Growing Capsicum, also Bell peppers, Sweet peppers

Capsicum annuum : Solanaceae / the nightshade family

Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
								S	S	S
									T	T

(Best months for growing Capsicum in Australia - cool/mountain regions)

S = Plant undercover in seed trays
T = Plant out (transplant) seedlings

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 18°C and 35°C. (Show °F/in)
Space plants: 20 - 50 cm 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

23 Mar 10, Nicole (Australia - sub-tropical climate): I also have the problem of my capsicums rotting before they ripen. Plants are healthy and fruit is large and healthy but they take ages to ripen and then seem to rot before the process is complete. Any advice??
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15 Mar 16, Wendy (Australia - tropical climate): I have the same problem. I have been advised that they like potash once a week so that may also help them to ripen I am going to try garden lime, Epson salt, tomato fertilizer and fish fertilizer as per the following video and see how mine go. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YdfnhXJU9fM
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28 Sep 15, Brenda (Australia - tropical climate): Some of my My capsicum leaves are turning brown on the edges & dropping off. I have fruit in the tree that don't seem to be affected yet. Any suggestions on what could be causing this.
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27 Feb 15, frank (Australia - temperate climate): the leaves on my capsicums are wilting but I cant see any bugs on them
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23 Feb 15, melina (Australia - temperate climate): Hi i have read somewhere this is due to inconstant watering and that the plant is not able to absorb something???? It may be calcium I think, and that you need to add agricultural lime to the soil, I think its called blossom end rot
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14 Feb 14, noeline hoyle (New Zealand - temperate climate): I too have capsicum rotting ,is there some spray to use please/
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15 Jan 13, Emma (Australia - temperate climate): Hi, I am having the exact same problem with the capsicums rotting before they are ready to pick. Was there a solution to this? Thanks, Emma
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22 Mar 10, Sacha (Australia - sub-tropical climate): I planted 3 capsicum trees last September and have had some great produce over the summer. At the beginning of Feb they started looking sad and stopped producing fruit. I fertilised them and they have started producing fruit again but the fruit rots before it ripens on the tree. What should i do?
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08 Oct 10, Tassy Michele (Australia - cool/mountain climate): Hiya Sacha & Nicole, Try picking the fruit when there is a darkish/brown patch (5 cent size) on bottom of fruit. This is when the fruit has started to ripen. I have purchased the green fruit at the supermarket like this and stored in the fruit bowl until it has ripened. Often green is cheaper than red at the supermarket. When you have too much to use fresh, slice/dice and freeze in small lots to use later --- great flavour to quiches, stirfry, rissotto etc. Cheers
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19 Mar 10, (Australia - temperate climate): I have 4 capsicums growing in pots which are just flowering apart from the constant attack of green caterpillars that I pick off regularly the plants seem to be doing reasonably well until. But recently some of the leaves, top one mainly, are curling. Can you advise what can be done to help guard against the caterpillars, and the leaf curl. Thank you.
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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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Growing Capsicum, also Bell peppers, Sweet peppers

Capsicum annuum : Solanaceae / the nightshade family

Your comments and tips

Gardenate

Keep your garden growing - see what to plant right now

Growing Capsicum, also Bell peppers, Sweet peppers

Capsicum annuum : Solanaceae / the nightshade family

Your comments and tips

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