GreenlyHow to grow Bell Pepper
Capsicum annuum · capsicum, sweet pepper
A warm-season vegetable known for its thick walls and sweet flavor. Requires high temperatures and a long growing season to reach full maturity.
Quick facts
| Type | Vegetable |
|---|---|
| Family | Solanaceae |
| Light | Full sun |
| Soil pH | 6–6.8 |
| Frost | does not tolerate frost |
| Soil for sowing | from 18 °C |
| Germination | 14 days |
| Seedlings ready | 60 days |
| Sowing to harvest | 120 days |
| Where it grows | Greenhouse, Open ground, At home |
When to plant
Sow for seedlings about 11 weeks before planting out.
Plant out in open ground about a week after your last spring frost, once the soil is warm.
In an unheated greenhouse everything moves about three weeks earlier.
The first harvest comes about 120 days after the shoots appear.
Care
Greenhouse
| Stage | Watering | Temperature | Feeding |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seedlings | every 3 days | 20…26 °C | balanced (NPK), 14 days into the stage |
| Growth | every 4 days | 18…28 °C | balanced (NPK), 21 days into the stage |
| Flowering | every 3 days | 18…30 °C | phosphorus and potassium, at the start of the stage |
| Fruiting | every 3 days | 18…30 °C | potassium, at the start of the stage; potassium, 21 days into the stage |
Open ground
| Stage | Watering | Temperature | Feeding |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seedlings | every 3 days | 18…25 °C | balanced (NPK), 14 days into the stage |
| Growth | every 5 days | 15…28 °C | balanced (NPK), 21 days into the stage |
| Flowering | every 4 days | 15…30 °C | phosphorus and potassium, at the start of the stage |
| Fruiting | every 4 days | 15…30 °C | potassium, at the start of the stage; potassium, 21 days into the stage |
At home
| Stage | Watering | Temperature | Feeding |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seedlings | every 3 days | 20…25 °C | balanced (NPK), 14 days into the stage |
| Growth | every 4 days | 18…24 °C | balanced (NPK), 21 days into the stage |
| Flowering | every 3 days | 18…25 °C | phosphorus and potassium, at the start of the stage |
| Fruiting | every 2 days | 18…25 °C | potassium, at the start of the stage; potassium, 14 days into the stage |
Growing notes
Light
Full sun is essential; at least 6-8 hours of direct sunlight to ensure fruit development.
Soil
Rich, well-draining soil with a high organic matter content; prefers a slightly acidic to neutral pH.
Care
Avoid overwatering to prevent root rot, but keep soil consistently moist during fruiting. Provide a stake or cage for support as the plant grows heavy with fruit. In greenhouses, ensure good airflow to prevent fungal issues and aid pollination.
How to tell it is ripe
- Fruit has reached full size for the variety, about 8–10 cm long for a green bell pepper.
- Picked green, it is solid green all over; left longer, it turns fully red, yellow, orange or brown for its variety.
- The walls feel firm when squeezed; a soft pepper is over-mature.
- A mature fruit breaks away from the plant easily.
- Cut the stalk with a knife or pruners instead of pulling, so the brittle branches do not snap.
Pests and diseases of Bell Pepper
- Anthracnose
- Bacterial Spot
- Blossom-end rot
- Broad mite
- Colorado Potato Beetle
- Fusarium Wilt
- Grey Mold
- Leaf Curl Virus
- Leaf Miner
- Tomato hornworm
- Tomato russet mite
- Tomato spotted wilt virus
- Two-spotted spider mite
- Verticillium Wilt
- White mould (Sclerotinia)
- Whitefly
Sources
Figures cited from these sources.