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Growing Bell Peppers in Soilless Culture under Open Shade Structures

Robert C. Hochmuth, Linda B. Landrum, Wanda L. Laughlin, Lei Lani Davis, Danielle D. Treadwell, and Eric Simonne

Introduction

Florida produces nearly 20,000 acres of green bell peppers in the field each year, making green bell pepper a very valuable commodity, second only to tomato. Bell peppers are also grown in Florida for their mature colored fruit in protected greenhouse culture. Colored bell pepper is one of the top greenhouse vegetable crops grown in Florida along with cucumber and tomato. Field-grown Florida bell peppers are in the market nearly year round from October to July. Florida bell peppers are not available in large supply during the late summer and early fall (July–September) due to high temperature, high humidity and frequent rainfall during that time. The marketplace prefers that growers consistently supply high quality product for as long as possible. This entices large wholesale growers to produce in multiple locations to extend their season. Small, direct-market farmers also seek ways to extend the season; however, multiple locations are not generally practical. Therefore, small growers often find the adoption of season-extending cultural practices more viable. Small growers have traditionally utilized season extension practices such as transplants, multiple varieties, row covers, plastic mulch, low tunnels, high walk-in tunnels and greenhouses. Most of these practices lengthen the season into the cooler part of the year. Yet few practices are used to extend the season into the hottest part of the year.

Materials and Methods

Recent trials at the UF/IFAS North Florida Research and Educational Center—Suwannee Valley near Live Oak, Florida, have evaluated the open shade structures to extend the pepper harvest season throughout the summer and into fall.

The trials were conducted under an open 40x40 ft commercial shade structure (Atlas, Alapaha, Georgia). The structure was made from galvanized pipe and covered with a black 50% polypropylene shade cloth. The peak of the structure was 10 ft tall. Peppers were grown in 3-gallon plastic pots filled with a soilless media of 100% composted pine bark. Pots were arranged in two double rows with 5-foot spacing between the centers of the two double rows. Plants were spaced 18 inches apart in the row. The crop was established on April 1, 2006 using 6-week-old Heritage VR (Harris Seeds, Rochester, New York) pepper transplants, with one plant per pot resulting in a total of 76 pots. Heritage was selected because of its tolerance to tomato spotted wilt, an important thrips-vectored virus in North Florida, and because of its tall and vigorous growth habit. The crop was irrigated and fertilized using a hydroponic nutrient solution and low volume delivery system (Table 1). Water and nutrients were applied several times a day with the duration of each irrigation event set to leach slightly at the end of the event.

Figure 1. 
Figure 1. 
Credit: UF/IFAS

Plants were supported by placing a 5-ft-long bamboo pole in each pot and then tying the plants to the poles. Additionally, a metal fence post was driven into the ground down the middle of the double row every 10 feet. The bamboo poles were attached to the metal posts with horizontal polypropylene strings. As the plants grew taller, additional horizontal strings were added to support the weight of the branches.

Insect pests and diseases were managed using a weekly scouting program and treated as needed. Common insect pests were armyworms, corn earworms, aphids, stinkbugs, and silverleaf whitefly. Mature green fruit were harvested every 7–14 days from June 16 through Nov. 9, 2006. Fruit was graded into USDA grades of Fancy, US No. 1, US No. 2 or cull. Fruit in each grade was counted and weighed. In addition, each month a representative sub-sample of 15 Fancy grade fruit were measured for average fruit width as an indicator of fruit size changes during the season. The yield for the peppers grown under shade was converted to yield per acre by converting the total production area (square feet), including the row middles to an acre basis.

Figure 2. Pepper fruit size measurements.
Figure 2.  Pepper fruit size measurements.
Credit: UF/IFAS

 

Results and Discussion

Production of bell peppers in an open shade structure resulted in mostly US Fancy fruit with 3,460 boxes (28-lb boxes) per acre in comparison to 477 boxes of US No. 1, 202 boxes of US No. 2, and 236 boxes of culls. The yield total for US Fancy and US No.1 fruit was 3,937 boxes per acre. This yield is higher than yields for most open field production systems, but the growing season in the shade trial was as much as four months longer. Large fruit was harvested throughout the season with an average fruit width of 3 inches or greater (Table 3). The largest fruit width was measured during the June and July harvests at 3.5–3.7 inches. Fruit width decreased slightly in August and September, but increased again in October and November after temperatures had cooled somewhat. This is also noticed in the average number of fruit per box in the Fancy category during the season. Most Fancy fruit harvested during the middle of the season just made the minimum size grade for Fancy and therefore had many more fruit per box than the Fancy fruit during June and July.

Based on this observational trial, it appears using an open shade structure to extend the bell pepper harvest season from June to frost (November) was successful.

