Vegetable · Fruiting
Bell Pepper
Capsicum annuum
A warm-season crop grown for its thick-walled, mild fruit, harvested green or left to ripen to red, yellow, or orange. Needs consistent warmth and benefits from support once fruit sets.
At a glance
Water
Medium
32–48 fl oz/wk
Light
Full sun
6–8 hrs/day
Space
Medium
18 in
To maturity
60–95 days
Edible parts: Fruit
Family: Nightshade
Includes tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, and potatoes. Many members produce fruit that ripens from green to a deeper colour as it matures.
Harvest
Can be picked green once full-sized, or left on the plant longer to sweeten and change colour as it ripens.
Growing conditions
- Temperature
- 65–85 °F
- Soil pH
- 6–6.8
- Soil type
- Rich, well-drained sandy or gravelly loam
- Climate
- Warm-season, frost-tender; needs sustained warmth to set fruit well.
- Growing season
- Set out transplants 2-3 weeks after the last frost once soil has warmed.
- Nitrogen
- Medium (≈40–80 ppm)
- Humidity
- Medium (≈40–70 %)
- Planting unit
- Seedling
- Support
- A stake or small cage helps once plants are heavy with fruit.
- Feeding schedule
- Balanced feeding early, shifting to lower-nitrogen once fruit sets so the plant doesn't put all its energy into foliage.
- Pest resistance
- Moderate - watch for aphids and pepper weevils
- Pests
- Aphids: Small, soft-bodied insects that cluster on new growth and undersides of leaves, sucking sap and excreting sticky honeydew.
- Pruning
- Pinch off the first flower bud to encourage a stronger plant before fruiting begins.
Where it grows
- Container / PotIdeal— 5-gallon pot or larger, needs support once fruiting.
- In-Ground GardenIdeal
- Raised BedIdeal
- HydroponicPossible— Works in DWC or Dutch bucket systems.
- Vertical / TrellisPossible— A light stake or cage helps support heavy fruit.
- WindowsillNot recommended— Needs more direct sun than a windowsill typically offers.
Companions & antagonists
No known companion pairings yet.
Sources
- Bell Pepper Growing Guide — Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, Aggie Horticulture
- Growing Peppers — Penn State Extension, Chester County Master Gardeners