Growing Bell Peppers

Planting, Growing, and Harvesting Bell Peppers

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What’s the best way to boost the productivity of your pepper plants? See our guide to growing and harvesting strong, healthy plants that will produce peppers to be proud of!

Sweet bell peppers are a tender, warm-season crop with a long growing season (60 to 90 days).

Many gardeners need to start peppers indoors to give them a head start! However, if you don’t have the means to sow peppers or have simply run out of time, remember you can find a fantastic range of ready-to-go seedlings and young plants online, while some garden centers and nurseries stock plants on the cusp of fruiting.

Peppers resist most garden pests and offer something for everyone: spicy, sweet, or hot; and a variety of colors, shapes, and sizes. On this page, we focus on growing sweet bell peppers but much of the advice for growing peppers is the same.

We also have a growing guide for jalapeño peppers for those who like it spicy! (Bell peppers do not contain capsaicin, which is the compound that gives hot peppers such as heir pungency and heat.)

Common Bell Pepper Questions

Do different-colored peppers come from different plants?

Surprisingly enough, the green and red bell peppers that we commonly see in supermarkets are actually the same pepper; the red bell peppers have just been allowed to mature on the plant longer, which changes their color and lets them develop a higher Vitamin C content. More mature peppers also tend to be sweeter than their greener counterparts.

However, there are quite a few varieties of bell peppers out there, including purple, yellow, orange, white, and brown ones.

Are there male and female peppers?

There is a popular myth which states that pepper fruits can be either male or female—the difference between them being that male peppers have 3 bumps on the bottom and are better for cooking, while female peppers have 4 bumps, have more seeds, are sweeter, and are better for eating raw. This is not true! Pepper fruits do not have a gender and any obvious difference between fruits is simply the result of growing conditions or variety.

Planting Dates for BELL PEPPERS

Planting Calendar for all Plants

Planting

When to Plant Peppers

If you’re sowing peppers indoors, wtart them off early in spring to give them more time to crop throughout the summer! Start seeds indoors 8 to 10 weeks before your last spring frost date. Germination is quickest at 77 to 90 Fahrenheit. If you’re planning to plant peppers outide, this should be done 2 to 3 weeks after the threat of frost has passed in the spring.
To achieve these sorts of temperatures you’ll need a heated propagator or heat mat. You can start seeds off at lower room temperatures but expect germination to be slower and potentially erratic. Ideal conditions should see seedlings appear within about two weeks, but some varieties take as long as five, so don’t give up on them too soon!
If growing from nursery-bought transplants, plant them outdoors 2 to 3 weeks after the threat of frost has passed. Be sure to harden young plants off prior to planting outdoors, as peppers are very sensitive to cool temperatures.

Start Peppers Indooors

Choose a potting mix that easily drains through after each watering. A quality, free-draining potting mix can be opened up a bit more by just mixing in some perlite like this. If your peppers are destined to go outside for the summer consider using a soil-based potting mix, which will add extra weight so that containers don’t topple over in the wind.
The soil temperature should be at least 70°F (21°C) for optimal seed germination, so keep them in a warm area for the best and fastest results. Use a heat pad under the seed tray, if necessary.
Plant seeds about ¼-inch deep (or refer to the seed packet).
Separate seedlings out and move them into their own pots before they become drawn and leggy. If seedlings do get a bit too tall, replant them up to their lowest leaves, just like tomatoes, to help support them. Keep seedlings warm until you’re ready to plant.
Peppers need plenty of light to encourage healthy, stocky plants that will be less prone to growing top-heavy and flopping over, so grow them on somewhere that is both warm and bright – a greenhouse or conservatory, or the sunniest windowsill you can muster until it’s time to move them outside.
Pot young plants on as the roots fill their pots. Transplanted seedlings begin at a pot size of around 3 inches, but it won’t take long for them to outgrow this. Once plants have around five to eight leaves and you can see roots at the drainage holes, it’s time to move them up a pot size – something like a 5-inch pot. Then once they’ve filled this, pot them on again, this time into a pot of about 8 inches. The final container size for most pepper plants is around 9 to 12 inches. Potting on in stages like this ensures plants aren’t ‘lost’ in containers significantly larger than their root balls. It also means less wasted potting mix should plants fail at a stage of growth.
You can keep the peppers in pots or transplant them outside into the garden.

