How to grow Capsicum (Sweet Pepper, Bell Pepper)

Learn how to grow the best Bell Peppers in your garden. Includes sun requirements, spacing, notes, when to plant, feeding and pest control for this popular vegetable.

Bell Peppers require rich, well draining soil with plenty of compost mixed in.

 Plant Bell Peppers in a sunny position, sheltered from strong winds. 

No, Bell Peppers are not frost tolerant. 

Plant Bell Peppers around 35-40cm apart.

Peppers are best grown in temperatures between 18 and 30°C (65–86°F)

For a head start, sow seeds indoors in late winter to be planted out in spring. Plant out once the danger of frost has passed.

Seeds can also be sown in spring. Keep the soil moist and warm to ensure successful germination.

If transplanting seedlings, plant out in the early morning or evening and/or on an overcast day. Avoid planting at peak sun times or on windy days, this will allow your plants to settle in comfortably and protect them from windburn and sunburn.   

Apply an organic fertiliser to your Bell Pepper plants throughout the season.

Peppers can be harvested green, once they have reached a good size. They can also be harvested at any colour which follows. Harvest continually throughout the season. 

Pests that affect Bell Peppers include: Aphids, Slug, Snail, Fruit Fly, Spider Mites, Thrips, Root Knot Nematodes, Potato Beetle, Flea Beetle, Leaf Miner, Leaf Roller, Pepper Weevil, Tomato Fruit Worm. 

Diseases that affect Bell Peppers include: Mosaic Virus, Leaf Spot, Blight, Verticillium wilt, Anthracnose, Damping-off, Fusarium Wilt, Powdery Mildew, Bacterial Canker, Blossom-end Rot, Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus. 

Bell Pepper plants usually require staking for support.

May benefit from a shade cloth in extreme heat as the fruit is susceptible to sunburn.