Bell peppers are one of the most popular vegetables grown in home gardens thanks to their sweet flavor, crunchy texture, and bright colors. Also called sweet peppers or capsicums, they are extremely versatile — add them raw to salads and dips, stuff and bake them, or sauté slices as a quick side dish. The good news for home gardeners is that bell peppers are not difficult to grow as long as you give them warm temperatures, plenty of sunlight, and nutrient-rich soil.
This step-by-step growing guide will walk you through everything you need to successfully plant, care for, troubleshoot issues, and harvest armloads of gorgeous, delicious bell peppers this season. We’ll cover choosing the right varieties for your climate, starting seeds indoors or outdoors, preparing soil, when and how to transplant seedlings, watering and fertilizing needs, what to do about pests or diseases, and recognizing when vibrantly colored peppers are at peak ripeness for picking.
How to Choose a Type of Bell Peppers for Growing?
When selecting which bell pepper varieties to grow, consider your climate and preferred color, shape, taste, and how you plan to use the harvested peppers. The most popular options include:
- This is early, green to red bell bears impressive 8″ long fruits and has thick, crunchy walls perfect for stuffing, adding to salsa or salads raw, or roasting. Ace tolerates cooler conditions better than other varieties yet still produces decently in hot weather.
- Big Bertha. One of the largest bells reaching up to 1 foot long, deep green Big Bertha turns crimson red if left on the vine longer and offers a sweet flavor and juicy crunch for salads, fajitas, or veggie trays. This heirloom thrives in hot, humid climates and bears the majority of its enormous, thick-walled fruits very early.
- Blushing Beauty. Adding vibrant color to gardens and salads, these 4-lobed, thick-walled bells ripen from lavender with yellow stripes to orange and finally scarlet red. The 3-4” fruits have mildly sweet flavor and stand up well to high temperatures and humidity without wilting or cracking.
- California Wonder. The classic bell pepper with big yields, California Wonder bears blocky, crunchy, thick-walled fruits starting green and ripening to bright red. Growing up to 4” long, the heaviest harvest comes mid-season and the peppers have great flavor raw, cooked, stuffed, or added to salsa.
- Corno di Toro. Named “bull’s horn” for their unique tapered, horn-shaped fruits that can grow over 7” long, this Italian heirloom ripens from green to glowing red with wonderfully sweet, juicy thick flesh — perfect for eating fresh. These plants produce heavily and tolerate cool climates better than most other pepper varieties.
- Distinctive wavy-edged, elongated yellow and orange striped fruits make Gypsy peppers a stand-out visually, ripening later to orange-red. The 3-5” long crunchy peppers have a mildly spicy flavor that adds interest and works well stuffed, grilled, or fresh in salads at 5–6 fruits per plant.
- King Arthur. AAS Winner with impressive yields on 30+ inch plants, the blocky bell-shaped fruits bulge with crunchy sweet flesh. King Arthur peppers start out a dark green and mature to a vibrant red color while remaining thick-walled and flavorful.
- Purple Beauty. The stunning, deep purple skin and flesh of these bell peppers makes them unique and eye-catching for gardens, salads and stuffing at 3-4” long. The thick crunchy walls start out green, ripening through purple, purple-red and then brown-red with a sweet, fruity flavor.
- From Spain, these pointed, heart-shaped peppers grow 5” long and 3” wide in a bright orange-red color. Perfect for gazpacho and salads, they have thin walls with a refreshing flavor that ranges from mild and sweet to mildly spicy depending on climate and soil.
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What Are the Bell Peppers Stages of Growth?
Bell peppers go through a few key stages of growth during their lifecycle. Understanding the phases of development helps ensure you provide the right care at the right time for the best harvest.
Seedling
Bell pepper seeds will germinate in 7–30 days when kept moist and warm, around 70°F. The seedlings initially emerge with rounded, nearly heart-shaped cotyledons, or seed leaves, followed by the first pair of pointed true leaves. Keep the young seedlings under grow lights or bright sunlight in a warm area to encourage strong early growth. Avoid overwatering at this delicate stage.
The seedling stage lasts 3–4 weeks. Feed seedlings a diluted liquid fertilizer once true leaves appear. When the stems reach 2–4 inches tall and seedlings have 3-4 true leaves, they are ready for transplanting outdoors after final frost. Use care in handling the delicate root balls. Burly, stocky plants with dark green leaves will adjust best to transplanting. Shelter seedlings if cold nights occur before they establish stronger growth.
