sweet peppers ph should be 5.0-6.0.............when we do the garden in the fall, we mix in old leaves, grass, hay, mulch, old horse manure & lime.........turn it in with a machine. Happy summer and water from the bottom, don't soak the plant. Walmart has a long metal handle to use as a soaker.............you also can mulch around the plant. We use black soil cloth and make holes for the plants.