Question
HI there, my 7yr old was sent home with a yellow pepper plant in march... i re potted it when it became to big for its tiny pot and now it has started to produce peppers (so pleased!!), they are only about an inch big and green (they all start green i hear). It is kept inside but in the sunlight all day and i water it daily, it seems very happy but i don't want it to get to big for its pot and die, can i re pot it while its flowering peppers?? its roots are poking out the bottom and I've come so far i don't want to kill it at this late stage!! also, if it is a yellow pepper do i pick it when its yellow or see if it will go red?
kind regards
Jessica

Answer
Jessica,

I have a large 5 year old pepper plant in a 6 inch pot. You did not say what size pot it is now in. Absolutely do not go to a pot with a diameter larger than 8 inches. Larger than that and you will kill the plant by overwatering it. It is okay for roots to come out the bottom. Just clip them off. Never leave it set in water more than 2-3 hours then empty the drain tray. It is not a swamp plant and cannot stand to sit in water for more than a few hours, then it needs to dry out.

If it is a red pepper it will not turn yellow first. What ever color it turns from green, red or yelllow is its' ripe color and it should be picked when it is fully that color. The plant would actually be healthier outside in full sun. It would be stronger for standing up to the wind. It would like the 10-20 degree cooler temperatures at night outdoors that it cannot get indoors.

If you cannot put it outdoors you should be okay, just do not keep it constantly wet. Peppers grow wild in full sun at the edges of the Sonoma desert and in Mexico. They love heat, sun and need to be dry for at least a couple of hours before being watered. Good luck.

Darlene