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 S S S S
T T               T T T

(Best months for growing Capsicum in Australia - sub-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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23 Mar 18, Mike (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
They need sun and I believe in the warmer weather to pollinate.
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12 Feb 18, Paiseelee Hape (New Zealand - temperate climate)
Will the plant keep growing after picking
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13 Feb 18, Mike (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Most vegetables are annual - germinate - grow - fruit/seed and then die. The cycle of life.
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22 Jan 18, zeta (Australia - temperate climate)
just learned about male and female capsicum my question is do I need both seeds or will they grow from either?
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31 Jan 18, Brenda (Australia - temperate climate)
Capsicum are like cucumber, pumpkin etc. You plant any old seed of the variety you want and the plant comes up. It will then grow flowers. some flowers are male, and some are female (the female ones have a teeny tiny miniature fruit under them). Little creatures, often bees but some other pollinators too, will flit between the flowers and spread the pollen around fertilising any female (fruiting) flowers that are growing on the plant. Successful pollination, and you should get some capsicums pretty easily depending on when you plant them and where you live. Capsicum like hot weather and long growing season. Often treated an annual down south and a perennial up north. Good luck
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26 Jan 18, Mike (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
Just buy some seeds or take some from a capsicum and plant them.
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26 Dec 17, (Australia - temperate climate)
hi why is my capsicums flowers but not fruiting?
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28 Dec 17, Mike (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Check on the internet about capsicum pollination time. I have read that they require a certain temperature to pollinate. Something like 18-23 degrees, not say 15. I have just finished my crop - not the best because the plants were shaded by egg plants a lot. Try watering down at the root zone and not the bush.
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23 Nov 17, Colleen Noonan (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
I am growing a couple of plants indoors with good sun. They look good but every time a flower appears it falls off a few days later. Is it that the soil need some enriching ? One plant is about 40 cm tall and looks so healthy but I doubt if it will ever produce.
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23 Nov 17, Mike (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
"Do I need bees for pollination? No, bees are not important for pollination. Although you may see plenty of bees in the patch, capsicum is self-pollinated. Bush movement due to wind is sufficient for pollination". You probably have no wind inside the house. Also I have read caps need the temp above a certain temperature to pollinate. I wouldn't recommend growing anything inside - plants need sun - some more than others. Plants like caps and tomatoes need wind to pollinate. Others need bees.
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Showing 61 - 70 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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