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 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

Post a comment or question Display Newest first | Oldest first, Show comments for USA | for all countries
02 Oct 17, Tash (Australia - temperate climate)
Just pulled out some old unperfoming capsicums (left one in). Anything suggesions on good vegies to follw in their place (will re compost soil etc, but should i follow with any particular types?) Cheers
Reply or Post a new comment
04 Oct 17, Darren (Australia - temperate climate)
Anything from the allium family, onions, garlic, leeks, chives, or beans (legume family) is recommended to follow fruiting crops.
Reply or Post a new comment
04 Oct 17, Mike (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
If you are re-composting your soil and it has a good balance of nutrients- NPK and trace elements etc, then you could grow anything. There is an order of growing plants - but I don't follow it. A leafy veg like lettuce will take N out of the soil, then you plant a root veg like carrots (with less N you don't get so much leaf). You can then grow something like tomato and finally something like beans (they put N back in the soil for the lettuce). I may not have the order right here - read up on the internet.
Reply or Post a new comment
16 Dec 17, Frankly (Australia - arid climate)
Can you give me material about the process of growing Capsicum capsicum, I want to plant in Vietnam Dalat And planted do not need greenhouse, thank you!
Reply or Post a new comment
23 Sep 17, Romyna (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
I am always very unssuceful in growing Capsicums in my garden the sun is very strong in summer 38d to 43 or more it kill many plants in the full sun. Do I need to grow the pepers plants in shady areas ?
Reply or Post a new comment
25 Sep 17, Darren (Australia - temperate climate)
I live in a warm temperate area and found that capsicums can suffer in hot sun, despite what the literature says. Shadecloth, plenty of mulch, and regular deep watering helps.
Reply or Post a new comment
24 Sep 17, Mike (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Maybe try planting late summer and grow into the winter.
Reply or Post a new comment
25 Jul 17, Kev (Australia - temperate climate)
my capsican plants were looking great and producing heaps of fruit, but did not finish off well. The problem that came up was the fruit started getting dry brown lines through them. I cannot find any information on this problem. Any feed back would be helpful.
Reply or Post a new comment
07 Aug 17, Jennifer (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Hi Kev, your post got me thinking I had the same problem with my capsicums, looked it up and it says that Thrips cause those brown scars.
Reply or Post a new comment
10 Jun 17, Lyndal (Australia - temperate climate)
I have heaps of green capsicum in my garden which are long and thin. They don't appear to be growing any bigger or changing colour. I planted sweet mix capsicum and some are probably as long as 20cm but skinny and green. Are they ready to pick or how do I go about making them yellow and red. They have been in my garden for ages.
Reply or Post a new comment
Showing 71 - 80 of 430 comments
See comments for all plants

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

Please provide your email address if you are hoping for a reply


All comments are reviewed before displaying on the site, so your posting will not appear immediately

Gardenate App

Put Gardenate in your pocket. Get our app for iPhone, iPad or Android to add your own plants and record your plantings and harvests

Planting Reminders

Join 60,000+ gardeners who already use Gardenate and subscribe to the free Gardenate planting reminders email newsletter.


Home | Vegetables and herbs to plant | Climate zones | About Gardenate | Contact us | Privacy Policy

This planting guide is a general reference intended for home gardeners. We recommend that you take into account your local conditions in making planting decisions. Gardenate is not a farming or commercial advisory service. For specific advice, please contact your local plant suppliers, gardening groups, or agricultural department. The information on this site is presented in good faith, but we take no responsibility as to the accuracy of the information provided.
We cannot help if you are overrun by giant slugs.