Tawny Port Pepper

Start seeds indoors 6 to 8 weeks before your last spring frost date. Peppers germinate best in warm soil around 70 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit, so provide bottom heat if your indoor space is cool. Seeds should sprout in 7 to 14 days under these conditions.

Transplant seedlings outdoors once they've developed their first true leaves and your soil has warmed to at least 60 degrees Fahrenheit, though 70 degrees or warmer is preferable. Harden off seedlings by gradually exposing them to outdoor conditions over 7 to 10 days before planting. Space plants 18 inches apart in rows 36 inches apart in your garden, raised bed, or greenhouse.

Tawny Port peppers reach full maturity in 70 to 79 days from transplant and are ready to harvest when they reach their full 4-by-5-inch size and display that distinctive deep port wine color. You can harvest them at this stage for maximum sweetness, or pick them earlier at a lighter stage if you prefer a firmer fruit. Cut peppers from the plant with pruners rather than pulling, which can damage the branches. Peppers will continue to produce through the season if you harvest regularly, so don't let ripe fruit linger on the plant.

Pruning is optional for this upright variety, but removing the lowest leaves once plants are established can improve air circulation and reduce disease pressure. If you want to encourage bushier growth and more branching early in the season, you can pinch out the growing tip when seedlings reach 4 to 6 inches tall, though this will delay flowering slightly.