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
      S S              
        T T T          

(Best months for growing Capsicum in Australia - tropical 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 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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16 Aug 13, J. Cosham (Australia - temperate climate)
Do Capicums like mostly shade, or should they be planted in full sun?
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15 Sep 13, ej (Australia - temperate climate)
Minimum of 6 hours of full sun per day.
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13 Jun 13, Frank Mc Elroy (Australia - temperate climate)
My capsicum prodused banana in the first instance, now have both on the same bushes, is there any reason for this.
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07 Apr 13, sean james (Australia - temperate climate)
there is a great deal of bull Large ants on & around my capsicum plant & the leaves are falling off, why. pls.
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26 Mar 13, JamieG (Australia - temperate climate)
Space plants: 100 - 150 cm apart ! Surely that is a mistake. 50cm would be more than adequate. Plant them 1.5m apart and they would get downright lonely.
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17 Apr 13, CelesteL (Australia - temperate climate)
Agree space seems excessive. My thrive about 50 to 70cm apart
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08 Mar 13, Lee Pilgrim (Australia - temperate climate)
Are capsicums annual? ie do they just keep growing or will they die off? If the latter should I pull them up and plant seeds next Spring? The ones I have are taking over/overshadowing my other herbs/veg.
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17 May 13, Alison McGregor (Australia - temperate climate)
Hi Lee, I strongly believe they last a few good years, having better fruit production in the second year after building up strong stem and branch material in the first year. As they get older the fruit seems to get smaller, but more of it. If they do this and the fruit are too small for your needs plant some seeds from those fruit and start again. My current cap plants are three years old and are producing loads of fruit, somewhat smaller than last year but much more of it. I find they almost go dormant during the colder months and then have a massive growth spurt when it warms up. Alison
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16 Jan 13, Shani (Australia - tropical climate)
I have had this same issue Stan. I thought it might have been a rat, because I found a best of baby rats in my compost around Christmas 2011 and had seen an adult rat. The rats have since been eliminated. But it is still an ongoing issue. I have found a small burrow in my yard, and believe I have a small resident marsupial living here. I have wrapped alfoil around the base of my capsicum bush (its about 1mt in height), and my resident friend hasnt touched it since. Hope this helps!
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10 Jan 13, Ferran (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
I have 5 capsicum plants in a 1 meter row i grew them from seed and after a month in seed mix they still only had their first set of leaves i planted them out thinking lack of nutrients may have been the cause. they all survived however have been growing rather slowly they are now 15-20 cm high they get at least 6h sun each day. i don't water them every day but i do keep the soil moist and they are mulched. the zucchini they were planted with have just come to the end of its life and it is in veggie soil mixed with compost from a trusted garden shop that has never had things grown in that bed before.i live between Sydney and Newcastle on the coast and have had a few 35c+ days recently. Am i just being impatient for caps? or is there such a thing as them being in the sun for too long?
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Could be a number of reasons ... A common ailment with capsicum is blossom-end rot. This condition just effects the fruit and not the plant blossom or flower. The condition gets its name because the symptoms appear at the ‘blossom end’ of the fruit. The first sign of blossom-end rot is that the end of the fruit becomes off-whitish to brown in colour and takes on a ‘sunken in’ appearance. As the fruit matures, these symptoms become more pronounced and the colour of the rot becomes dark brown to almost black. Blossom-end rot is caused by insufficient calcium supply. However, the most common cause is from irregular watering during the critical growing period of the young fruit. Even when calcium levels in the soil are sufficient, a plant receiving insufficient or irregular water will have difficulty absorbing and delivering calcium to the fruit. To control blossom-end rot. Boost the soil with calcium by adding lime, dolomite, gypsum or composted animal manures before planting the seedlings. Water regularly. Most capsicum crops continue to flower and bear fruit for prolonged periods of time, so ensure the soil around their roots is kept moist. Avoid fertilisers with a high nitrogen content. Nitrogen fertilisers will promote leaf growth at the expense of fruit, allocating calcium to the leaves instead of to the fruit.

- ej

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