Five Peppers for Container Gardens
These five pepper plants do great in warm and sunny balcony container gardens. Try growing tasty bell peppers, Jalapeño peppers, chiles de arbol, cayenne peppers and, if you can handle the fiery flavor, the super spicy habanero pepper.
1. Bell Peppers. Bell peppers, or sweet peppers, have a delicious thick skin and are not spicy (they measure at zero on the Scoville scale). Bell peppers come in gorgeous bright colors: red, yellow, orange and green. There are differences in taste and content when it comes to the color of the bell pepper: Green peppers are more bitter, and red peppers have more vitamins and nutrients (they contain lycopene, more carotene and twice the amount of vitamin C than green). These beautiful pepper plants are easy to care for and do well in small plant containers in urban kitchen gardens. Bell pepper plants will add vibrant color to your balcony garden. Read More>>
2. Jalapeño Peppers. Jalapeño peppers are very similar to the bell pepper, but they are a bit spicier, measuring between 2,500 and 10,000 Scoville units. In fact, it is the same container plant species, both peppers being cultivars, varieties of the same plant bred for specific characteristics. The delicious jalapeño pepper can be used in cooking, and it graces the garden with tiny white flowers and green fruits. These plants grow well in relatively small plant containers, such as 3 gallons or 10 inches, and grow to 3 feet tall. Read More>>
3. Chiles de Arbol. Chile de arbol means “tree chili” in Spanish. This type of pepper, also known as bird's beak chile and rat's tail chile, are small, only about 2 to 3 inches long. They are much spicier than jalapeno and bell peppers, measuring from 15,000 to 30,000 Scoville units (for a less spicy flavor, remove the seeds). Grow in full sun and pick the chiles de arbol when they’re bright red. It is an attractive container plant growing from 12 to 15 inches tall, looking like a miniature tree.
4. Cayenne Peppers. Cayenne peppers (30,000 to 50,000 Scoville units) thrive in sunny balcony container gardens in warm climates. These 2- to 4-foot-tall pepper plants benefit from frequent applications of fertilizer, but make sure to provide fertilizer that is lower in nitrogen. Nitrogen makes its foliage grow extremely well, but the plant will not produce as many peppers. Cut peppers off the stems once they are mature; mature peppers are 4 to 6 inches long and break off the stem easily.
5. Habanero Peppers. Habanero peppers are extremely spicy, measuring between 100,000 and 350,000 Scoville units. Habanero peppers are most often orange or red, but they can also be white, brown or pink. Habaneros do best in hot temperatures with adequate sun, slightly acidic soil (a pH of 5 to 6) and never overwatered. If you live in a very warm area, the habanero bush will produce peppers for you year round.
