Plant Library

Group/Class:  Sweet Mini

Description:

A compact, upright bushy variety that is wonderful in any patio container or garden; vigorous branching plants produce small peppers that emerge light green and develop to scarlet red; sweet with a hint of heat, great stuffed, roasted or in salads

Edible Qualities

Cajun Belle Pepper is an annual vegetable plant that is typically grown for its edible qualities. It produces small light green peppers (which are technically 'berries') with scarlet overtones and red flesh which are typically harvested when mature. The fruit will often fade to dark red over time. The peppers have a delicious taste and a crisp texture.

The peppers are most often used in the following ways:

• Fresh Eating
• Eating When Cooked/Prepared
• Cooking
• Baking
• Freezing

Planting & Growing

Cajun Belle Pepper will grow to be about 24 inches tall at maturity, with a spread of 24 inches. When planted in rows, individual plants should be spaced approximately 24 inches apart. This vegetable plant is an annual, which means that it will grow for one season in your garden and then die after producing a crop.

This plant is typically grown in a designated vegetable garden. It should only be grown in full sunlight. It does best in average to evenly moist conditions, but will not tolerate standing water. It is not particular as to soil pH, but grows best in rich soils. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. Consider applying a thick mulch around the root zone over the growing season to conserve soil moisture. This is a selected variety of a species not originally from North America.

Cajun Belle Pepper is a good choice for the vegetable garden, but it is also well-suited for use in outdoor pots and containers. With its upright habit of growth, it is best suited for use as a 'thriller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination; plant it near the center of the pot, surrounded by smaller plants and those that spill over the edges. It is even sizeable enough that it can be grown alone in a suitable container. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.