Pepper Seeds – California Wonder

How to Grow Pepper Seeds – California Wonder from Seed

Peppers are a heat-loving crop that do not perform well in shade or cold soils. It is best to start the seeds indoors 4-6 weeks before the final spring frost for transplanting. Sow 2-3 seeds 1/4″ deep per cell or peat pot in fertile, organically rich, and well-drained soil with a pH of 6.0-6.8. Seeds germinate in 7-21 days. When transplanting, space the seedlings 12-18 inches apart in the garden or plant one per container. Pepper plants thrive in pots and containers with a phosphorus-rich potting mix and benefit from staking and support as they become top-heavy during fruit production.

California Wonder Sweet Pepper in the Vegetable Garden

Peppers are among the most diverse, showy, and flavorful fruits grown in annual garden beds. Available in nearly every color and shape from super sweet to super spicy, peppers grow stronger and taste better with a season of full sun and high heat. They thrive in pots and containers and can even perennially overwinter in warm regions, maturing into bushy, vibrant, and well-stemmed patio favorites.

California Wonder produces four-lobed, thick-walled fruit that is mild and sweet, perfect for stuffing. The ever-bearing, upright plant produces fruits up to 4″x 4″ wide. The fruit starts green and will ripen to red if left on longer, which is why red peppers often cost more than green ones at the store.

The plant grows upright to about 2 feet tall, bearing prolific fruits that are 4-5 inches long and nearly the same width across. It is resistant to the Tobacco Mosaic Virus. Placing plants in full sun will produce more flowers, translating to more peppers.

Harvesting California Wonder Sweet Pepper

Sweet and bell peppers can be harvested as soon as 60-70 days, but most hot varieties are ready about 100 days from sowing or when the skin changes color. Know the individual variety you are sowing to determine the ripeness by its color. Peppers can be picked early to ripen indoors or left to ripen and change color on the vine. Use a knife or shears to carefully snip off the peppers, leaving some stem attached to the fruit.

About California Wonder Sweet Pepper Seeds

• Scientific Name: Capsicum annuum
• Maturity: 75-90 days

California Wonder was introduced in 1928. The improved California Wonder 300 TMR variety is bred to resist Tobacco Mosaic Virus (TMR) and looks just like what you would get at the organic grocery store. These peppers have crisp, thick flesh with a mild, pleasant flavor, perfect for salads or stuffing whole for a delicious meal. They contain high amounts of vitamins A and C.

Recommended by several state universities and ag extension offices as a variety that performs well in their regions, including CA, FL, OR, and TX.  Texas A&M University Department of Agriculture