Hot pepper varieties have also enjoyed a rebirth of popularity recently, mainly due to various ethnic cuisines that use their unique flavors and heat creatively. Peppers are best started from seeds indoors in late winter and then transplanted into the garden after the soil and air have warmed in the spring. The plants cannot tolerate frost and do not grow well in cold, wet soil. Raised beds, black plastic mulch and floating row covers may be used to advantage with peppers to warm and drain the soil and enhance the microenvironment of the young pepper plants in spring, when cool weather may persist. Set transplants 18 to 24 inches apart in the row, or 14 to 18 inches apart in all directions in beds.
Peppers thrive in a well-drained, fertile soil that is well supplied with moisture.
Use a starter fertilizer when transplanting. Because a uniform moisture supply is essential with peppers, especially during the harvest season, irrigate during dry periods. Fruits may be harvested at any size desired. When the fruits are mature, they break easily from the plant. Less damage is done to the plants, however, if the fruits are cut rather than pulled off.