Black Pepper (Piper Nigrum) Overview
Black Pepper (Piper nigrum) is the most commonly used spice in the world and when paired with salt can be found on almost every household table in the United States. Black Pepper has known health benefits such as: it increases nutrient absorption, improves heart rate and blood pressure, promotes healthy cell growth and digestion, acts as an anti-inflammatory, and enhances the immune system. The beauty of the Black Pepper spice is that not much is needed to get the beneficial effects. Piper nigrum is native to South India, loves the hot tropics and has been in cultivation for over 2,000 years. In temperate climates, the peppercorn plant makes an excellent houseplant.
Growing Peppercorn (Piper Nigrum) - Care and Instructions
Here are a few things you should know about growing your own black pepper plants so that you'll soon be able to grind your own peppercorns for fresh, aromatic pepper!
Peppercorn Fruit
Green and red peppercorn fruits are often found on the plant at the same time. The red fruit is the ripening fruit. The peppercorn can be picked whether the color is green or red depending on which type of peppercorn you desire. If you want black or green pepper as your final color then, harvest the peppercorn when it’s green. If you want white or red pepper, then harvest the peppercorn when it is red.
Peppercorn Plant Growth Habit
Black Pepper has a vining habit, so it grows well in a basket or in a pot with a stake or trellis for support. Attach the stems to the trellis so the plant climbs easily.
Ideal Temperature for Black Pepper Plants
If you are looking to optimize your flowering and fruiting, then providing daytime temperatures above 70°F (20°C) is ideal. Black Pepper grows best in temperatures above 60°F (15°C).
How to Get Peppercorn Plants to Flower
The flowers start growing at the leaf nodes of new growth. The small white flowers form pendulous spikes and then small, round, green peppercorns form in chains, which in time ripen to red. Growth slows down in the winter, yet it will fruit and flower year-round. The pepper plant can produce an abundance of peppercorns in a pot as small as 8-inches.
Fertilizing Requirements for Black Pepper Plants
Black Pepper needs low to moderate fertilization with a balanced fertilizer. There are two ways to fertilize the pepper plant. First, you can use a soluble or liquid fertilizer applied every two weeks when you water. Or you can use a granular organic fertilizer and top dress the plant once a month. Top dressing means to sprinkle the fertilizer on top of the soil and every time you water, a little bit of fertilizer is released. A note of caution: don’t over fertilize your black pepper plant. We use this rule of thumb: if your plant is being grown under high light and high temperatures then increase the fertilizer. If your pepper plant is grown under lower light and temperature levels, then decrease the fertilizer. During the winter months stop fertilizing the plant until warmer temperatures and higher light levels resume in spring.
Black Spots on the Peppercorn Plant Leaf
Black spots on the backsides of the pepper leaves are totally normal. They are small crystalline balls that contain sugars called exudates. Over time, these balls turn black. They are sometimes mistaken for insects. They are not. Do not try to remove them. They are part of the plant’s normal physiology and do not harm the plant.
Black Pepper Plant Root Disease
If your growing conditions are too cool and wet, then your pepper plant can be susceptible to root disease. The best way to prevent this problem is to grow the plant in a clay pot and allow the soil to dry out between waterings and make sure your daytime temperatures are above 70°F and your night temperatures don’t drop below 60°F.
Black Pepper Plant Pests
Pepper has few insect pests. Mealy bug is the main culprit but only if other infected plants are nearby.
Peppercorn (Piper Nigrum) Summary
Black Pepper is a resilient tropical fruiting plant. It makes an excellent hanging basket or an attractive container plant with a stake or trellis for the plant to climb on. The excitement of harvesting your own peppercorns and grinding your own black pepper makes Piper nigrum a highly sought after and well-loved plant for the home fruiting garden.