How to grow sweet peppers / 911爆料

1

Getting Started

Section 1 of 8

With their colourful fruits, sweet peppers are a vibrant and attractive crop. Also known as bell peppers or pointed peppers, depending on the fruit shape, these tender plants are best grown in a greenhouse, but can also be planted outdoors in a sunny spot, in pots or in the ground.

Sweet peppers (Capsicum) are tender and need lots of sun and consistent warmth to crop well, so are usually grown under cover in the UK, in a greenhouse, polytunnel, conservatory or coldframe. They are only really successful outdoors in milder parts of the country or in long, hot summers, and benefit greatly from cloche or fleece protection. Wherever you鈥檙e ultimately going to grow them, they need to be sown in warmth indoors, from late winter to early spring.

Closely related to chillies, they make attractive plants with their colourful, glossy fruits, which ripen from mid-summer to early autumn. They also take up little space, usually reaching only about 60cm (2ft) tall and 30cm (1ft) wide, and grow well in large pots.

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Harvest remaining peppers

Harvest remaining peppers

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Plant Out	N	N	N	N	Y	Y	N	N	N	N	N	N
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2

Choosing

Getting Started

Sowing

Guide Start

Section 2 of 8

There are many varieties of sweet pepper, with fruits of various shapes, sizes and colours, from wide and rounded to long and pointed, large or small, in shades of green, bright red, orange, yellow and purple. They are also called bell peppers or pointed peppers, depending on the shape of the fruits. Long, pointed peppers are generally sweeter and have a thinner skin than rounded bell peppers.

Some varieties are more suitable for outdoor cropping than others. Larger fruits take longer to grow and ripen, so if you鈥檒l be planting them outdoors, with a shorter growing season, it鈥檚 best to choose a variety with smaller fruits. You鈥檒l also find several dwarf or compact varieties, ideal for containers on a sunny patio or balcony, or even a kitchen windowsill. When choosing, look in particular for varieties with an 911爆料 Award of Garden Merit (AGM), which should grow and crop reliably 鈥� see our list of AGM fruit and veg and our Recommended Varieties below. You鈥檒l also find sweet peppers growing in the veg areas at the 911爆料 gardens over the summer months, so do visit to compare varieties and pick up growing tips.

What and where to buy

Sweet pepper seeds are widely available in garden centres and from online seed suppliers. Many also sell young plants in spring and early summer. These are ideal if you don鈥檛 have a suitably warm, bright place to raise good plants, or just want a few plants. Grafted plants may also be available 鈥� these are more vigorous and should crop more reliably in cooler growing conditions. They can be ordered from online suppliers for delivery from mid-spring.

Recommended Varieties

'Bianca'

Mid-season-variety with large fruits ripening from cream to yellow. Plant grows to 60cm tall.

Sowing

Choosing

Planting

Guide Start

Section 3 of 8

Sow sweet pepper seeds indoors from mid-February to early March for plants that are to be grown under glass, and in late March or early April for growing outdoors. To germinate, they need 18鈥�21掳C (65鈥�70掳F), so after sowing, place in a heated propagator, if available, or on a warm windowsill. Once the seedlings appear, keep at 16鈥�18掳C (60鈥�64掳F) in bright light and water regularly. When they have two true leaves, move them into their own 7.5鈥�9cm (3鈥�3.5in) pot, maintaining a high temperature to encourage growth.

For step-by-step sowing instructions, see our guides below.

4

Planting

Sowing

Plant Care

Guide Start

Section 4 of 8

Young sweet pepper plants, either grown from seed or newly bought, must be kept indoors in the warmth, usually until at least late May. Then you can either plant them in their final container in a greenhouse or similar protected location, or get them ready for the great outdoors.

