These peppers love full sun, rich soil, and raised beds.
Growing up in an Italian household, one of the treats of summer was my mom's olive oil laden fried sausage and pepper meals with fresh Italian bread.
The key to this delicious meal was the red, sweet peppers. Nothing beats the sweetness and flavor of a ripe Italian bull horn pepper.
One of the classic varieties was introduced by a Naugatuck resident. 'Jimmy Nardello' sweet peppers were originally brought to Connecticut in the early 1900's by his parents from Southern Italy.
They grew and saved seeds each year and named it after their 4th son, Jimmy. Jimmy kept up the tradition of growing it so we all can enjoy them now.
I also like growing hybrid sweet frying peppers such as 'Carmen' and 'Escamillo' as well. Carmen turns red faster than any sweet pepper I've grown, producing 8 to 10 fruits per plant. They're so loaded I have to cage the plant to keep it upright. 'Escamillo' is a new variety with golden color fruits.
These sweet peppers love full sun, rich soil, and raised beds. Wait 1 to 2 weeks past the mature green pepper stage for the fruits to turn red.
These sweet frying peppers have few pests. During periods of humid, rainy weather you may get some rotting of the fruits. Simply remove them from the plant.
Bacterial leaf spot is a common foliar disease. During hot, humid summer weather, it creates water-soaked spots that eventually cause the leaf to yellow and die.
To prevent this disease, rotate crops, buy certified disease-free seeds and spray copper at the first sign of damage.
Speaking of diseases, next week on the Connecticut Garden Journal, I'll be talking about powdery mildew. Until then, I'll be seeing you in the garden.
