Complete Guide for Peppercorn Plant Care

What is Peppercorn Plant?

Did you know that the dried fruit of Peppercorn is used to make black pepper? Yes, that one we use as spices. This Black Pepper plant is a tropical plant grown for its black, white, and red Peppercorns.

The three distinct colors of Peppercorn are just stages of the fruit. White pepper is created from the inner portion of the mature fruit, while black pepper is made from the peppercorn plant’s dried immature fruit or drupes. Growing your own Black pepper plants in your backyard or outdoor garden is a good idea!

Soon, you’ll have your own black peppers on the table, fresh from the source. Interested? Keep reading and we’ll teach you how.

Peppercorn Plant Care Basics

peppercorn plant

Before anything else, take a look first at the plant’s overview. You don’t want to cultivate a plant without knowing what they are, right? 

Botanical Name: Piper nigrum

Another name: Black pepper

Plant Type: Tropical perennial vine

Exposure to Sunlight: Full Sun

Soil Type: Well-draining

Color: Green with black, white, red fruits

Water: Average

Favorable climate: Tropical 

Preferable Fertilizer: Balanced fertilizer

Propagation: Stem cuttings

Toxicity Warning: The solanine component of the ornamental pepper plant makes it hazardous to dogs.

Status: Rare

Height: 60.9 – 91.4 cm (24-36 inches)

Origin: India

Now that you’ve known about this plant, learn also how to efficiently take care of it. Below we provide you tips, do’s, and do’s in taking care of it. Enjoy!

Best Potting Mix

Peppercorn plants require rich in organic matter, moisture-retaining soil. Always bear in mind that the soil must have sufficient drainage. The plant may be harmed by waterlogged soil.

The soil pH is between 5.5 and 7 (slightly acidic to neutral). You can check this using a portable pH meter. You may apply lime if it is too acidic and sulfur if it is too alkaline.

Watering Needs

Give the black pepper plant enough water to keep the soil moist at all times, and don’t let it dry up between watering sessions. However, keeping it moist is very different from overwatering! So, don’t overdo it. They will be susceptible to root rot if that happens.

Yellowing of leaves is one indication of an overhydrated plant. Remember to water the plants when the soil surface seems dry. 

Ideal Lighting

plant lighting requirement 

Give your Peppercorn plant the brightest light possible if growing it as an indoor plant. The sun’s energy is required for the vines to produce their own food, produce blossoms, and eventually, fruit. In a greenhouse or outdoors, however, moderate sunshine is sufficient for good growth.

Some direct sunshine is beneficial to it, but not during the hotter hours of the day. It can be placed on the windowsill in an East or West window. Like other tropical plants, Black Pepper may be cultivated outside in the Summer and brought inside for the Winter.

Temperature & Humidity 

It’s best to keep the daytime temperatures above 70° degrees Fahrenheit (20° degrees Celsius) if you want to get the most out of your flowering and fruiting. Temperatures over 60° degrees Fahrenheit (15° degrees Celsius) are ideal for growing black pepper. However, when temperatures dip below 65 degrees Fahrenheit (18 degrees Celsius), these warm-loving outdoor plants will cease growing and do not resist the cold.

Black Peppercorn appreciates regular misting especially when the environment gets dry. Mist the plant with gentle water to achieve this. If you’re growing black pepper in a pot, set it on a saucer filled with water to keep it moist.

How often should we fertilize them?

plant fertilizer

Peppercorn plants are known to be light feeders. That being said, they can benefit from a well-balanced fertilizer. However, if you have enough phosphorus in your soil, you should use a low- or no-phosphorous fertilizer.

Nitrogen is vital for promoting healthy pepper growth. Still, you must know when to fertilize peppers to achieve the most excellent results. Stop fertilizing the plant over the winter months until warmer temperatures and higher light levels return in the Spring.

Pro tip: Before planting, though, it’s always a good idea to apply compost to the entire vegetable bed.

Propagating our Peppercorn plant?

You can multiply this Peppercorn plant through stem cuttings! It is the easiest and most convenient method to use. Here’s How:

Choose a stem that measures 7.5 to 13 cm (3 to 5 inches) in length. The stem should come from a healthy plant that hasn’t been damaged by frost, isn’t discolored, and isn’t stunted in growth.

  • Clip the stem at a 45-degree angle with a sharp knife or pruning shears. Cut beneath one of the little nodes where the leaves emerge.
  • For roots a pepper cutting, use a seedling beginning soil like sand combined with peat or vermiculite. Push the pepper stem gently into the rooting medium.
  • To prevent excessive water loss through the leaves, lightly spray or cover the pepper cuttings with plastic. Maintain an ambient temperature for the cuttings.
  • The formation of tiny roots takes around two weeks. Transplant the root cuttings into a pot when the roots are approximately 2.5 cm (an inch) long. 
  •  Growth Zone
  • Peppercorn plants are categorized as zone 12 plants, which implies they require warm temperatures to thrive. When temperatures fall below 50 degrees Fahrenheit (10 degrees Celsius), plants will stop growing.

