Pepper plant trials produce positive payoffs
Ninja, Jupiter, and Bull Nose sound like creatures from Middle Earth.
Actually, they are cultivars of sweet bell peppers (Capsicum annuum) tested by Penn State Extension Master Gardeners of Butler County.
During the summers of 2023 and 2024, Butler County Master Gardeners grew five varieties of green sweet bell peppers to determine which one was most suited to grow in a home vegetable garden. The green sweet bell pepper trial was part of a statewide Extension Master Gardener project conducted by participating Master Gardener Programs across the commonwealth.
The project had guidelines regarding planting, nurturing and measuring each variety of bell pepper. The five green sweet bell pepper cultivars tested were: Better Bell (Capsicum annuum var Better Bell), Bull Nose (Capsicum annuum var Bull Nose), California Wonder (Capsicum annuum var California Wonder), Jupiter (Capsicum annuum var Jupiter) and Ninja (Capsicum annuum var Ninja).
Growers who volunteered to participate in this trial were required to use standardized methods including: spacing of individual plants 18 inches apart in rows 3 feet apart; fertilization once when planting, then no fertilization; watering 3 cups of water weekly, when needed; and mulching with 4 to 6 inches of straw mulch, which could include an underlay of cardboard or black plastic to control weeds. Plants were staked for support only during the second year. Plants were monitored for pests and any found were removed. When the peppers were glossy green, firm and mature, they were harvested. Trial coordinators provided a scale for weighing and a pepper radius board for accurate size measuring. Peppers were tasted, when possible.
As a Butler County Master Gardener volunteer participating in the project, I received and planted three to four plants of each cultivar on June 3, 2023; on June 17, 2024, I received and planted one plant of each cultivar. Outcomes measured were pepper size, weight, yield and taste. It should be noted that the pepper plants for the study were received in mid-June, which is late to plant green peppers, and the weather in 2024 was extremely hot and dry, affecting the yield of at least three of the cultivars in the study.
So, which pepper plants performed the best? My growing results were analyzed and the data resulted in the finding that overall, the Better Bell variety performed the best in both years. Six peppers per plant were harvested in 2023. Their average weight was 4.08 ounces, with an average size of 3.27 inches. In 2024, 22 peppers were harvested from the one plant, with an average weight of 2.81 ounces. The average size was 2.6 inches. For both years, their taste was fruity and delicious.
The Bull Nose peppers struggled both years. In 2023, only five peppers were harvested per plant, with an average size of 2.88 inches and average weight of 2.96 ounces. Two plants had severe insect damage and one plant died. None of the peppers was sampled for taste. In 2024, the single Bull Nose pepper plant was 8 inches tall while all the other cultivars were 18 to 48 inches tall and produced no peppers.
In 2023, two of the four California Wonder plants received did not survive to harvest. The remaining two plants had a high yield of nine peppers per plant, with an average size of 2.57 inches and average weight of 1.82 ounces. In 2024, the single California Wonder plant received yielded two peppers, with an average size of 3.5 inches and weight of 6.9 ounces. That year’s peppers were large, sweet and delicious.
In 2023, the Jupiter plants grown resulted in a strong yield of nine peppers per plant, and all four plants survived to harvest. Their average size was 3.12 inches and weight was 3.89 ounces. In 2024, the one Jupiter plant produced one magnificent pepper that was 3.5 inches in diameter with a weight of 7.7 ounces. This was the only pepper variety to turn red. Insect damage was found on the bottom of this lone pepper. For both years, the Jupiter peppers had a delicious, classic, pepper flavor and snappy crunch.
For both 2023 and 2024, the Ninja variety produced the highest pepper crop, with 11 peppers per plant in 2023 and 23 peppers on a single plant in 2024. The average size in 2023 was 3.13 inches in diameter with a weight of 3.6 ounces. In 2024 the single plant grown resulted in peppers that had an average size of 3.3 inches and weight of 5.57 ounces. Both years’ peppers had a slightly bitter taste.
What do these results mean for the home gardener? Three important criteria sought after from your sweet bell pepper plants are plant growth, taste and number of peppers harvested per plant. Based on our results, Better Bell emerged as the top choice that exceeded all of these criteria.
I enjoyed participating in this study, knowing that I contributed to learning more about which varieties of sweet bell peppers grow best in Butler County soil. Home gardeners are encouraged to try these and other cultivars in their own gardens and compare their results.
Penn State Extension offers additional information about growing sweet bell peppers. To learn more, visit extension.psu.edu/pepper-production.
For more information, call Master Gardeners of Butler County’s Garden Hotline at 724-287 4761, Ext. 7, or email the Master Gardeners at butlermg@psu.edu.
Laurie Schramm is a Penn State Extension Master Gardener.
