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 64°F and 95°F. (Show °C/cm)
  • Space plants: 8 - 20 inches 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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09 Feb 16, Brian Peat (Australia - temperate climate)
Once the fruit has formed and taken off the plant is the plant finished with then
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09 Feb 16, vonnie (Australia - temperate climate)
Hi, we have been growing the yellow capiscum was doing really well heaps of fruit then just started dying please help. Vonnie
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31 Jan 16, Robert Cragun (USA - Zone 6a climate)
We live in central utah and have always had trouble getting bell peppers to grow to matuity..what are some good ways to get these finicky guys to mature?
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07 Jan 22, Sarah (USA - Zone 8a climate)
I've had better luck growing them against the southern side of the house. That way the heat from the sun is bouncing back off the building onto the plants. You can also make a little wall around them to help heat them.
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30 Jan 16, Lil (Australia - temperate climate)
I have a capsicum plant about 25cm tall with lots of flowers forming. Should I remove some of the flowers so the plant will grow bigger or not??? Thanks ahead for your comments :)
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28 Jan 16, Noel Eustace (Australia - temperate climate)
Why does my capsicum fall off when half grown?
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17 Jan 16, Hazel (South Africa - Humid sub-tropical climate)
My green peppers takes long to produce fruit and the leaves looks wilted all the time .
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17 Mar 16, Bee-Pie (South Africa - Summer rainfall climate)
The soil may be nitrogen rich and lack phosphorus. Add aged compost to the planting bed. Alternatively, add some blood or bone meal.
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16 Jan 16, Betty (Australia - temperate climate)
The leaves of capsicum plants have lots of holes. I caught some green worms. Are there any non-chemical ways to kill or prevent the further destroy? Many thanks.
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21 Jan 16, Louise (Australia - temperate climate)
Look into companion planting, usually marigolds will do the trick but sure there are others.
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Showing 191 - 200 of 521 comments
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Depends on what type of capsium you are looking for. For ordinary bell peppers try California Wonder. They grow quite easily. I don't know how well you know the cycle of the pepper, but yellow peppers actually come from the same plant as green and red. All peppers start out green - hence the name "green pepper". This is also the time to start picking them. However, if you leave them on the plant, the green pepper will turn yellow. If left longer it will turn orange, then red and finally purple. There's just one snag: your plant will produce more peppers if they are picked green than left to turn yellow, orange, red and purple which is probably why green peppers are so much cheaper then their brothers. I always found it difficult to grow peppers from seeds gotten from fruits bought in stores. Rather buy a dried, treated seed like Stykes and Ayres. There's a wonderful seller on Bid or Buy called Seeds for Africa. They sell all matter of seeds and have quite a variety of capsium seeds from peppers to chillies. You might want to check them out.

- Micky Brand

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