Family: Solanaceae
Genus and Species: Capsicum annuum

Climate

Bell peppers love heat. They need warm soil and air temperatures throughout the growing season and are very sensitive to frost. Many northern gardeners use plastic mulches, row covers, hoop houses, anything that will help grow this wonderful vegetable more quickly in cooler climes.

Soil

Bell peppers need high amounts of nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus. Bell peppers like well drained soil in full sun. Bell peppers do well in raised beds filled with good topsoil, compost, and rotted manure mixed in. A pH near neutral (7.0) is ideal.

Spacing

Bell peppers grow into small bushes and need good air circulation. Give bell peppers enough room by spacing them 12"-18" apart in rows at least 24"-36" apart.

Direct Seeding

Direct seeding bell peppers is not normally practiced.

Seeding For Transplants

Start bell peppers indoors 8 weeks before the last frost. Using a 2" or slightly larger pot will produce larger bell pepper plants with better-developed root systems.

Sow bell pepper seeds shallowly, about 1/4" deep in a moistened lightweight growing mix. Keep the mix moist (but not wet) and warm - about 80°-85° during germination. Keeping the mix warm results in a quicker germination and healthier bell pepper plants. After the first true leaves have appeared, thin the bell pepper plants to one per pot. If the bell pepper seedlings are out-growing their cell-tray or pots, pot them up to 2"-3" pots.

Do not use plastic covered seed starting trays to start bell pepper seeds. They create a very humid environment that is too stagnant.

Do not use peat pots as they tend to absorb and retain too much moisture for growing some types of bell peppers.

Germination

These seeds germinate best in soils around above 80°F.
Germination will take 6-8 days.

Transplanting Into the Garden

Many gardeners transplant their bell pepper plants too early. Wait until the soil is 70°-85° before setting the bell pepper seedlings out. Use black plastic mulch to warm the soil. Place it on the beds when you start the seeds.

Watering

Bell peppers need consistent moisture during germination. Keep bell peppers evenly moist, don't keep them soggy. Not enough water and the bell peppers will acquire a bitter taste. The use of mulches will help in keeping the soil moist. If you use black plastic mulch, plants will needs more frequent waterings. The use of a soaker hose underneath the black plastic will save time and make watering the bell pepper plants much easier.

Harvesting

Bell peppers are mature when they turn their final color. Most bell pepper fruits are green when immature and can be harvested at that time. Mature bell peppers can be red, orange, yellow, green, or purple depending on the variety.

Harvest bell peppers as they mature by using garden shears to clip them off the plant - don't pull them off. Continual harvesting of the bell peppers produces continuous fruit set so pick the bell peppers off your bushes regularly.

Post-Harvest Handling

Wash and dry bell peppers thoroughly.

Storage

Bell peppers will last up to three weeks if stored at 45°-55°, 90%-95% relative humidity.

Bell peppers are very sensitive to ethylene gas so do not store them with fruits and vegetables that produce ethylene gas.

Diseases

Anthracnose, Blossom End Rot, Bacterial Spot, Early Blight, and Verticillium Wilt

Pests

Aphids, Colorado Potato Beetles, Tarnished Plant Bugs, Flea Beetles, and Hornworms

Comments

Use an inexpensive heating pad underneath the cell-tray to help achieve the desired soil temp. Never water bell pepper seedlings directly. Allow the bell pepper seedlings to drink by immersing cell trays or pots with holes in the bottom into a pan with water 1/2" deep. Allow the bell pepper seedlings to drink for a few minutes before removing them. Do not let the bell pepper seedlings get water-logged.

Bell pepper seedlings like light - lots of light. Use flourescent lights to supplement natural light if growing the bell peppers indoors. Bell pepper plants will become tall and leggy (weak) if there isn't enough light.

Don't plant bell peppers in the same bed with other plants in the Solanaceae (tomatoes, potatoes, eggplant) as they are susceptible to the same diseases.

References

Bradley, F. M. and Ellis, B. W.(Ed.). (1992), Rodale's All-New Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening: The Indispensable Resource for Every Gardener, Emmaus, Pennsylvania: Rodale Press.

Oregon State University, Peppers Commercial Vegetable Production Guides, Last modified 1999-01-02, http://www.oregonstate.edu/Dept/NWREC/pepper.html [1], Accessed 2003-5-20

Smith, E.C. (2000), The vegetable gardener's bible: discover Ed's high yield W-O-R-D system for all North American gardening regions., Storey Books: Pownal, VT.

Johnny's Selected Seeds (2002), "Peppers", Johnny's Selected Seeds.