If you’re going to plant a garden, you might as well do a good job! Lucky for you, we’ve put together a simple guide for how deep to plant poblano peppers, plus everything else you need to know to grow the best peppers.
To plant poblano peppers the right way, it’s important to use well-draining soil with a pH between 6.5 and 7. Seeds should be planted ¼ inch deep, 18 inches apart with 3 feet between rows. Be sure to water and fertilize your plants, and place your garden in the sun!
Read on to learn how to plant poblano peppers the right way!
Overview of poblano peppers
Poblano peppers originate from Puebla, Mexico.
They have a deep, smoky flavor and a relatively low heat. While not as popular as the innocuous bell pepper or the ubiquitous jalapeno, poblanos are staples of Mexican cuisine.
Because of their thick outer skin, poblano peppers are often blistered. This helps release the unpleasant skin and also serves to bring out the pepper’s rich flavors. They are also an excellent choice for stuffed peppers.
Poblanos have a mild, smoky heat (only around 1,000-2,000 SHU) and are very healthy for you and make a great addition to your kitchen – and garden!
Why proper planting is important for poblano peppers
How you plant your poblanos is the complete foundation for how they will live out the rest of their days.
Planting in the wrong soil or the wrong spot is a recipe for disaster. On the other hand, a well-planned garden will lead to happy plants!
Of course, this is true for most plants, but poblanos are notoriously finicky.
Soil preparation
There are lots of things to take into consideration when it comes to choosing or mixing the right soil for your poblanos.
To get your soil ready to grow the best poblano peppers, you must ensure that the soil has the right nutrients, pH level, and drainage.
Let’s take a closer look!
What type of soil is best
A good combination to create soil for poblano peppers is by mixing soil, lawn clippings, bone meal, and compost in equal parts.
pH levels
Poblano peppers do best with a soil pH between 6.5 and 7.
Soil drainage
Poblano peppers need well-draining soil.
Planting
Poblano peppers take roughly 3-4 months to mature from seed.
You can start them inside using a heating mat, thin them when their first true leaves appear, and transplant once the conditions are right.
Planting depth
Plant your poblano seeds ¼ inch deep.
Spacing
Poblano peppers need 18 inches between each plant and three feet between rows.
If you’re using raised beds, use the same measurements while also implementing double staggering.
After planting
Now that you’ve planted and transplanted, all that’s left is maintenance!
Watering
Peppers need 1-2 inches of water every week as a general rule of thumb.
To tailor your watering, put your finger in the soil. If it comes out clean, your soil is dry and needs to be watered. If soil sticks to your finger a few inches down, it’s good to go and doesn’t need any more water!
Sunlight
Poblano peppers need 6-8 hours of full sun per day and are happiest with up to 10 hours.
Fertilizing
Fertilizing poblano peppers is fairly straightforward.
Use an extended-release fertilizer that has an NPK value of 5-10-10.
Summary of how deep to plant poblano peppers
There are a couple of steps to correctly planting poblano peppers:
- Prepare soil that has the right pH and drainage.
- Plant them at the right depth and space them out properly.
- Put them in full sun, water them, and fertilize them.
And that’s it!
