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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19 Jan 09, cal (Australia - temperate climate)
We have had our capsicums for a couple of years now and they still produce crop every season if they are not let too dry out
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12 Jan 09, Lucy (New Zealand - temperate climate)
Hi, I am wanting to know why my capsicums are getting dry on the bottom of the base stem, my mum says it's because i'm not watering them enough (i'm 13) but I water them every day, can somebody please tell me why and how I can fix it?
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12 Jan 09, Aaron (Australia - temperate climate)
My capsicum plants seem to get flower buds before their actually tall enough to get normal size fruit,should i just keep picking the flower buds out from the middle growing tip until the plants are tall enough to produce a normal size fruit?
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05 Jan 09, Liz (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Robyn, Rob and Diane, it seems likely that your capsicums are being attacked by a bacterial disease. You should be able to get some advice and assistance about treatment from your local plant shop.
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05 Jan 09, Diane (Australia - temperate climate)
I have the same problem as Robyn - large soft spot rotting on capsicums - any clues?
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28 Dec 08, Rob (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
My capsicum plants are growing really well, but as soon as the flower has fininshed a black area appears on the stem above and below where the flower joins the plant and it falls off. What could be wrong and how can I stop it please?
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18 Dec 08, Wayne (New Zealand - temperate climate)
Hi my caps and chillis are in my hothouse the temperatures can get up to 42cel is this too hot and will it affect their growth
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11 Dec 08, Liz (New Zealand - temperate climate)
Lucy, my capsicums have also been slow starting. I think the cool spring nights have slowed them down. You should see some improvement as the weather settles down.
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10 Dec 08, lucy (New Zealand - temperate climate)
how long do capsicums take to grow? because I put some in in september and they were allready seedlings and now their about 20cm tall but they are not flowering, why not???
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05 Dec 08, robyn (Australia - tropical climate)
Our capsicum plants grow lush and fast. The fruit gets to be about half size, then gets a sudden large soft spot which rots. They are in raised beds with well composted, mushroom compost, soil.
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Showing 481 - 490 of 521 comments
See comments for all plants

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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