An added benefit was that this system produced large, high-quality fruit for the entire season. Continued trialing of this system should lead to further increases in yield and quality.

Figure 3. Open shade structure pepper crop at end of season.
Figure 3.  Open shade structure pepper crop at end of season.
Credit: UF/IFAS
Table 1. 

Hydroponic fertilizer solution concentration used to grow shade house peppers in a composted pine bark media at Live Oak, Florida.

Nutrient Concentration (ppm mg/L)z

Nutrient

Transplant to first flower

After first flower

N

80

130

P

50

50

K

120

200

Ca

150

150

Mg

40

50

S

50

60

Fe

2.8

2.8

Cu

0.2

0.2

Mn

0.8

0.8

Zn

0.3

0.3

B

0.7

0.7

Mo

0.05

0.05

z For details of nutrient sources and rates for use in hydroponic fertilizer solutions see Nutrient Solution Fertilization for Hydroponic Tomatoes in Florida by G. J. Hochmuth and R. C. Hochmuth (https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/cv216 )

Table 2. 

Shade culture bell pepper yield and USDA grade on several harvest dates in 2006 in Live Oak, FL.

 

Harvest Date

 

Days After Transplant

Bell Pepper Yield (per acre basis)z

US Fancyy

US No. 1x

US No. 2

Cull

Fruit No.

Boxes

Fruit No.

Boxes

Fruit No.

Boxes

Fruit No.

Boxes

16 Jun

77

10,990

259

230

3

0

0

230

3

23 Jun

84

16,260

355

0

0

0

0

460

4

30 Jun

91

12,820

451

1,370

14

0

0

0

0

10 Jul

101

11,910

206

920

10

0

0

0

0

21 Jul

112

4,810

79

0

0

0

0

0

0

27 Jul

118

16,720

231

1,370

15

0

0

1,140

12

3 Aug

125

21,530

273

1,370

12

920

6

4,580

33

18 Aug

140

8,930

108

1,600

15

230

2

4,580

28

28 Aug

150

23,360

264

2,060

20

1,140

3

7,330

37

12 Sep

165

30,690

335

4,580

35

4,120

27

7,560

58

29 Sep

182

14,660

169

6,410

55

1,600

10

1,140

11

13 Oct

196

26,790

292

8,700

69

4,810

27

2,290

14

9 Nov

223

38,010

438

28,170

229

21,760

127

8,700

36

Total

237,480

3,460

55,340

477

34,580

202

38,010

236

z Yield is presented on a basis of number of fruit or 28-lb boxes per acre.

y USDA Grade Fancy size. The diameter of each pepper shall not be less than 3 inches.

x USDA Grade No. 1 size. The diameter of each pepper shall not be less than 2 ½ inches.

Table 3. 

Average US Fancy bell pepper fruit width on several harvest dates.

Harvest Dates

Average Fruit Width (in)z

16 Jun

3.67

23 Jun

3.63

10 Jul

3.54

27 Jul

3.47

18 Aug

3.00

12 Sep

3.13

13 Oct

3.35

9 Nov

3.30

z Average fruit width was determined by measuring 15 randomly selected fruits from the US Fancy category. Measurements were taken across the base of the fruit near the stem end, the widest part of the fruit.

 

Publication #HS-1113

Release Date:October 3rd, 2019

Reviewed At:December 5th, 2022

Related Experts

Landrum, Linda

County agent

University of Florida

Simonne, Eric H.

Specialist/SSA/RSA

University of Florida

Hochmuth, Robert C.

Specialist/SSA/RSA

University of Florida

Davis, Lei Lani

staff

University of Florida

Treadwell, Danielle

Specialist/SSA/RSA

University of Florida

Laughlin, Wanda L.

staff

University of Florida

Related Topics

  • Critical Issue: Agricultural and Food Systems
Fact Sheet

About this Publication

This document is HS-1113, one of a series of the Horticultural Sciences Department, UF/IFAS Extension. Original publication date July 2007. Visit the EDIS website at https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu for the currently supported version of this publication.

About the Authors

Robert C. Hochmuth, regional specialized Extension agent and center director; Linda B. Landrum, retired Extension agent IV; Wanda L. Laughlin, greenhouse manager, UF/IFAS Suwannee Valley Agricultural Extension Center; Lei Lani Davis, Extension programs assistant, Suwannee Valley Agricultural Extension Center; Danielle D. Treadwell, associate professor, Horticultural Sciences Department; and Eric H. Simonne, professor, Horticultural Sciences Department; UF/IFAS Extension, Gainesville, FL 32611.

Contacts

  • Robert Hochmuth
  • Eric Simonne