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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23 Mar 09, craig mcleod (Australia - temperate climate)
I have lost a few capsicums this year, a spot develops on the upper side of the fruit just before it is ripe. possibly similar to the other comments regarding a soft spot. if left, this develops into a hole, and the fruit rots around the hole. the rest of the fruit seems ok though, and there do not appear to be any maggots or grubs. Any ideas?
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16 Mar 09, Emma May (Australia - tropical climate)
I live in yeppoon and not sure if its just because the soil is good but I just threw my capsicum scraps into my flower bed about 3 months ago and now I have just noticed little capsicum plants in the flower bed and there is green capsicums on the plants (they're not ready to picked yet) I'm wondering could I move them? worried something will eat them... I have an above ground veggie enclosure and was thinking of moving them into there.
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15 Mar 09, (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
i'd like to know how to tell when a purple capsicum is ready for picking?
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12 Mar 09, travis (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
you should pick it by the bottom of the capsicum
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04 Mar 09, Mary Ann (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Crocodile Manure, I have a friend who gets it for me from a reserve at Airlie Beach. It is not commercially available yet, but we are planning to market it soon. I will keep you all posted. In the interim you could do a search of the above mentioned farm, (which I cannot name for obvious reasons), on Google. There are also other reserves in Australia. Snap to it!
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03 Mar 09, nancy (Australia - temperate climate)
fruit fly attack on capsicum we need to know can we cover the plant or will this stop pollination?
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03 Mar 09, Hannah (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
I have a problem that sounds similar to some others... the plant will produce one flower begin to grow a capsicum and then it just falls off. Sometimes the flower bud doesn't even open and drops off. How can I stop this from happening? The plant is about 6 months old.
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16 Feb 09, Jeannette (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
What makes capsicums turn brown and rot just around the stem??
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31 Jan 09, Louisa (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
I have a problem with capsicums that fall off when small and green. i can eat them like this, but would like to have the choice and get some bigger and / or red ones too. could an animal be knocking them off the bush? the plant seems quite delicate?
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21 Jan 09, sarju (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
hi i am a farmer son. i want to know how to grow capsicum,and what type of a fertilizer should i use...and at wat time i have to plant .andfrom where should i get seeds of capsicum......
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Could be a number of reasons ... A common ailment with capsicum is blossom-end rot. This condition just effects the fruit and not the plant blossom or flower. The condition gets its name because the symptoms appear at the ‘blossom end’ of the fruit. The first sign of blossom-end rot is that the end of the fruit becomes off-whitish to brown in colour and takes on a ‘sunken in’ appearance. As the fruit matures, these symptoms become more pronounced and the colour of the rot becomes dark brown to almost black. Blossom-end rot is caused by insufficient calcium supply. However, the most common cause is from irregular watering during the critical growing period of the young fruit. Even when calcium levels in the soil are sufficient, a plant receiving insufficient or irregular water will have difficulty absorbing and delivering calcium to the fruit. To control blossom-end rot. Boost the soil with calcium by adding lime, dolomite, gypsum or composted animal manures before planting the seedlings. Water regularly. Most capsicum crops continue to flower and bear fruit for prolonged periods of time, so ensure the soil around their roots is kept moist. Avoid fertilisers with a high nitrogen content. Nitrogen fertilisers will promote leaf growth at the expense of fruit, allocating calcium to the leaves instead of to the fruit.

- ej

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