estorms
Senior Member
Posts: 263
Joined: Thu Dec 15, 2011 7:04 am
Location: Greenfield Township, PA

peppers

How far apart should I plant bell peppers in a raised bed with good soil?

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shadylane
Green Thumb
Posts: 456
Joined: Tue Jun 21, 2011 11:42 am
Location: North Central Illinois

Sweet pepper plants take on a bushy form. I give them plenty of elbow room of 18-24" apart give or take. If in rows I space them about the same, two to three feet apart. They do not require their soil to have a huge fertility. And perferr soil on the dryer side. That may not be a problem for you having a raised bed, which tends to heat up and dry out quicker. If the soil is dry down to 3-4" when tested with your green thumb..give them a deep drink.
I find that peppers give more of a fruit crop by not loving them so much...

gumbo2176
Super Green Thumb
Posts: 3065
Joined: Mon Jul 19, 2010 2:01 am
Location: New Orleans

I concur with Shadylane on the spacing. I do mine in 18" spaces apart and I also like to stake them. I have a lot of those 4 ft. long solid metal poles that look a bit like small diameter rebar used in concrete work. They have a triangular flat piece of metal welded on one end to help them stay firmly in the ground. I got them from Tractor Supply. I've found my pepper plants tend to fall over when they are getting full of fruit around mid summer.

Dillbert
Greener Thumb
Posts: 955
Joined: Sun Apr 04, 2010 3:29 pm
Location: Central PA

same here - roughly 24 inches.

not so sure about the let 'em go dry thing - I use a deep mulch but I do not let the soil go dry.

there's a new brand of tomato cages going around - same overall design but much heavier wire.

don't work a hoot for tomatoes - but they're great for peppers. especially when you get a early snow.....
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estorms
Senior Member
Posts: 263
Joined: Thu Dec 15, 2011 7:04 am
Location: Greenfield Township, PA

Thanks, and my sincerest sympathy on the demise of your peppers. They look like they were pretty big when it snowed.



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