Sweet bell peppers are a tender, warm-season crop.
Peppers resist most garden pests and offer something for everyone: spicy, sweet, or hot; and a variety of colors, shapes, and sizes. For this page, we will focus on growing sweet bell peppers.
Unlike their spicy brethren, bell peppers do not contain capsaicin, the compound that gives hot peppers their pungency and heat.
The bell pepper plant is not only attractive, but it is also a very rewarding addition to a garden. Their reputation for being difficult to grow comes from people not giving these plants the correct attention. Also known as sweet peppers or capsicum, if cared for properly you will be rewarded with an abundance of rich green foliage and sweet-tasting peppers.
HOW TO GROW BELL PEPPERS AT HOME
When to plant?
Bell peppers are perennial in tropical areas. But in colder climates, they are grown as annuals and they have no tolerance for cold weather.
They require a fairly long growing season, often up to 90 or even 100 days, so the shorter your summer, the sooner you need to start seeds indoors.
It is possible to save seeds from organic store-bought bell peppers. Collect seeds from red peppers, since they are more mature than green ones, and set them out to dry for a few days. Then sow them or store them in a paper envelope and place them in a dry location for safekeeping.
Consider buying seeds as well, since one of the benefits to growing your bell peppers is choosing from several otherwise unavailable varieties.
The rule of thumb is to start seeds 6 to 8 weeks before the last average frost date in spring. However, if you keep plants healthy and thriving, you can sow them even earlier.
Where to plant?
Peppers are very sensitive to cold; rush them outside in spring and you’ll regret it. In all but the hottest climates, you’ll need to start seeds indoors six to eight weeks before your area’s last anticipated spring frost or purchase small seedlings to transplant. Wait until all danger of frost has passed and nighttime temperatures stay consistently near 60 degrees Fahrenheit before you move pepper plants outside.
Once seeds germinate and grow two to three true leaves, you’ll want to pot them in larger containers filled with damp potting soil to reduce settling. Add organic fertilizer according to label recommendations as well, to encourage strong growth.
When choosing a site for your bell peppers, stick to garden spots where tomatoes, eggplants, other peppers or potatoes haven’t grown for at least three years. These related plants are vulnerable to the same diseases, many of which can stay in the soil. If you grow in planters or containers, replace the soil every year if any diseases are present.
Pepper plants require full sun to produce the largest and healthiest fruit, so pick a site that won’t get shaded out by trees or other garden plants.
Soil should be well-draining and rich in organic matter.
A soil consistency somewhere between sandy and loamy will ensure that the soil drains well and warms quickly.
Soil pH should be on the acidic side—5.5 to 6.5, ideally.
A week before transplanting peppers into the garden, introduce fertilizer or aged compost into your garden soil.
Avoid planting peppers in places where you’ve recently grown other members of the nightshade family—such as tomatoes, potatoes, or eggplants—as this can expose peppers to disease.
How to plant?
Fill a clean, 3-inch pot with fresh seed or general purpose compost. Sow 3 seeds in the pot.
Dampen the soil with a fine spray and cover with a clear plastic bag and place it on a warm windowsill. You can also place the pot inside a propagator. The temperature must be between 65-70°F for germination to occur. Depending on the variety, and conditions, this can take up to 3 weeks.
Allow the germinated seedlings to grow on in the pot. Should all three seeds germinate thin out the weakest seedling? Allow the remaining bell pepper plants to grow on together, as one. This method, of pairing peppers, encourages more protective leaves to grow. It can also encourage a heavier yield.
When the plants have produced 3 true leaves, re-pot into a large container. At this stage you can also apply a dose of organic fertilizer.
Transplanting
Although you may be tempted to do it sooner, wait to transplant peppers to the garden until a couple of weeks past the last frost date. Make sure to harden them off first though, or your plants may not make it at all.
Instead, slowly introduce plants to outdoor weather. For several days, set them outside for longer periods. Start in the morning and bring them in later and later each day until you are confident they have adapted.
In the garden, leave at least 18 inches between plants, possibly more, depending on the variety you’re growing.
Water newly planted bell peppers well and add an inch or two of organic mulch. Their roots are shallow and mulch will help to maintain moisture and protect roots from moisture-related stress.
Note: Before transplanting, make sure the soil temperature is warm enough, usually around 65°F.
HOW TO HARVEST BELL PEPPERS?
Depending on your chosen varieties, peppers mature between two and three months from the time you transplant outdoors. If you’re in the mood for green bells, let them reach full size, form, and firmness before you pick. For mature, colored peppers, let them reach full color and ripeness on the vine, whenever possible. Then pick them promptly to encourage more pepper fruits to set.
The thin-walled ‘Cubanelle’ and purple bells always come the earliest, followed quickly by the first green bells. We pick once a week and plan on at least one or two peppers per plant each week to frost. For the colored sweet bells, we go ahead and pick the first peppers green and low on the plant, since experience has taught us that fruit rot invades if we let them go-to color. This early harvest also keeps the plants setting fruit for later harvest. For the first two or three weeks we pick the “crown set,” the first pepper produced at the first fork in the plant, then move up the plant and thin the fruits so they are not touching and have good airflow around them.
Peppers start losing water as soon as they’re picked, so high humidity is important. If you need to store them for a time, refrigerate bells at 45 F and 95 percent humidity. Garden-fresh bell peppers should stay firm and flavorful for three to five weeks at those conditions.
Diseases/Pests
Both the fungal disease phytophthora and root rot can affect plants. These issues are usually caused by overwatering or planting in poorly draining soil. Practicing crop rotation can also help to reduce the likelihood of a phytophthora attack.
For many members of the Solanaceae family, fusarium wilt is another common problem. This can cause the joints to blacken. Should fusarium wilt strike prune away infected areas of the plant? Destroy the infected material and sterilize your tools. If the disease enters the soil it may prove difficult to cure. Again a simple crop rotation system will help to keep your plants and soil healthy.
Plants growing undercover may fall victim to the glasshouse red spider mite. This pest thrives in hot and dry conditions. Visible signs of infestation are most noticeably mottled leaves and plants becoming covered in webbing. Regular misting will combat infestations.
SOME VARIETIES
- Orange: ‘Milena’, ‘Orange Sun’
- Yellow: ‘Golden California Wonder’
- Green peppers that turn Red: ‘Lady Bell’, ‘Gypsy’, ‘Bell Boy’, ‘Lipstick’
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