Sweet Pepper Seeds - New Ace, average packet contents :  10 seeds

Pepper New Ace produces deep green fruits that turn to red at full maturity. However they can be picked at any stage and commercial growers usually use New Ace to produce green peppers. The fruits are thick-walled and sweet tasting.

An excellent variety.

Growing sweet peppers from seed.

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Growing peppers in the UK is not the easiest of crops. For anyone looking to give it a try, growing one the modern varieties is advised, and provided you give them right conditions they will reward you with a good harvest. Being sub-tropical plants of origin, this generally means plenty of light, warmth, feed and water.

If you have a heated greenhouse or propagator, New Ace pepper seeds can be sown from late January - but for unheated propagation, sowing is best left till March or early April.

If you are after the best results, we suggest you invest in a heat mat or a heated propagator. These growing tips assume that is the case.

Sowing.

• Pepper seeds germinate best at a temperature of over 18°+, if nothing else is in the propagator set it to 20°+.
• Sow seeds individual in cell trays of quality seed compost, cover lightly and place in the propagator. Water so that the compost is moist but not soggy.
• The seeds should germinate within 14 days at this temperature, once the seedlings have grown two true leaves, remove from the propagator to a warm, light, frost free location.
• The young seedlings will also benefit from a weak feed at this stage.

Growing.

• Once your seedlings have reached 3-4 true leaves the young plants will benefit from potting on into fresh compost.
• Use a 9cm pot and mix a slow release fertilliser into the compost if available.
• Grow on until they reach about 20cm tall then pot into their final growing container. For ease, we think pepper plants are best grown in large pots - we prefer 30cm diameter minimum. Again mix a slow release fertilser into the compost.
• Provide the plants with some support by staking with a small cane. This will help support the plant once fruiting.
• Place back in a warm, light position and again keep frost-free.
• Probably the most important part of growing pepper is the watering, they are very thirsty plants. During hot periods, you will need to water regularly - dry compost will lead to a check in plant growth and reduced yields.
• Peppers are best grown under the protection of a greenhouse or polytunnel, if you intend to place plants outside bare in mind you may not get much of a crop.

Peppers will reward you for giving them the right nutrition. If we hear people moaning that their crops have been poor, 99% of the time it is because they have not fed them properly. If you are not using a slow release feed, a good quality liquid tomato feed will be fine.

Potential Pests.

Pepper plants have very few major pest - slugs and aphids will probably be the biggest problem. If growing in pots - a copper ring round the pot will usually stop slugs, whilst SB Plant Invigorator will clear any aphid problem and can be applied as needed.

Harvesting.

You should have fruit ready to harvest from late July to the Autumn. You can pick the peppers green or wait until they have changed colour to red.

• If you are serious about wanting the very best results - try growing in the autopot grow system.