SWEET PEPPERS JUST LOVE  the moderate Mediterranean climate here in coastal California, where they develop their best flavor over a long season. When I grew them in Pennsylvania, I planted them close together and mulched them well. That way their leaves touched, forming a canopy of dense shade over the mulch. Then I’d make sure the mulch was continually moistened so that on warm summer days, there was warm humid air under and within the pepper plants’ canopy. This simulated the tropical conditions of Central America where this plant is indigenous, and I never failed to have a superior crop.