Christmas Pepper Plant Care

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Christmas Pepper (Capsicum annuum)

These Pepper plants produce very colorful and decorative fruits which give the plant its real beauty. These oval or pointed fruits appear in summer or winter after the plant produces small white flowers. First the fruits are green, then they turn to shades of yellow, orange and then red. Take good care of these Christmas plants and you will enjoy the beauty of their fruits for 8 to 12 weeks.

Place a few Christmas Pepper plants on a table and you will create a very beautiful and decorative display. Many of these Christmas plants are sold during December to add the traditional Christmas color to the holiday season.

The Christmas Pepper originated from Chilli and Cayenne peppers, so keep them away from children because the fruits though edible can irritate the skin and cause serious itching.

Christmas Pepper Plant Care

Light:

Keep these Pepper plants in an area with direct sunlight.

Temperature and Humidity:

The Christmas Pepper requires cool to average warmth with a minimum of 55 degrees F (13 C). Mist the leaves frequently. Stand the pot on pebble trays with water to maintain an adequate level of humidity. Increase the humidity if the fruits shrivel and drop off; the flowers drop off or the leaf tips turn brown.

Soil:

Grow Pepper plants in an all-purpose soil mix .

Water:

Water your pepper plants only after the top inch of soil is dry.

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Fertilizer:

Use a commercial liquid fertilizer twice per month during the fruiting season. Do not fertilize the Pepper seedlings during the first two months, if you had used a commercial soil mix.

Pests and Diseases:

These Christmas plants are susceptible to being attacked by aphids, spider mites and whiteflies. To treat use lukewarm soppy water with nicotine. Check Poinsettia - Pests and Diseases!

Propagation

Sow these Pepper seeds in a 50/50 mixture of vermiculite and an all-purpose soil mix in early spring. It's not always successful. These Christmas plants are annuals, discard after the colorful fruits have fallen off. If you want to keep the plant, cut back the stems to half their length and repot in fresh soil. Then place in an area with high humidity.