Let bell peppers ripen on the vine

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Let bell peppers ripen on the vine

By WALTER REEVES
For the Journal-Constitution
Published on: 08/02/07 Q:I am a novice gardener. This spring, I planted a red bell pepper plant, and I now have three large green peppers. Do I keep them on the vine until they turn red, or do I pick now and ripen in the window?

Pam Vance, e-mail

A:You can eat bell peppers at whatever stage of color you like, but they have more flavor and are more nutritious when allowed to change color. This will happen gradually as the fruit matures on the plant. If you are worried that squirrels will get the peppers before you do, watch for the first bit of yellow color on the blossom end of the pepper. At that point you can bring it indoors and ripen it on a kitchen window. To hasten ripening, put the pepper in a paper bag with a ripe apple overnight.

Q:Please tell me the difference between male and female David viburnum plants. I have six plants in front of my house, but no flowers or attractive fruit.

David White, Jackson County

A:Unlike holly, not all viburnums are dioecious, or needing a male and a female plant to produce berries. Instead, Viburnum davidii is said to be functionally dioecious, meaning the individual flowers on adjacent plants may be "pollen acceptors" or "pollen producers," but they aren't, strictly speaking, male and female. In fact, you don't have to have two sexes of David viburnum to get flowers. But you do need plants from different genetic sources in order to have fruit. David viburnum is grown from cuttings, so if a large cutting producer takes cuttings from only a few stock plants, all of the subsequent shrubs you buy will have an identical genetic makeup and will not pollinate each other. That is likely your situation. Try ordering Viburnum davidii from out-of-state plant companies. Surely, those you receive will have different genetic backgrounds, which will result in cross-pollination and the fruit you want.

Q: My 'Stargazer' lilies were beautiful this year after being planted last fall. Do I prune back the seed pods?

Sharon Reid, e-mail

A: Yes but only the seed pods and faded flowers. The leaves along the tall stem are absorbing sunshine and storing it in the lily bulb so it will bloom again next summer. When frost kills the upper part of the plant in November, it can be cut to the ground.

Q: I purchased two one-gallon bougainvilleas in late April in full bloom. I have kept them in their original containers in full sun. The initial blooms fell off within two weeks, and they have not come back. Do you have any suggestions?

Swan Nicolson, e-mail

A: Although bougainvillea does well in a container, your gallon pot may not be quite big enough to keep the soil from drying excessively. Try moving both to larger pots, perhaps 14 inches in diameter. Bougainvillea does best in full sun with soil that stays consistently slightly moist. Feed every two weeks with houseplant fertilizer at half-strength. Cut them back to a manageable size in September so you can bring them indoors for the winter.

Listen to Walter Reeves Saturday mornings on WSB-AM (750) from 6 to 10. Call 404-872-0750 or e-mail georgiagardener@yahoo.com to ask questions. Tune in to Walter on "Gardening in Georgia" at 7 p.m. Thursdays and 12:30 and 6:30 p.m. Saturdays through October on GPB.