It is understood that the name “Pepper” was given by the Europeans when Christopher Columbus brought the plant from America in 1493. Besides the primary crop gifted by Indians, he also brought back secondary crops such as tomatoes, peanuts, pumpkins, squash, pineapple, and chili peppers.
Chili peppers are considered the genus of “capsicum”; bell peppers (also known as sweet peppers) are included in this taxonomic rank. All peppers are short-lived tropical perennials that prefer sun and warmth. It can be challenging to grow such plants in a chilly summer. Though they are not so sensitive to soil acidity, they like organic matter and well-drained soil. A neutral soil with pH 6–6.8 is suitable for their growth. And they can be harvested 60 to 75 days after the transplant.
Pepper and Gardening
Peppers come in various shapes, sizes, colors, and tastes, ideal for growing an “edible landscape.” Because of the planting traits mentioned above, pepper is one of the suitable plants to grow in home or community gardens. Home gardens or community gardens seem convenient and accessible for many of us. Yet, most people have to travel to work during the day, and those who attend community gardens can only visit their lot during their free time, eliminating growing some vegetables that require daily attention. Low-maintenance plants such as cabbage, potatoes, and peppers are great for growing in community gardens, as when these vegetables ripen, they can relax in the lot for a while before they are ready to be picked up.
Gardening and Consumption Habit
We recently read about a study reporting that individuals who participated in a community garden were associated with higher fruit and vegetable consumption. This study took two types of samples: the community garden participants in rural Missouri and the population-based survey conducted with randomly selected 1000 residents in the intervention catchment area. As a result, this survey found the garden participants were more likely to report eating fruits twice or more times per day and vegetables three or more times per day than those who did not participate in community gardening.
We randomly selected a few community gardens close to the interstate highway, crossing north-south in Missouri, and realized many are relatively small compared to the adjacent facility. The size of the surrounding building footprint speaks that investing in the community garden is a cost-effective way to help individuals have a healthy diet. That is especially true for people who frequently use the facility and participate in its gardening program.
Reading their report reminded us of a WELL feature.
“Individuals who participate in community and home gardening projects have higher levels of fruit and vegetable consumption and are more likely to meet national recommendations for fruit and vegetable intakes than nongardeners.” — WELL N12 Food Production.
Though November has passed pepper’s harvest season, we still want to design this cards for gardeners. Thanks to their passion for caring for gardens, their friends and family can benefit from the fruition of their hard gardening work.
P.S. The study I mentioned above is a research paper published in the International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity (2013, 10:128). To learn more about their findings, check out “Association between community garden participation and fruit and vegetable consumption in rural Missouri” at the Research Gate’s website.