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              
      P P              

(Best months for growing Capsicum in USA - Zone 5a regions)

  • S = Plant undercover in seed trays
  • T = Plant out (transplant) seedlings
  • P = Sow seed
  • 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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23 Oct 18, Mike (Australia - temperate climate)
I don't know. If you had several plants you could try it on one. Fertilise and watering well should produce a good bushy plant.
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25 May 18, Sean (Australia - temperate climate)
Can capsicum be frozen for future use?
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29 May 18, Liz (New Zealand - temperate climate)
Yes, capsicum freezes quite well. Cut it into strips, ready to use and freeze on a tray before bagging up. It loses a bit of flavour but the colour stays well.
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29 May 18, Mike (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Try the internet - probably not.
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23 Apr 18, Erika kluge (Australia - temperate climate)
How do i know to take out the capsicum plant after a rather successful season..
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18 May 18, David (Australia - temperate climate)
I read on this site years ago about a person who had 3 seasons off his/her plant. It thought that I might try the same. Next season will be my fourth. The fruit isn't as large as what you buy at the grocers but are quite acceptable and sweet. The plant will look ratty during the cooler months. Around September I start cutting off the ratty leaves that are close to new growth, being careful to leave enough large leaves to keep the plant growing. This might take 4-6 weeks of removing the old leaves. I also have to support the plant due to the quantity of fruit. Perhaps if I thinned out the fruit I would have larger capsicums. Just tried this for fun but the results have been pleasing.
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24 Apr 18, Mike (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
When the yield drops off and fruit are becoming small, time to pull them out. A plant only has a limited cycle. A crop may take 12 weeks until it bears and then produce for 4-6 weeks and then that is the end of the cycle.
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25 Aug 18, genna (Australia - temperate climate)
one of my capsicum plants will be in its 3rd summer this yr (2018-19). have had amazing fruit from it over the last two years. will see how it goes this year, but am sowing more for the season.
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26 Mar 18, Steph (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Ive planted my capsicum in Feb this year and they have grown nicely however they are pretty much the same size (the plant itself) and have been for about 3 weeks. Still quite small. They are healthy just really small still (approx 15cm high) is there anything I need to do to keep them growing. With a harvest est. In May, I just do see them being big enough to grow the harvest.
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21 Mar 18, (Australia - temperate climate)
what weather conditions do capsicum plants grow in. do they grow better in the sun or the shade?
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Showing 51 - 60 of 430 comments
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Hi Barbara, I had the same thing happen last year, those plants somehow survived a very hot wet summer and through autumn produced masses of fruit and are also now producing masses of new fruit after I pruned them back hard and started applying a vegetable targeted liquid plant fertilizer with seaweed included. I also added lime around the plants and sprayed the leaves with a bit of epsom salts dissolved in water around the time I pruned them. Don't give up on these ones give them a prune at the end of winter and they will come back for you, if you live in a cooler area you may have to wait til spring but if you get no frost they will come back bigger and better when the weather warms up later this year, caps do last longer than one year and I find they produce much more in the second year than the first, when they put most effort into producing strong stem and branch to support the weight of the following years fruit. Honestly one plant that did this weird year long wait had about 11 fruit on it in March. Sometimes it's better when they start out slow, good luck mate.

- Alison McGregor

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