Preparing the Outdoor Planting Site

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. Peppers don’t like to have “wet feet,” so avoid planting them in locations that get too wet.
A soil consistency somewhere between sandy and loamy will ensure that the soil drains well and warms quickly.
Soil pH should be on the slightly acidic side—6.0 to 7.0, ideally.
A week before transplanting peppers into the garden, introduce fertilizer or aged compost into your garden soil. Alternatively, mix in a slow-release fertilizer.
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.

Planting Peppers Outdoors

Begin to harden off plants about 10 days before transplanting outdoors, which should be done
The soil temperature should be at least 60°F (16°C) at the time of planting (though warmer is better), as peppers are very sensitive to cool temperatures. Speed up the warming of the soil by covering it with black plastic or a dark mulch about a week before you intend to plant.
When you transplant seedlings outdoors, space them 18 to 24 inches apart.
Plant the transplants no deeper than they were already planted in their pots; otherwise, the stems may become more susceptible to rot.

Check out this video to learn how to plant bell peppers:

Care

Watering Peppers

Peppers should never be allowed to struggle and soil moisture is especially important in this regard. Peppers like a good dousing but should be left to almost dry out between waterings – they need that period of relative dry. Once a week is typical. If the leaves have gone a bit limp, you’ve probably left it a little too long, but a thorough watering should sort things out.
If you’re growing in pots you can gauge whether the potting mix is dry enough by lifting the container to check its weight – it should be noticeably lighter, by pushing a finger into the soil to feel for moisture about an inch down.
If you live in a warm or desert climate, or are simply experiencing a hot, dry summer, watering everyday may be necessary. Peppers are susceptible to blossom-end rot if watering is not adequate.

Fertilizing Peppers

Peppers will need regular feeding using a liquid feed that’s high in potassium to promote flower production and fruit set – a tomato fertilizer works well. A liquid seaweed with a good range of trace minerals works well, too. A lack of these minerals, together with over watering, is a common cause of yellowing leaves.
After the first fruit set, fertilize with a low-nitrogen fertilizer. (Too much nitrogen can cause the plant to produce foliage instead of flowers and fruit!)

More Plant Care Tips

Weed carefully around plants to avoid disturbing roots.
If necessary, support plants with cages or stakes to prevent bending. Try commercially available cone-shaped wire tomato cages. They may not be ideal for tomatoes, but they are just the thing for peppers. Or, build your own garden supports.
In cooler, temperate climates or it gets windy where you live, consider growing your peppers under some form of protection. Peppers love this extra warmth. However, if it gets very hot, this can cause flowers to abort and drop, so move plants back outside when temperatures soar.

Here’s another great video on growing boosting the productivity of your peppers!

Pests/Diseases

Pollination can be reduced in temperatures below 60°F (16°C) and above 90°F (32°C). Too much nitrogen in the soil can produce healthy foliage growth but discourage fruit from setting. Flower drop is caused by high heat OR very low humidity. If the air is very dry, douse the soil with water and thoroughly mist plants.

Spider mites and aphids are two common pests of peppers, especially plants grown under cover. Spider mites – identified by the fine webbing on the underside of leaves – thrive in hot, dry weather. Mist-spray these areas regularly at the first sign of an attack to make conditions as hostile as possible for the mites.

Aphids also prefer the undersides of leaves but are found on other parts of the plant too. Squish isolated clusters, or for more serious infestations, take plants out into the open, away from other peppers, then carefully turn the plants upside down so you can brush Spider mites and aphids are two common pests of peppers, especially plants grown under cover. Spider mites – identified by the fine webbing on the underside of leaves – thrive in hot, dry weather. Mist-spray these areas regularly at the first sign of an attack to make conditions as hostile as possible for the mites

See more pest and disease information in the below chart:

