To propagate sweet peppers, the most common method is to take stem cuttings from a healthy plant, remove the lower leaves, dip the cut end in rooting hormone, and plant the cutting in a moist potting mix with good drainage, ensuring a warm and humid environment until roots develop; you can also propagate sweet peppers by saving seeds from mature peppers and planting them directly in soil.
Key steps:
- Select a healthy plant: Choose a vigorous, disease-free pepper plant with young, firm stems.
- Take cuttings: Use a sharp knife or pruning shears to cut 4-6 inch sections of stem just below a leaf node.
- Remove leaves: Remove the bottom leaves from the cutting, leaving a few leaves at the top.
- Apply rooting hormone: Dip the cut end of the stem into a rooting hormone powder or gel to stimulate root growth.
- Potting medium: Plant the cuttings in a pot filled with a well-draining seed-starting mix or a mix of peat moss and perlite.
- Planting depth: Bury the cutting deep enough to support it upright, ensuring the node with the remaining leaves is above the soil line.
Environmental conditions:
- Light: Provide bright, indirect light.
- Temperature: Maintain a warm temperature (around 65-70°F).
- Humidity: Keep the environment humid by misting regularly or covering the pot with a plastic bag.
- Watering: Keep the soil moist but not soggy.
- Transplanting: Once roots develop (usually within a few weeks), carefully transplant the young pepper plants into individual pots with regular potting mix.
Alternative method: Propagating from seeds
- Collect seeds: Harvest ripe peppers from the plant, cut them open, and carefully remove the seeds.
- Clean seeds: Rinse the seeds to remove any pulp residue.
- Dry seeds: Spread the seeds on a paper towel to dry completely
- Plant seeds: Sow the seeds in a seed-starting mix, covering them lightly with soil.