Red and Orange Peppers

Planting Peppers and Eggplant

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It’s  May, and here in Central California it’s summer planting season!
Yesterday I got 3 pepper plants and 2 eggplant plants planted.
Here’s what I did:

1) Prepare your soil. I amend mine with the following. Spread the amendments evenly across the soil and dig under 6-8 inches.
For each 50 sq ft garden space use:
1 bag Gardener & Bloome Harvest Supreme
1 qt Worm Castings
2 qts Gardener & Bloome Tomato, Vegetable & Herb Fertilizer

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You will also need:
starter plants (too late in the season for pepper and eggplant seeds)
drip system
greenhouse poly plastic (Use UV proof-important!)
ground stakes
Box cutter
Mykos Mycorrhizal for root support

2) Once the soil is prepared, decide where to lay out the plants, you can space them about 18–24 inches apart. Next lay down and stake your drip system.

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3) Now use a piece of greenhouse poly, cut it to fit the area. Be sure to use material that is UV proof. This plastic lasts 4 years against UV degradation. Other plastics will disintegrate by the sun into your soil.
Stake it down with ground staples.

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4) Next lay out the plants on top of the plastic.

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5) Now cut an x-slit in the plastic with a box cutter where the first plant will go.

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6) Fold back the plastic and dig a hole a little deeper than the pot your plant is in.

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7) Remove the plant from the pot and sprinkle about 2-3 tablespoons Mykos Mycorrhizal on the root ball and in the hole. It will increase the availability of nutrients and water your plants absorb, and improves root structure.

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8) Now place your plant into the hole, burying slightly deeper than it was in the pot and remove a few low-growing leaves if necessary. Fold plastic back around the plant.

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9) Continue with the rest of your plants.

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10) Water plants (turn on drip system). Watch them grow!