Pepper
Vegetable · warm season · also called bell pepper, capsicum, sweet pepper
When to plant
- Start seeds indoors about 9 weeks before planting out.
- Plant outdoors about 2 weeks after your average last spring frost.
- Ready to harvest about 75 days after planting out.
Slow to germinate; use bottom heat. Loves warm soil.
Frost dates depend on where you live. Enter your ZIP code to get exact dates.
Dates by zone: 3a 3b 4a 4b 5a 5b 6a 6b 7a 7b 8a 8b 9a 9b 10a 10b
Growing basics
- Sun
- Full sun (6+ hours)
- Spacing
- 18–24 in
- Soil temperature
- At least 65°F
- Time to harvest
- About 75 days
- Containers
- At least 3 gallons
- Plant family
- Tomato family (nightshades)
- Harvest per plant
- About 2.5 lb
- Seeds keep
- About 2 years
Companions
Good neighbors: Basil, Onion (sets), Carrot, Marigold
Keep apart: the cabbage family (brassicas). Cabbage-family crops and tomatoes compete and can stunt each other.
Keep apart: Potato. Potatoes share blight with tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant.
Keep apart: Mint. Mint spreads aggressively into neighbors. Keep it in a pot.
Keep apart: Fennel (bulb). Fennel slows the growth of most garden plants. Grow it on its own.
Keep apart: Sunchoke (Jerusalem artichoke). Sunchokes spread aggressively and shade neighbors.
Varieties to try
- Ace 70 days: early bell, good for cool areas
- California Wonder 75 days: classic bell
- Carmen 75 days: sweet Italian frying pepper
Pests and problems
Grow it well
Tips
- Leave hornworms that carry white cocoons. Those white grains on a hornworm's back are the cocoons of tiny wasps that are already killing it, and they'll hatch to go after the next ones. Pick off the rest: look for their dark green droppings on the leaves below.
- Use bigger pots than you think. Small pots dry out in hours on a hot day. A tomato needs at least 5 gallons, and 10 or more is better. Peppers and eggplant want 3 to 5 gallons.
- Warm the soil for melons and peppers. Lay black plastic over the bed a week or two before planting, and cut holes to plant through. It warms the soil several degrees, so heat lovers like melons, peppers, and squash get off to a faster start.
Affiliate links: we may earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you.