Pest/Disease	Type	Symptoms	Control/Prevention
Anthracnose	Fungus	Yellow/brown/purple/black spots on leaves; sunken, dark spots on stems and fruit; spots may develop a salmon-pink, gelatinous mass; eventually, plants rot	Destroy infected plants; choose resistent varieties; provide good drainage; avoid overhead watering; apply compost for nutrition; use mulch; practice crop rotation. Find images and more information about anthracnose here.
Aphids	Insect	Misshapen/yellow leaves; distorted flowers/fruit; sticky “honeydew” (excrement produced by aphids); sooty, black mold that forms on honeydew; large presence of ants on plants	Grow companion plants to either attract aphids away (nasturtiums) or repel them outright (basil, rosemary, strong-scented plants); knock aphids off plants with water spray, apply insecticidal soap; put banana or orange peel around plants; wipe leaves with a 1-2% solution of liquid dish soap and water every 2-3 days for 2 weeks; add native plants to attract aphid predators. Find images and more information about aphids here.
Blossom-end Rot	Nutrient Deficiency	Caused by lack of sufficient calcium uptake. Symptoms: dark, water-soaked spots on blossom end of fruit (the side opposite the stem) may enlarge and become sunken, leathery, rotted	Remove affected fruit; plant at proper soil temperature; water deeply and evenly; use mulch; maintain proper soil pH (6.5) and nutrient levels; avoid excessive nitrogen; provide good drainage; avoid damaging roots. Find more images and information about blossom-end rot here.
Colorado Potato Beetles	Insect	Yellow-orange eggs laid in clusters on leaf undersides; larvae and adults chew holes in foliage	Remove eggs/larvae/beetles by hand; use straw mulch; weed around plants; use row covers; destroy plant matter at end of season; practice crop rotation
Flea Beetles	Insect	Numerous tiny holes in leaves (as if they had been hit by a tiny shotgun)	Use row covers to physically block flea beetles; mulch heavily; add native plants to attract beneficial insect predators. Find more information and images of flea beetles here.
Mosaic Virus (Cucumber)	Virus	Symptoms vary, but may include: stunting; mottled green/yellow/white pattern or ringed spots on leaves/fruit; distorted leaf growth; warts on fruit	Often spread by aphids. Destroy infected plants; choose resistant varieties and certified virus-free seed; use row covers; disinfect gardening tools after each use; keep garden weed-free; use mulch. Find images and more information about mosaic viruses here.
Root-knot Nematodes	Insect	Roots become “knotted” or galled; plants stunted/yellow/wilted	Destroy affected plant matter (especially roots); choose resistant varieties; expose soil to sun (solarize); add aged manure/compost; disinfect gardening tools between uses; till soil in autumn; practice crop rotation
Tomato Hornworms	Insect	Chewed leaves (initially toward top of plant); rapid defoliation; black/green excrement; gouged fruit	Check undersides of leaves for hornworms, remove by hand and dispose of hornworms. (If you encounter hornworms that have white, ricelike cocoons on their backs, relocate them instead; the cocoons belong to beneficial parasitic wasps.) Till soil in autumn and spring; companion plant with dill/basil/marigolds to attract (and trap) or repel hornworms; spray plants with Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis). Find images and more information about hornworms here.

Harvest/Storage

How to Harvest Peppers

Once the plants begin producing fruits, pick them promptly, the moment they have reached their full size and color. Regular picking encourages plants to produce more flowers and, of course, more fruits.
That said, the longer bell peppers stay on the plant, the more sweet they become and the greater their vitamin C content.
Use a sharp knife or scissors to cut peppers clean off the plant.

How to Store Peppers

Peppers can be refrigerated in plastic bags for up to 10 days after harvesting.
Gluts of bell peppers can be dried whole in a dehydrator or any warm place with good airflow. If you just have a conventional, here are directions on how to dry peppers for storage:
- Wash, core, and seed the peppers. Cut into one-half-inch strips. Steam for about ten minutes, then spread on a baking sheet. Dry in the oven at 140°F (or the lowest possible temperature) until brittle, stirring occasionally and switching tray positions.
- When the peppers are cool, put them in bags or storage containers or airtight jars. Or, chop peppers up for packing into ice-cube trays. Freeze them then pop them out into freezer bags ready for dropping into recipes as needed.

Green bell peppers on plant

Recommended Varieties

Look for varieties that ripen to their full color quickly; fully mature peppers are the most nutritious—and tastier, too!

Green peppers that turn Red: ‘Lady Bell’, ‘Gypsy’, ‘Bell Boy’, ‘Lipstick’
…Orange: ‘Milena’, ‘Orange Sun’
…Yellow: ‘Golden California Wonder’

Wit & Wisdom

Recipes

Cooking Notes

To learn how to make pickled bell peppers, watch this video!
Get more tips on cooking with peppers.