Early Growth
Once seedlings reach 2–4 inches tall, transplant them into the garden after any danger of frost has passed, spacing 18–24 inches apart. The establishment period after transplanting can last up to two weeks as the peppers adjust to outdoor conditions. Water the transplants deeply and provide a nutrient boost with organic fertilizer. Sturdy staking helps the leafy plants withstand wind or heavy rainfall. The bushy vegetative phase lasts 30–50 days until the start of flowering.
Peppers thrive with warm days and nights above 60°F. After transplant shock passes, the plants show vigorous new growth. Side dress with an organic vegetable fertilizer when blossoms start forming to fuel the fruiting stage. Apply an inch of mulch around transplants to help retain moisture and nutrition. Sturdy cages, stakes, or trellises prevent later damage to heavy fruit laden branches. Train one or two main stems to maximize productivity in a small garden.
Maturation
Flower buds form 40–80 days after transplanting, opening first as small white blooms. If successfully pollinated, the flowers develop into green fruits, which gradually enlarge and change color as they ripen. Most sweet bell peppers reach mature size 60–120 days from transplanting. Leave fruits on the bush as long as possible for maximum sweetness until the deep, vivid red, orange, yellow or purple color develops. Harvest with scissors or pruners to avoid damaging plants.
Ripe bell peppers store more sugars and antioxidants than unripe ones. Time your planting and variety choice, so some peppers mature before first frost. Green peppers can be picked sooner and allowed to ripen indoors. To increase yields, often pick, so plants keep flowering instead of slowing production. Pull spent plants at the end of the season and compost healthy ones. Leave the healthiest producer in place and mulch heavily to overwinter it for earlier yields next year.
Flowering
Flower buds form 40–80 days after transplanting seedlings outdoors, once the plants reach 18–24 inches tall. Small white blooms initially open, lasting up to a week, followed by more buds and blooms continuing through summer. Pepper flowers have both male and female parts, but still benefit from vibration or active bees to transfer pollen from flower to flower. Lack of fruit set early on results from inadequate pollination during flowering.
Optimal flowering and pollination occurs with consistent warm temperatures and moisture. Avoid applying nitrogen fertilizers during flowering, which leads to leafy growth instead of fruit production. Phosphorus and potassium provide the best bloom boost. Grow compatible flowering plants like marigolds or bee balm nearby to encourage more pollinator activity for better fruit set on the peppers.
Fruiting
After successful pollination, the flowers fade and the ovary begins to enlarge into a pepper fruit. Tiny green pepper fruits become visible 2–4 weeks after flowering started. The young fruits develop rapidly over the next month, eventually maturing to full sized, vividly colored bell peppers after 60–120 days total from transplanting. Sweet bell peppers turn red, yellow, orange, purple or brown when completely ripe and full of antioxidants.
Once fruits begin rapidly swelling, apply weekly liquid fertilizer higher in potassium and with reduced nitrogen to nourish the heavy fruiting. Cover developing peppers to protect from sunscald. Larger fruited varieties may need extra staking for support once heavy with multiple large peppers. Harvest peppers once glossy and fully colored but still firm. The fruits do not continue ripening off the plant. Time the final harvest before heavy frosts damage the aging plants.
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A Complete Guide for Growing Bell Peppers
Growing sweet bell peppers successfully requires some advance planning and preparation before transplanting seedlings out into the garden. Follow this complete guide covering all aspects of choosing varieties, starting seeds, transplanting, and caring for your pepper plants through harvest for your best yields yet.
Get the Equipment
When starting peppers from seed, you’ll need containers, heat mats, light fixtures, and a soilless starting mix. Outdoors, raised beds, black or red plastic mulch, row covers, plastic tunnels, and sturdy cages or trellises boost production. Have organic fertilizer on hand, and compost and aged manure to mix into garden beds. Inside, set up a space for seedlings with grow lights on adjustable chains and fans for air circulation.
Seedlings need lots of light, so set up grow lights with adjustable chains to keep them 2–4 inches above the seedlings as they grow. Use full spectrum LED or fluorescent tubes 14–16 hours daily for compact, stocky growth. Gentle airflow prevents fungal disease, so use circulating fans on low setting. Once night temperatures stay above 50° F, harden off the seedlings for 7–10 days before transplanting outdoors.
Choose Pepper Seed
Select bell pepper varieties suited to your climate and maturity length that fit your space constraints. Short-season peppers produce faster for regions with shorter summers. Compact, bushy varieties grow well in containers. Choose an array of different colored fruits for interest and different flavors. Factors like disease resistance and productivity also vary among cultivars. For the widest harvest period, plant a mix of early, mid, and late-season bell peppers.