Sweet peppers will grow and crop best in a greenhouse, polytunnel, conservatory or coldframe. In very warm, sheltered locations, you can plant them outside too, once overnight temperatures are reliably at least 12掳C (54掳F). However, they are likely to produce fewer fruits outdoors, and the shorter growing season means the fruits may struggle to ripen before temperatures start to drop in late summer. Before planting outside, carefully harden off your plants for a couple of weeks, to acclimatise them to outdoor conditions. Give them your warmest, sunniest spot, ideally on a sunny patio or beside a south-facing wall, with temperatures of 15掳C (59掳F) or more. Plant them in their new location at the same level they were previously growing in their pot, and add canes to support taller varieties.

Planting in containers
Plant your young peppers into their final container in late April if growing in a heated greenhouse, mid-May in an unheated greenhouse, or late May/June to grow outside. Choose a container at least 30cm (1ft) wide, and use peat-free multi-purpose compost, or plant two or three in a standard growing bag. Add canes to keep the plants stable and upright. See our guides below for more tips.

Planting in the ground
Choose a spot with well-drained, fertile, moisture-retentive soil that is ideally slightly acidic. To achieve this, dig in moderate amounts of well-rotted manure, at a rate of 5.4kg (10lb) per square metre/yard, but avoid using fresh manure or large quantities, as this can lead to lush, leafy growth at the expense of fruit. Next, warm the soil with cloches for a couple of weeks before planting. Space sweet pepper plants 38鈥�45cm (15鈥�18in) apart, depending on the variety. Compact varieties can be spaced 30cm (1ft) apart. Then cover young plants with cloches to provide wind protection, preferably until the end of June.

5

Plant Care

Planting

Pruning and Training

Guide Start

Section 5 of 8

Temperature and humidity

Sweet peppers can cope with a minimum night temperature of 12掳C (54掳F), but will grow better if kept above 15掳C (59掳F). But they don't like to be too hot 鈥� temperatures over 30掳C (86掳F) can reduce fruiting, so keep the greenhouse well ventilated and put up shading in summer.

Peppers also like humidity, so add moisture to the air in warm weather by 鈥榙amping down鈥� the greenhouse regularly 鈥� pour a full watering can over the floor, leaving it to evaporate during the heat of the day.

Watering

Water regularly to keep the potting compost or soil evenly moist, ensuring plants neither dry out nor get waterlogged. They may shed their flower buds if they run short of water. Also apply mulch to damp soil to help retain moisture around the roots. Plants in containers may need watering daily in summer, as the compost will dry out quickly.

Feeding

To encourage fruiting, feed sweet pepper plants once a week with a high-potassium liquid fertiliser, once flowering starts.

6

Pruning and Training

Plant Care

Harvesting

Guide Start

Section 6 of 8

Pinch out the tip of the main stem when plants reach about 30cm (1ft) tall, to encourage side-shoots to form, which should lead to more fruit. You can also pinch out the tips of the resulting side-shoots if you want more but smaller fruits.

Support each plant with a sturdy bamboo cane, tying in the main stem as it grows. If plants produce a heavy crop of large peppers, more support may be needed as the stems can be quite brittle and snap easily. Insert bamboo canes around the plant and attach the fruit-laden side-shoots using soft twine.

7

Harvesting

Pruning and Training

Problems

Guide Start

Section 7 of 8

In a greenhouse, sweet peppers can be harvested from mid-summer into autumn. Outdoors, they will start fruiting later, usually in August, and finish earlier, once temperatures start to drop in late summer or early autumn. Pick as required when the fruits are swollen and glossy. Most sweet peppers ripen from green to red, but some varieties turn yellow, orange or purple. The fruits get sweeter as they ripen. You can harvest your peppers at whichever colour and stage of maturity you prefer, but bear in mind that leaving fruits on the plant to ripen fully will hinder further fruit development. Towards the end of the season, cover outdoor plants with fleece or bring potted plants indoors, to help the remaining fruits ripen. You can use grow lights to extend the cropping season indoors 鈥� see our video guide below for tips.

8

Problems

Harvesting

Guide Start

Section 8 of 8

Aphids are attracted to sweet pepper plants, so check shoot tips and under leaves regularly to prevent colonies getting established. Several other sap-sucking insects can be problematic too, especially in a greenhouse and in dry conditions. See below for details. Young pepper plants also need protection from slugs and snails.

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