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Reader Comments

This page is pretty awesome.

This page is pretty awesome. It has everything you need in it!

do I need a light when I

do I need a light when I start bell peppers some seeds.

Yes u will need the sun when

Yes u will need the sun when u plant the seeds

We are going to grow some

We are going to grow some bell peppers but we're curious if it is safe to plant these close to our housing foundation? Does anyone have any ideas about this?

If you are concerned about

If you are concerned about soil contaminants, you might want to have a soil test done beforehand. Your county's Cooperative Extension may be able to give you some names of soil testing labs that test for contaminants. If your home has been built before 1978, and was painted, it may be that it was with lead paint. In this case, we'd suggest having your soil tested, not planting edibles near the foundation, and using a raised bed further out in the yard.
For more information, you might see:
http://homeguides.sfgate.com/s...
Gardening guidelines for soil with lead:
http://www.douglascountyhealth...

I'm planting mini sweets

I'm planting mini sweets peppers can i grow these inside, take them in and out everyday if so what size pot would i need

Depending on where you live,

Depending on where you live, it is a little too cold now to grow peppers outdoors (they like warmth). In general, mini sweet bell peppers can grow in a 5-gallon pot, about 12 inches deep and 12 inches wide. One plant per pot. You can certainly grow them in a greenhouse. If you do not have a greenhouse, but have a location that will be about 70F to 80F or so in temperature consistently, then you can grow them indoors over winter. They will need about 14 to 16 hours of daylight or fluorescent grow lights (1 cool bulb type, 1 warm) per day. Set the plant lights about 4 to 6 inches above the plants. You will need to hand pollinate the flowers to encourage fruiting. Keep up with the watering. Good luck!

HI, Do you have a list of

HI, Do you have a list of effects of climate change in bell pepper? like high temperature and precipitation

I would like to overwinter my

I would like to overwinter my yellow bell peppers, but don't have enough space or light in the house. So I bought a portable Greenhouse (56 x 56 x 77 inches). The peppers are in air pruning pots and I live in zone 8b.
Will they make it alright through the winter in there as is, or do I need to provide a heat source? How low can the temperature get, before it hurts them?
If I need to heat the greenhouse, what would you suggest as heat source that is not too expensive?

It depends on how cold it

It depends on how cold it gets in the winter. You may be OK with a couple of seedling heat mats under the pots or you can get a couple of heating lamps and turn them on before a cold front approaches. A small space heater with a fan will also work.

For 2 years I have planted

For 2 years I have planted green peppers in the spring with my other plants and I don't harvest any peppers until mid-September.The plants are healthy and leafy but flowers don't appear until august , what can i change to harvest them in the summer.

Peppers like warm soil, above

Peppers like warm soil, above 65F. Cold soil may slow the flowering process. You might try choosing an early-maturing variety, and placing black plastic over the soil a week or two before planting (see above for recommended planting times) and leaving it there after sowing seeds or transplanting. The black plastic will help to keep the soil warm. In colder climates, start the seeds indoors. Hope this helps!

Use miracle grow potting soil

Use miracle grow potting soil if u havnt already. It will make your flowers blume earlier and faster. While at the same time u will have a healthier plant that will produce flowers sumtimes within a week or two uwill have small peppers come out wen the accuall flower falls off. Just like the regular process but a lil faster. Ive harvested a numbrr of really greally great peppers starting in august an im still pulling off more and more

Yes mirical grow is very

Yes mirical grow is very helpful with gardens last year we used it and our garden was a great success

I've been planting green and

I've been planting green and red peppers. I am wondering how late they can stay outside and cover up at night. I live in Maine. Just need some guideline. I have a tons of green peppers, but need to grow a little bit more and new buds coming.

Peppers love warm soil and

Peppers love warm soil and sun. They are not going to be growing much more when the temps. drop. If you cover the plants at night you can keep them in the garden for another few weeks. If you have room you can dig a few plants to bring indoors. Plant them in containers and place them in a sunny window.

I have tried to find info on

I have tried to find info on peppers in colorado that are almost ready for harvest- but no quite. We have an early frost/freeze(32) and snow headed in. Do I need to harvest or can I leave them on the plant. Most websites talk about early spring damage.
I also have cucumbers, corn, squash, and all the usual backyard vegetables.

