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  
                  T T  

(Best months for growing Capsicum in Australia - temperate regions)

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

August: Sow in pots

  • 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 Australia | for all countries
04 Sep 11, Vic (Australia - temperate climate)
My Sweet Mama Cap is now in its 5th year,I trim it back and cover with a glass cloche
Reply or Post a new comment
19 May 12, Randy (Australia - temperate climate)
How much do you cut it back? How much is left above ground? Thanks!
Reply or Post a new comment
11 Mar 12, Richard Ross (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
I would like to get some seeds for litle red sweet round shaped chillies/ capsicums pickling and then stuffing with cheese. Supermarkets have them for about $38.00 a kg. The are red in colour.
Reply or Post a new comment
18 Jun 11, Averil (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
would like to buy cool climate capsicum seeds
Reply or Post a new comment
11 Jun 11, gloworm (Australia - temperate climate)
My green capsicums have just grown to a big enough size to eat June 2011) however they taste very irony. Any suggestions on what I am doing wrong?
Reply or Post a new comment
15 Jul 11, tropicalgal (Australia - tropical climate)
Not really sure but some people say Potash makes fruits tatse better?
Reply or Post a new comment
20 May 11, Tina (Australia - temperate climate)
The fruits of my bell capsicum plants are very small I don't know what I'm doing wrong as the fruit on my pointed capsicum grow quite large, they are treated the same. The leaves are dropping off now, should I prune the plants back?I'm south of Adelaide.
Reply or Post a new comment
21 Mar 11, caroline potter (Australia - tropical climate)
I have brown worms with stripes on my my capsicum leaves, hundreds off them, what do I use to get rid of them Thank you
Reply or Post a new comment
06 Mar 11, Gen (Australia - temperate climate)
My capsicum plant has produced a lot of fruit, however it is always being eaten / turning rotten before I can pick anything. What bugs are attracted to capsicum and how do I get rid of them. Cheers
Reply or Post a new comment
22 Jun 11, Sandy (Australia - temperate climate)
Caterpillars do the most damage to my capsicums. Either army worms or cut worms. One of the bacterial treatments are best - Success (Yates) or Dipel. Unfortunately if the little suckers get inside the fruit they are pretty hard to control. I have problems with eggplant as well - so this year I am going to get some mosquito netting and put it over the plant.
Reply or Post a new comment
Showing 321 - 330 of 430 comments
See comments for all plants

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

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.