When selecting specific bell pepper varieties, study seed catalogs and regional university extension guides for best choices. Seek out compact, container-friendly cultivars like «Red Knight» as well as heirlooms like «California Wonder» or «King of the North». Choose a colorful mix of green to red, orange, yellow, purple, white, and even chocolate brown peppers. The Perfect Pepper Project from Cornell offers bred varieties resistant to common diseases.
Prepare the Seeds for Planting
Start bell pepper seeds indoors 8–10 weeks before the last expected spring frost, since the seedlings grow slowly at first. Pepper seeds need consistent warmth around 75°F to germinate well — use a heat mat for best results. Soak seeds overnight or scrub with sandpaper to soften or wear down the seed coating. Sow 3–4 seeds together at 1⁄4 inch depth in sterile seed starting mix. Place containers on a heat mat under grow lights until sprouted.
Check moisture daily and keep the starting mix constantly damp, but not saturated, until seedlings emerge in 10–20 days. Carefully transplant overcrowded clumps of seedlings soon after the cotyledons appear, moving them into cell packs or 3-4 inch pots. Handling the tiny seedlings by a leaf instead of the easily damaged stems prevents harm. Keep lights very close to the short seedlings to prevent legginess. Grow on the strongest couple seedlings per pot.
Prepare Soil
Good soil preparation is key to robust pepper plants and impressive harvests. Peppers grow best in well-drained, nutrient rich soil with a pH of 6.0-6.5. Test your garden beds in fall and add lime if needed to reach the ideal pH range. Dig in 2–3 inches of aged compost or manure before planting. In spring, mix in an organic vegetable fertilizer following package rates or triple the amount used for heavy feeding plants like tomatoes.
Raised beds warm faster in spring and provide better drainage. Install drip irrigation if possible. To conserve moisture, cut back weeds and lay down 4–6 sheets of newspaper or cardboard before topping with 4 inches of wood chip mulch. The layered barrier prevents weeds while allowing rain and watering to penetrate. If desired, cover planting rows with black or red plastic mulch for additional warming and weed suppression.
Plant the Seeds
If starting pepper seeds directly in the garden, wait 2–3 weeks after the last expected frost date for reliably warm soil. Soak seeds overnight and gently file down seed coating before planting 1⁄4 inch deep and 18–24 inches apart in rows or wide raised beds. Cover seeded rows with floating row cover to retain heat and moisture. Thin overcrowded seedlings to one plant every 18–24 inches once established.
For transplants, harden off the stocky seedlings for 10–14 days before transplanting out after danger of frost is past. Water transplants well the day before and again right after planting. Poke holes with a trowel or tube deep enough to set plants at the same soil level as in containers. Firm soil gently around each plant and water thoroughly. Protect new transplants with floating row covers or tunnels if cool weather returns.
Control Temperature and Humidity
Warm weather peppers thrive best with daytime temperatures of 70-80°F and 60-70°F nights. They grow poorly below 60°F or with extreme midsummer heat over 90°F. Consider season extension devices like fabric row tunnels, plastic mulch, or cloches to boost warmth early on.
Mist seedlings to increase humidity, which aids germination and early growth. Outdoors water soil deeply without wetting plant leaves to reduce disease. Ensure garden beds drain well and allow plenty of air circulation around plants.
Water Regularly
Peppers are mostly composed of water and need constant moisture for healthy growth and productivity. Irregular watering causes blossom drop and misshapen fruits with bitter flavor. Use drip irrigation or aim water at soil level when hand watering to keep foliage dry. Peppers are very drought sensitive. Ensure young plants receive 1–2 inches of water weekly as fruits start swelling. Deep water established plants weekly in summer, allowing soil to partly dry down between soakings. Add mulch to retain soil moisture longer.
During flowering and fruit setting stages, peppers should receive consistent weekly watering of 1–2 inches to produce their best yield. Trickle water slowly over several hours, or check soil between multiple cycles when hand watering. Invest in commercial soaker hoses or drip irrigation tubing and timers if possible to automate watering. Drought stress is the most common cause of failure to bear fruits, so don’t let plants dry out completely.
Add Fertilizer
Incorporate balanced organic vegetable fertilizer into garden beds before planting at recommended rates. Once pepper plants start flowering, side dress granular, slow release vegetable food along each row or add liquid fertilizer weekly to keep plants vigorously growing as fruits swell. Fish emulsion, compost tea, worm castings, or seaweed extracts make excellent organic liquid feeds.
Use organic instead of synthetic fertilizers, which can burn tender pepper roots. Seek out formulas higher in phosphorus and potassium than nitrogen. Look for the NKP analysis on containers. A 5-10-10 or 5-10-15 formula applied according to package rates provides the best nutrition for flowering and fruit set. Mix some Epsom salts or calcium into one liquid feeding monthly to prevent blossom end rot issues.
