saving seeds from banana pepper plants, it is important to make sure that the seeds are completely dry before storing them. If they are not dry, they may mold or mildew and will not be viable for planting.

Final Thoughts

So there you have it! Everything you need to grow bananas peppers. All that’s left to do now is start planting seeds!

No matter how you choose to use them or how spicy you prefer them to taste, the banana pepper is a vegetable that should be grown in any homesteader’s backyard.

FAQ

Why aren’t my banana peppers putting out fruits?

The flowers of the banana pepper plant are pollinated by insects, usually bees. If you don’t see any peppers developing on your plant, it is possible that there aren’t any pollinators in your area.

You can try to attract pollinators by planting flowers that attract them or by setting out a dish of sugar water. You can also hand-pollinate the flowers yourself using a small paintbrush.

Which banana pepper variety is the sweetest?

Certain varieties of banana pepper are sweeter than others. For example, the Sweet Banana pepper has a sweetness that is similar to that of a bell pepper, while the Big Jim pepper is one of the sweetest banana peppers with a flavor that has been described as “fruity.”

Other sweet varieties include the Esperanza and the Arrow. In general, banana peppers with thinner walls tend to be sweeter than those with thicker walls.

Do banana peppers grow fast?

Some varieties of banana pepper plants are known to grow quite quickly, while others may take a bit longer. In general, however, most banana pepper plants will reach maturity in about 60 days.

How much space do banana peppers need?

A good rule of thumb is to provide about two square feet of space for each banana pepper plant. This will give the plant enough room to grow and thrive without becoming overcrowded.

Keep in mind that you may need to provide additional space if you are growing multiple plants in the same pot or planter.

Do pepper plants produce more than once?

Many gardeners are surprised to learn that pepper plants can produce fruit more than once. In fact, pepper plants are perennial, meaning that they can live for several years and produce fruit each season.

However, the number of fruits a pepper plant produces will depend on the variety of pepper and the growing conditions.

Will pepper plants survive the winter?

While most pepper plants are annuals, meaning they will only last one growing season, there are a few varieties that are cold hardy enough to survive the winter.

Why are my pepper plants not growing?

If your pepper plants are not growing, there could be a number of reasons why. One possibility is that they are not getting enough sunlight. Pepper plants need at least six hours of sunlight each day in order to produce fruit.

Another possibility is that the soil is too dry. Pepper plants need moist, well-draining soil in order to thrive. If the soil is too dry, the plants will not be able to absorb the nutrients they need to grow.

Finally, it is also possible that the plants are not getting enough water.

How many banana peppers will one plant produce?

While it varies depending on the type of vegetable, it is possible to get a general idea by looking at the plant’s size and yield.

For example, a typical banana pepper plant will produce around 10-15 peppers. This number can increase or decrease depending on the variety, growing conditions, and how often the peppers are harvested.

banana peppers pin

1 thought on “How To Grow Banana Peppers Step by Step”

  1. I saved my sweet banana pepper seeds from last year. I planted the seeds in my hot house about 3 weeks ago and they never sprouted. Is there an art to saving the seeds? I wonder what I did wrong…..

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