Growing Capsicum, also Bell peppers, Sweet peppers

Capsicum annuum : Solanaceae / the nightshade family

Jan F M A M J J A S O N Dec

Not recommended for growing in New Zealand - cool/mountain regions

  • Grow in seed trays, and plant out in 4-6 weeks. Sow seed at a depth approximately three times the diameter of the seed. Best planted at soil temperatures between 18°C and 35°C. (Show °F/in)
  • Space plants: 20 - 50 cm apart
  • Harvest in 10-12 weeks. Cut fruit off with sharp knife.
  • Compatible with (can grow beside): Egg plant (Aubergine), Nasturtiums, Basil, Parsley, Amaranth

Your comments and tips

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12 Nov 17, Jack (New Zealand - temperate climate)
Is it to late to grow capsicum
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06 Feb 18, Colleen (New Zealand - temperate climate)
I live in Christchurch. I had planted my capsicum in Oct 2017 they are still growing. I had put 6 plants in & they are so full that I've had to tie the plants up as very heavy & falling over. I think it depends where u live in NZ on how they grow
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12 Nov 17, Liz (New Zealand - temperate climate)
You might be lucky, capsicum like heat and our summer seems to be very slow starting. It is worth a try.
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02 Oct 17, Tash (Australia - temperate climate)
Just pulled out some old unperfoming capsicums (left one in). Anything suggesions on good vegies to follw in their place (will re compost soil etc, but should i follow with any particular types?) Cheers
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04 Oct 17, Darren (Australia - temperate climate)
Anything from the allium family, onions, garlic, leeks, chives, or beans (legume family) is recommended to follow fruiting crops.
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04 Oct 17, Mike (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
If you are re-composting your soil and it has a good balance of nutrients- NPK and trace elements etc, then you could grow anything. There is an order of growing plants - but I don't follow it. A leafy veg like lettuce will take N out of the soil, then you plant a root veg like carrots (with less N you don't get so much leaf). You can then grow something like tomato and finally something like beans (they put N back in the soil for the lettuce). I may not have the order right here - read up on the internet.
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16 Dec 17, Frankly (Australia - arid climate)
Can you give me material about the process of growing Capsicum capsicum, I want to plant in Vietnam Dalat And planted do not need greenhouse, thank you!
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23 Sep 17, Romyna (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
I am always very unssuceful in growing Capsicums in my garden the sun is very strong in summer 38d to 43 or more it kill many plants in the full sun. Do I need to grow the pepers plants in shady areas ?
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25 Sep 17, Darren (Australia - temperate climate)
I live in a warm temperate area and found that capsicums can suffer in hot sun, despite what the literature says. Shadecloth, plenty of mulch, and regular deep watering helps.
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24 Sep 17, Mike (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Maybe try planting late summer and grow into the winter.
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Showing 111 - 120 of 521 comments
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Hi Barbara, I had the same thing happen last year, those plants somehow survived a very hot wet summer and through autumn produced masses of fruit and are also now producing masses of new fruit after I pruned them back hard and started applying a vegetable targeted liquid plant fertilizer with seaweed included. I also added lime around the plants and sprayed the leaves with a bit of epsom salts dissolved in water around the time I pruned them. Don't give up on these ones give them a prune at the end of winter and they will come back for you, if you live in a cooler area you may have to wait til spring but if you get no frost they will come back bigger and better when the weather warms up later this year, caps do last longer than one year and I find they produce much more in the second year than the first, when they put most effort into producing strong stem and branch to support the weight of the following years fruit. Honestly one plant that did this weird year long wait had about 11 fruit on it in March. Sometimes it's better when they start out slow, good luck mate.

- Alison McGregor

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