Try to cover your peppers

Try to cover your peppers with old sheets or towels. You may also want to cover the cucumbers and squash plants.

I've asked partially about

I've asked partially about this before. I have one sweet pepper plant where the peppers started out green, then turned black...now they're turning green again. I've left them on the plant hoping they would turn yellow, orange or red. Is this normal for them to go black and then back to green?

Yes, the black stage is

Yes, the black stage is normal, Karen (assuming the plant is healthy). The red color should follow—or you can eat them black.

Are there any sweet pepper

Are there any sweet pepper varieties that might do better with climate change? I have grown Califirnia Goldens and a red easily up until the last two seasons in Piedmont NC where the temperatures are no longer favorable.

My dog got into the garden

My dog got into the garden and the stem broke. It did not break all the way but it is severely cracked near the base of the plant. The plant already had a lot of vegetables and flowers growing on it. I added a pot to the side to help it stand and covered the crack with dirt. Is there a chance that the plant will survive or is it pretty much done for.

Only time will tell. If the

Only time will tell. If the injury left some of the vascular system intact, so that the plant juices and nutrients can still flow between the roots, stem, leaves, and fruit, then there might be a chance it will muddle through to the end of the season. But, the plant is now more susceptible to disease and insects, and may possibly go into shock. Providing support is good--do anything else that you can to coddle the plant so that it is under the least stress possible. Good luck!

I put all my veggies in tires

I put all my veggies in tires and they are doing great. Pepper plants are staring to lean do I need to build cages around them?

Your peppers will greatly

Your peppers will greatly appreciate some extra support.

I have four or five organic

I have four or five organic red, yellow and orange sweet pepper plants. On only one plant, all the small peppers have black around the part of the plant closest to the place where the pepper began...and as they grow, they are turning black. Is this a disease and, if so, do I need to pull it up so my other pepper plants won't get it?

Do you mean the stem end or

Do you mean the stem end or the bottom of the pepper? Black areas starting at the bottom of the pepper might be due to blossom end rot. This is caused by a calcium deficiency which can show up in dry weather or uneven watering. It might also happen if there is root damage, a lot of salts in the soil, or lots of nitrogen. In this case, you don't need to worry about other plants getting the disease, since it is a cultural problem. Mulch to maintain moisture, and water consistently. Avoid high-nitrogen fertilizer.

If the black area is at the stem end, it might be bacterial soft rot. This is caused by bacteria that causes watersoaked areas on the fruit, which rots. Leaves will wilt. Discard any affected fruit, and give your plants plenty of spacing so that they have good air circulation; keep up with pests; and mulch to keep the bacteria in the soil from splashing onto plants.

Or, perhaps the variety was mislabelled and it is actually a black sweet pepper? In which case it is just part of the ripening process.

It's right around the stem

It's right around the stem area of each pepper on this plant. It's brownish black, looks like some kind of accumulation of material and as soon as the peppers start growing about 3/4 of an inch, they start having these dark stripes in them. I pulled one off and cut it open but didn't see anything inside except seeds.

Hmm. Stripes can sometimes

Hmm. Stripes can sometimes mean a virus (unless it is a natural feature of the fruit), especially if there are other signs, such as curling, mottled, or yellowing leaves; or misshapen fruit.

We'd suggest that you take a sample of the fruit and any other affected plant part to your local Cooperative Extension agent, or to a horticulturist at a local garden nursery. They might be able to identify the problem. For your Cooperative Extension contact information, see:

http://www.almanac.com/content...

Hi, we're in Montreal, first

Hi, we're in Montreal, first time gardeners, and we planted three kinds of tomatoes, cucumbers, Anaheim peppers, Cubanelle peppers, leek, and red bell pepper; all were purchased as young plants and transplanted into the same garden on the same day (late May). Everything has worked great, notably due to advice on this site, with the exception of the leek plant (which appears to have just suddenly withered and died) and all five red bell pepper plants, which appear to be thriving but have yet to bear a single fruit, now early August. I understand from the comments here that the culprit here is usually non-optimal temperature, but I find it strange that all the other plants are producing extremely plentiful fruit. Any theories? Thank you!