Potting

When a pepper plant is cultivated in a container, the container’s size (and exposure to sunshine) is usually the limiting element that prevents it from achieving its maximum potential. Pepper plants get root-bound and require frequent watering when planted in too tiny a container. This can vary from 12 inches to 4 feet, depending on the kind.

To lessen stress on your plants, repot during overcast weather. Peppers should be kept indoors until all dangers of frost have passed. When repotting, be careful not to injure the roots, as this will reduce the plant’s chances of thriving.

Pruning

When done at the right time, proper pruning promotes robust, sturdy stems, healthy branching, less disease, and insect pressure, fruits that ripen fast and evenly, and higher yields in many pepper cultivars.

Early season, mid-season, and late-season are the three main pepper pruning seasons. Make sure your pruners are always clean. Spray your pruners with an aerosol disinfectant to prevent the disease from spreading.

Other Spices To Grow Indoors

Aside from peppercorn, there are a number of spices that are suitable for indoor cultivation. It would be a good idea to plant your own spices for your daily kitchen needs. So, here are some of them.

Purple Flash Pepper

purple flash pepper plant

This pepper is grown for its fruits as well as its decorative appeal in the home. Its colorful foliage and blossoms provide a splash of color to your backyard decor! When the fruit ripens, the color of the fruit changes from black to bright red, while the color of the leaves changes from white to purple to green.

This is a spicy pepper that might be beautiful due to its form. Plant this pepper out of reach of children, so they don’t get burned when playing with it. Its fruits are roughly 1 inch in diameter and mature around 80 to 100 days.

Chives

onion chives

Chives are a relative of green onions and scallions. They belong to the same allium family. In fact, they look and taste almost similar. Same with onions, they improve the taste of our dishes. Like peppercorns, chives make a good addition to your indoor plant spice collection because they are very easy to tend to.

You can plant them in a 6 to 9-inch diameter pot under full sun or part shade. They need light and well-draining potting mix.

Peppercorn Plant Diseases & Pests

Pepper plants are simple to grow, although they do have difficulty now and then. It’s a good idea to learn about some of the problems that peppers can cause if this happens. That is why Plantly is here to help you! Some of these are:

Pests

Pepper plants are loved by a variety of insects and other critters. Some of them are: 

  • Cutworms,
  • Aphids,
  • Flea beetles, and
  • Hornworms.

The majority of them can be easily removed with a spray of soapy water or by hand. You’ll need to keep an eye on your plants for pests and worms to ensure they don’t multiply. Insects love to hide and breed in dead or decaying plant material, so keep the garden area surrounding your pepper plants clean and free of dead leaves and debris.

Diseases

Planting contaminated seeds cause bacterial problems with Piper nigrum. A single virus can wipe out an entire pepper crop. So be careful when you’re planting them in seeds. Here are some of those viruses:

  • Sunscald is caused by too much direct sunshine exposure. The fruit may turn light in color and feel dry and papery.
  • Blossom end rot is caused by a lack of calcium and inconsistent watering. Ripe rot is a disease that affects ripening peppers that are grown in warm, humid circumstances. Harvest peppers before using them, and store any that aren’t utilized in a cool, dark place away from direct sunlight.
  • Insects are attracted to mosaic virus, which is a frequent viral infection. There’s not much to do about this one because it’s too late to treat it once it’s infected the plant. It causes the plant’s growth to be stunted and its leaves to be stunted.

Frequently Asked Questions

If you are still in doubt if you’ll have this in your garden or not, here are some of the black pepper plant’s scientifically proven health benefits:

  • Antioxidants are abundant.
  • It’s anti-inflammatory in nature.
  • It’s possible that it will help your brain.
  • It may help you keep your blood sugar under control.
  • Cholesterol levels may be reduced.
  • It may have anti-cancer qualities.
  • Increases nutritional absorption

The Pepper plant is a slow-growing, woody perennial flowering vine that blooms and fruits after about four years.

The Black pepper plants are tropical plants grown for their black, white, and red peppercorns. The three distinct colours of Peppercorn are just stages of the same Peppercorn. White pepper is created from the inner portion of the mature fruit, while black pepper is made from the Black pepper plant’s dried immature fruit or drupes.

You can now buy this plant here at Plantly! Yes, we never just give the care guide but also have the plant you want to buy. We offer good transactions online. Message us now!

Whether you want to buy, sell or simply reach out to other plant enthusiasts, Plantly is the right place to be!

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