One of the easiest, tastiest snacks you can make is pickled banana peppers! We always have a jar in our fridge to dress up sandwiches and eggs. It is not uncommon for us to throw a pickled banana pepper on top of a buttery cracker and a piece of cheddar cheese. Midnight snack anyone?
Banana peppers are one of our favorite varieties to grow in the garden. They’re tasty, prolific, and can be used in many recipes. Unlike some of the spicier peppers that we grow, we have no issue offloading banana peppers to friends and family.
Some people might be afraid of pickling with fear that it is too difficult. However, the process is much easier than you may think! You can pickle banana peppers using a quick pickling method, or by water bath canning. It all depends on how long you wish to keep your peppers good for.
We eat up our pickled banana peppers quick, so we typically opt for the quick pickling process. These pickles are also known as refrigerator pickles. They are not shelf stable, and they are stored in the fridge and consumed quickly.
If you are looking for a guide to preserving your peppers for long-term storage, we recommend following the USDA guide to home canning.
Growing big beautiful peppers starts with giving your plants the nutrients they need. While granular fertilizers worked into the soil provide a baseline of nutrition, liquid fertilizers can give pepper plants an extra boost during key growth stages. Finding the right liquid plant food can seem overwhelming at first but this guide will walk you through the top options to help your peppers thrive.
Why Use Liquid Fertilizer for Peppers?
Liquid fertilizers provide nutrients that are rapidly available for plant uptake and growth. This makes them ideal for giving peppers an extra kick at critical times, such as:
- When plants are young seedlings
- During the flowering and fruiting stage
- Anytime plants show signs of nutrient deficiencies
Liquid plant foods allow you to tailor nutrition to your peppers’ needs. Granular fertilizers pre-mixed into soil release nutrients slowly over a long period. But with liquids, you control exactly when and how much fertilizer gets applied.
When to Use Liquid Fertilizer on Pepper Plants
Here is an overview of when to use liquid fertilizers for optimal pepper growth:
Seedling Stage
Applying a liquid fertilizer 1 week after peppers sprout gives young seedlings an early nutrition boost. Their small roots have limited access to nutrients in the surrounding soil. A mild liquid feed encourages healthy root growth and foliage production.
Continue using a starter liquid fertilizer every 2-3 weeks while plants are seedlings. Watch for signs of nutrient deficiencies like yellowing leaves.
Flowering & Fruiting
Once flower buds appear it’s time to switch to a blossom-booster liquid fertilizer. These contain more phosphorus to stimulate blooms and fruit production.
Use a liquid blooming fertilizer every 1-2 weeks during flowering and while peppers are forming. This ensures an abundant nutrient supply when plants need it most.
Troubleshooting Issues
You can also use liquid fertilizers to quickly correct nutrient shortages. If plants show signs of nitrogen deficiency, like yellow lower leaves, give them a dose of higher-nitrogen liquid food. This provides an instant nutritional fix.
Use liquid Epsom salts to correct magnesium deficiencies. A liquid seaweed fertilizer adds a wide spectrum of micronutrients. Fix specific issues fast with targeted liquid feeds.
Choosing the Best Liquid Fertilizer for Peppers
With so many liquid plant food options out there, it can be hard to decide what’s best for your pepper crop. Here are top products to consider:
Liquid Fish Fertilizer
Fish fertilizers like Neptune’s Harvest provide a gentle, balanced liquid feeding. They contain a range of major nutrients plus beneficial microbes. The nitrogen also releases more slowly than chemical fertilizers.
Liquid Seaweed Fertilizer
Seaweed offers peppers a nutritious blast of trace elements and compounds that enhance growth. It’s especially useful if plants show signs of micronutrient deficiency.
Water-Soluble Tomato Food
Tomato fertilizers have nutrient ratios ideal for other fruiting vegetables like peppers. Choose a liquid tomato feed with more phosphorus and potassium for the flowering and fruiting stages.
Compost Tea
Brewing compost tea makes use of the nutrients and microbes in finished compost. Compost teas give peppers a healthy dose of organic matter in liquid form. It’s an excellent organic option.
Chemical Plant Foods
Chemical fertilizers like Miracle-Gro dissolve readily in water for a quick-release nutrient solution. They provide an affordable, concentrated liquid feeding. But it’s easy to burn plants, so follow instructions carefully.
How to Feed Your Pepper Plants Liquid Fertilizer
Follow these tips to get the most out of liquid feeding:
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Always follow label instructions for mixing and dosage. More is not better when it comes to fertilizer!
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Water plants first before applying liquids to avoid fertilizer burn.
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Pour liquid feed directly over the root zone and soil surface. Avoid getting it on leaves and stems.
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Feed in early morning or late evening to reduce evaporation loss.
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Alternate between your regular granular fertilizer and occasional liquid feeds.
With the right liquid plant food used properly, your pepper plants will take off. A strategic boost of liquid fertilizer gives peppers the nutrients they crave at just the right time for maximum productivity. Mix up some liquid plant food and see your peppers thrive!
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Step 1: Sterilize your jars
In order to sterilize your jars, boil them for 10 minutes (without the lid on). Make sure the jar is completely submerged in the pot of water. After the 10 minutes have passed, remove the jar carefully (use tongs!), and place them on a towel with the rim side up.
What To Do With Pickled Banana Peppers
The possibilities are endless! We love snacking on pickled banana peppers right from the jar. Pickled banana peppers also taste great on top of a pizza (especially Hawaiian or pepperoni!). If you’re looking to spice up plain scrambled eggs in the morning, throw some on top or mix them into an omelets.
Pickled banana peppers are also delicious on tacos, burritos, and sandwiches. They add a zingy punch of flavor without being too heavy. If you have a favorite way to use pickled banana peppers, let us know in the comments so we can try it out. We always have a jar in the fridge around harvest time!
Check out our list of banana pepper recipes to get even more ideas.
How To Fertilize Peppers (Complete Guide) – Pepper Geek
FAQ
What liquid fertilizer for peppers?
You can use any of Miracle-Grow’s Plant Food products or Tomato Plant Food. To make the mix, grab 1.5 tablespoons of Epsom Salt, 3 Tablespoons of Miracle-Gro, and 3 gallons of water. Mix the Miracle-Gro and Epsom Salt into the water thoroughly to fully dissolve the mix.
What is the best fertiliser for pepper plants?
Both organic and synthetic fertilizers can be effective for pepper plants as long as they provide the necessary nutrients. Organic fertilizers, such as compost or well-rotted manure, can improve soil health and structure, while synthetic fertilizers offer a more consistent nutrient supply.
Is Miracle-Gro fertilizer good for peppers?
Miracle-Gro® Performance Organic® Edibles Plant Nutrition Granules will feed your pepper plants for up to 6 weeks, providing loads of extra nutrients to the beneficial microbes in the soil as well as to the plants. A month after planting, mix this into the soil around your pepper plants, following label directions.