Provide Enough Light
Grow lights should deliver 14–16 hours of bright light daily once seedlings emerge and continue until a couple of weeks before transplanting outside into full sun. Inadequate light early on causes leggy, weak plants. Outdoors select a sunny, south facing spot sheltered from wind for peppers. Supplement with grow lights or add reflectors to focus more sunlight onto plants if light levels drop below optimum.
Rotate rows or containers with young pepper plants frequently, so all sides receive equal sunlight to prevent leaning and lopsided growth towards the light. In cooler climates, cover transplants with fabric row tunnels to intensify sunlight and warmth. Remove covers during the heat of midsummer days. Install taller support cages around plants to avoid shading developing fruits. Keep nearby plants trimmed back to maximize light for best productivity.
Harvest Your Peppers
Bell peppers reach peak flavor and nutrition when allowed to fully ripen on the bush. Fruits ripen from dark green to vivid yellow, orange, red, purple or brown depending on variety. Harvest peppers once they feel firm and heavy and have developed shiny, flawless skin minus any blemishes or soft spots. The majority of varieties turn red when completely ripe.
Use hand pruners or scissors for harvesting to avoid damaging plants. Gently twist peppers while clipping if the stems resist pulling free easily. Check plants daily once fruits begin reddening. The glossy appearance signals peak ripeness before deterioration sets in from over maturity on the plant. Time the end-of-season harvest before heavy frost threatens unprotected plants.
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What Plants Are Suitable to Grow with Bell Peppers?
Certain vegetables, herbs, and flowers make excellent companion plants for growing alongside bell peppers to boost yields, deter pests, and increase garden biodiversity. Beneficial companion options include:
- With its pungently fragrant leaves and showy flowers, basil makes an attractive and beneficial companion for bell peppers by confusing pests and enhancing flavor when interplanted. Sweet or spicy basils help repel flying insects and caterpillars while improving the growth and productivity of nearby pepper plants in containers or garden beds.
- Your garden benefits all season long from cheery marigolds planted among vegetables like peppers, since the roots secrete protective compounds while the flowers lure pollinators. Choose scented French or African marigolds with especially robust aromas to effectively deter whiteflies, beetles, nematodes and other common garden pests.
- Carrots and onions. Use carrots and onions as living mulch and scented protection planted along borders encircling pepper plants to help control pests. Their strong scents mask the sweet aroma of bell peppers, which can attract too much unwanted insect attention, leading to damage.
- Trailing nasturtium vines with their brightly colored edible flowers make beautiful living mulch under peppers, while also luring in beneficial predatory insects. Plant nasturtiums around or among peppers to fill space and repel destructive aphids, beetles, squash bugs and whiteflies.
- With prolific bright blooms that attract pollinators and add long-lasting color in garden beds and containers, petunias also repel leafhoppers, asparagus beetles and other common vegetable pests. Interplanting petunias among peppers helps reduce pest damage and increases flowering and fruit production.
- French marigolds. For the most powerful pest protection, choose small-flowered, intensely fragrant French marigold varieties to interplant liberally throughout the veggie patch. The roots release protective biochemicals as these marigolds confuse whiteflies, deter slugs and nematodes and limit soil diseases.
- This delicate annual herb with lacy foliage likes the same growing conditions as peppers. Not only is chervil an excellent culinary herb, but the roots and plant juices also suppress diseases like soft rot in surrounding vegetable plants, including peppers.
- Tall, flowering dill attracts many beneficial pollinators and predatory wasps to the garden, increasing pepper yields. Dill’s strong aroma also helps limit pests like cabbage worms, making it the perfect productive companion for pepper beds, containers, and edging.
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Common Problems with Bell Peppers
Even when provided with ideal growing conditions, bell peppers can still face challenges from pests, disease, or environmental factors that lead to issues like poor fruit set. Some common pepper problems include:
- Blossom drop. Extreme heat, inconsistent watering, and poor pollination cause flowers to fall off without forming pepper fruits behind them. Ensure adequate irrigation during summer, provide shade cloth temporarily during heat waves, and plant flowers and herbs to attract more pollinators.
- Peppers exposed to too much intense sunlight exhibit light tan blisters and lesions, especially on the shoulders of fruits. Spread reflective mulch under plants, shade with row covers, or grow heat tolerant varieties like Sweet Sunset to limit burning.
- Blossom end rot. Low calcium and water stress create dark sunken spots on the bottoms of developing peppers. Mix crushed eggshells or gypsum into soil and maintain regular deep watering to help prevent issues.
