Select two or three pepper varieties for different uses.
Pimiento peppers are always sweet, not hot, but several hot peppers belong to the same family. Pimiento, banana, cherry, cubanelle and serrano peppers belong to the Capsicum annum family. Cherry, banana and cubanelle peppers may be sweet or hot, depending on the variety and growing conditions. All pepper plants have similar foliage, and the fruit itself is the largest difference.
Leaves
Pimiento peppers are related to eggplants and tomatoes and have a compact bushy form. They may form several sturdy stalks from which lateral stems and leaves emerge. The leaves are large -- growing 3 to 5 inches long -- glossy green and pointed at the ends. Pepper plants usually grow 18 to 24 inches high, although in areas with a long growing season, they may grow slightly taller. Unlike tomatoes, they don't generally require staking.
Fruit
Pimientos produce fleshy, heart-shaped fruit in addition to lanceolate leaves. The fruit ripens from green to red. Cherry peppers are small and round, like a cherry, while banana peppers are long and thin. Banana peppers turn from yellow to yellowish green to red as they ripen.
Use
Pimiento pepper leaves are not edible, but the fruit are used dried as paprika or roasted. They are the most common pepper type used in commercial canned red peppers and are high in vitamins C and A. Add them to salads, sandwiches and pizzas for a sweet, tangy flavor.
Growing Conditions
For the healthiest foliage and fruit, plant pimiento peppers in full sun only after the weather is predictably warm. Pimiento peppers do not tolerate cold soil or air temperatures. Plant them in moist, well-drained, rich soil. Fertilize pimiento plants at planting time with a low nitrogen fertilizer. After the plants begin to flower and produce fruit, sidedress them with a balanced fertilizer or a few shovelfuls of manure. Harvest them approximately 80 days after planting when they've turned red, but before they begin to wrinkle.
Tags: Pimiento peppers, foliage fruit, peppers belong