One of the most overlooked plants you can grow in the Chugiak-Eagle River area is something that will spice up your life.

Peppers have been consumed by humans since at least 7500 B.C. They are noted for their high levels of vitamins A and C, along with B vitamins and potassium.

Peppers come in all shapes, sizes and heat ranges, and they're easy enough to grow in our area in a normal year.

Yes, I know this is not a "normal" year, though the kind of rain we're experiencing might be considered the "new normal."

Peppers are available as mature plants now from area growers, and many are producing already. Mile 5.2 Greenhouse in Eagle River, in particular, has eight varieties of pepper, from mild to fiery. The "heat" in peppers comes from capsaicin, also the prime ingredient in bear spray.

The plants grow best in containers, as opposed to in the ground, because containers can be positioned for the most sun and heat, plus they're portable. That's important when you want to extend the production of the plant when the first frost arrives in the fall. If you didn't plan to overwinter your plant, you could also put it in a Topsy Turvy or similar planter, which would absorb extra heat for the plant.

"You can grow them as houseplants inside in the winter," said Dale Walberg, owner of Mile 5.2 Greenhouse. "They have a long lifespan."

I have an AeroGarden for growing basil and cherry tomatoes in the wintertime, and the incredibly bright light produced means you can put other plants adjacent to it and they will benefit from the light too. That would be an idea place in the wintertime for a pepper plant. A gooseneck lamp also provides enough light.

Peppers are sensitive to both hot and cool weather. Cool weather will prevent blossoms from forming; hot weather (not normally a problem here) will keep the plant from blooming. They also require consistent watering without a stretch of drought.

Fertilizer is standard 10-10-10. It perhaps goes without saying – though we'll say it here – you need to start out with good plants. Don't buy something that looks like the pepper equivalent of the Charlie Brown Christmas tree. Purchase something healthy that is already producing at least small vegetables. Plant one inch deeper in a big pot than they were planted at the nursery and water with a starter solution, basically a weak version of full-strength fertilizer.

It's important to continue harvesting peppers. If you don't get the peppers off the plant in a timely manner, the plant will stop producing.

Peppers fall into two varieties, sweet or hot. Bell peppers are the most commonly used pepper; they're the ones you'll see in the store, a large block-shaped fruit that has virtually no heat. Green bell peppers are ones that have been picked before they are fully ripe; they turn red upon ripening and are sweeter.

Sweet Italian is sweeter than a bell pepper.

When it comes to hot peppers, I sweat just thinking about them. From tamest to wildest are cayenne, chile, hot cherry, hungarian yellow wax, also known as hot banana; jalapeno, poblano, pepperoncini, habanero and thai.

Peppers already are producing on plants at Eagle River's Mile 5.2 Greenhouse including, from left, sweet cherry, Anaheim and Italian varieties. Photo by Roy Neese

Cayenne peppers are commonly used in Cajun cooking, while chile peppers such as the Anaheim variety from California are used in Southwestern dishes. I've had pretty good luck growing the Anaheim variety out on my balcony in containers, though I try to pull them back inside during our now-frequent rains.

Hungarian yellow wax peppers, my father's favorite, are actually sweet peppers but with a medium-level heat and are used for eating fresh, in soups or stews.

Crinkled pepperoncini peppers are a Mediterranean favorite, often pickled in Greek and Italian cooking. The plant grows larger than a normal pepper, up to 30 inches in height, so be sure you have a large enough pot to support it.

You can preserve peppers by stringing and drying them, by pickling them, canning them, and some varieties can be frozen. Obviously the best use, like any fruit or vegetable, is fresh.

Do you or one of your neighbors have a gorgeous garden, fabulous flowers or both? Let us know at editor@alaskastar.com and we'll feature it in an upcoming column.

This article published in The Alaska Star on Wednesday, July 28, 2010.