- Curled leaves. Leaf edges turn pale and curl upward, indicating viral infections often spread by insects feeding on plants. Control viruses by managing pests that spread diseases and pull badly infected plants promptly.
- Poor fruit set. Lack of viable seed resulting from cool weather, over-fertilizing, or ineffective pollination prevents flower fertilization and triggers heavy blossom drop. Ensure night temps stay above 55°F, and plant companion flowers and herbs to boost pollination success for better fruiting.
- Misshapen peppers. Insufficient boron and calcium due to low soil pH creates pointed, cupped, or irregularly lumpy pepper fruits. Test soil pH yearly, amending beds with lime if below 6.0, and spray younger plants with calcium-boron mix as fruits form.
- Verticillium wilt. Leaves yellow, then fade tan or gray and dry out while vines collapse from soil-borne fungal infections. Improve drainage, solarize beds to kill pathogens, or grow resistant varieties like Paladin, Revolution, or Declaration.
- White, green or black soft-bodied insects cluster and feed on tender new growth, causing stunting if infestations swell. Knock aphids off with blasts of water and release ladybugs or lacewings to provide heavy-duty organic control of damaging populations.
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Tips for Growing Bell Peppers
Bell peppers are popular vegetables, widely used for their sweet, mild flavor and crunchy texture in recipes or enjoyed fresh. These colorful fruits come in green, yellow, orange, red, purple, and even chocolate varieties. Growing bell peppers successfully requires paying attention to details, as they need plenty of warmth, sunlight, nutrition, and consistent moisture. This guide offers key tips for maximizing your bell pepper growing efforts:
- Start seeds early. Better to make it indoors 8–10 weeks before last spring frost for best transplants, since seedlings grow slowly initially before taking off. Use bottom heat, grow lights, fans for airflow, and heated propagators or mini-greenhouses to produce dark green, stocky pepper plants ready to move outside quickly once hardened off properly.
- Boost soil warmth early. Do it using plastic film mulch over rows or around transplants. The red or black material traps heat, stops weeds, and conserves soil moisture essential for strong establishment. Install drip irrigation under the plastic for easy watering and fertilization.
- Support heavy fruiting branches. Sturdy wire cages, fabric slings, or trellises will prevent breakage in summer storms. Staking also keeps fruits elevated above soil for reduced rot pathogens. Use tall, sturdy cages and prune plants to one or two main leaders for best results.
- Apply organic balanced vegetable fertilizer. Use fish emulsion or compost tea to feed plants every 2–3 weeks from blossoming through harvest for strong plants and higher yields. Peppers are heavy feeders, needing consistent nutrients.
- Use floating row covers. Make it over new transplants and developing fruits to protect against insect pests which spread diseases and damage tender skin. Drape the lightweight covers directly on plants and secure the edges with stones, boards, or ground posts.
- Grow 3-4 bell pepper plants per person. Harvest fruits at peak color development before any shriveling or soft spots appear. Store freshly picked peppers for 2 weeks in refrigerator crisper bags.
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FAQs
What is the ideal soil pH for growing bell peppers?
Bell peppers grow best in soil with a pH between 6.0-6.5. This slightly acidic range allows the best nutrient availability. Test your garden soil pH and amend with sulfur or soil acids to lower pH if too alkaline.
When should I start peppers from seed indoors?
Start bell pepper seeds indoors 6–8 weeks before your last expected spring frost date. Plant the seeds 1⁄4 inch deep in sterile seed starting mix. Grow seedlings under grow lights with temperatures around 75°F until transplant time.
What spacing do bell peppers need in the garden?
Space bell pepper plants 18–24 inches apart in all directions when transplanting into garden beds. This gives them adequate room to mature to full size. Less spacing risks overcrowding.
How much sunlight do bell peppers require daily?
Bell peppers require at least 6–8 hours of direct sunlight daily throughout the growing season. Choosing a planting site in full sun ensures they receive sufficient light as they grow and develop fruits.
How often should you water bell peppers?
Consistent 1–2 inches of water per week is needed for bell peppers, either through rainfall or manual garden irrigation. Allow soil to nearly dry out between waterings, but don’t let plants severely wilt. Use drip irrigation or soaker hoses rather than overhead sprinklers.
What are good companion plants for bell peppers?
Good companion plants for peppers include basil, onions, carrots, marigolds and tomatillos. These help repel pests, improve flavor, or aid growth. Avoid planting near fennel and kohlrabi, which poorly complement peppers.
How can you tell when bell peppers are ripe?
As bell peppers ripen, they change color from green to yellow, orange, red or other shades signaling peak maturity. The smooth skin also shines, and peppers feel firmer when ripe and ready for best flavor.
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