If you’re trying to find a new twist on a summer vegetable garden classic, try placing a chocolate bell pepper plant (Capsicum annuum”Chocolate Bell”). Closely related to the classic green bell pepper, this cultivated variety has dark chocolate skin. Bell peppers, including the chocolate bell, need a long, hot growing season. Once the summer harvest rolls around plant early in the spring and revel in this novelty.

Taste and Look

Any pepper that appears so different from the green pepper should have a exceptional taste and the chocolate bell doesn’t disappoint. as it ripens the fruit begins to reverse chocolate brown, although the peppers start out green and look exactly as with bell peppers in the garden. The flesh inside is reddish, sweeter than a classic bell pepper and more crispy in color. The taste and deep shade inside and out make this bell ideal for dressing up a summertime salad and it will freeze well for a winter treat.

Seeds and Begins

Plant start them indoors in winter, chocolate bell pepper seeds in the garden bed in spring or, more commonly. Unlike the red and green bell peppers, finding this variety in the local market can be challenging, although another option is to grow chocolate bell peppers out of begins. Chocolate bell pepper begins can be planted out and all chance of frost has passed. A spacing of 18 to 24 inches between plants is ideal.

Beginning Seeds

An soil temperature between 70 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit is ideal for beginning chocolate bell pepper seeds. A seed heating pad works well to boost the soil temperature, when starting seeds in a greenhouse or inside. Plant the seeds in the ground and kept moist. After planting the seeds you can anticipate germination in six to 12 days. They are ready to go out in the garden After the seedlings are 4 to 6 inches tall.

Growing Season and Harvest

Chocolate bell peppers are annuals that need a 75- to 100-day growing season. Peppers grow at least half an hour every day, best in full sun, and loamy garden soil that is deep. Fertilize the plants twice during the growing season with a balanced fertilizer; once when the seedlings are planted in the garden and when the crops create the set of peppers. Moisture that is consistent is significant; water that the dirt it feels warm to the touch during the growing period, particularly in hot weather. Aphids and mosaic disease are the two main problems to watch for throughout the season. The peppers are ready to harvest when they turn from green to a chocolate brown shade. It’s ideal to crop continuously. Just clip on the stem.

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