Bell Pepper

Bell Pepper

Capsicum annuum

Start bell pepper indoors 6 weeks before your last spring frost, then plant out 2 weeks after your last spring frost. Space plants 18 in (46 cm) apart.

Photo: Nikodem Nijaki, CC BY-SA 3.0 · source

When to plant

Timed from your frost dates, so it holds wherever you garden. Give yours and every step below becomes a date.

See the dates for your garden

Enter your average last spring frost and first fall frost. Every timing on this site turns into a calendar date. Not sure of yours? Your local extension service or a search for “last frost date” and your town will tell you; the app finds them from your location.

Last spring frost
First fall frost

Saved in this browser only. Nothing is sent anywhere.

Optimal Indoor Start

From seedRecommended
  1. Start indoors6 weeks before your last spring frost
  2. Begin hardening off1 week after your last spring frost
  3. Plant out2 weeks after your last spring frost
  4. First harvestabout 75 days after planting out

Optimal Transplant

From seed
  1. Plant out2 weeks after your last spring frost
  2. First harvestabout 75 days after planting out

Growing bell pepper

Spacing in the row
18 in (46 cm)
Between rows
30 in (76 cm)
Planting depth
1/4 inch
Sun
Full Sun
Soil
Well-drained, fertile loam
Germination
7-21 days at 25-30°C
Harvest season
Summer, Early Fall
Mature height
2-3 ft
Support
Stake
Life cycle
Annual

Start indoors 8-10 weeks before last frost; needs warm soil.

Watering. Maintain consistent soil moisture; avoid waterlogging. Deep watering is preferred.

Neighbours

The companion chart →

Grows well beside

Keep apart from

Feeding

Seedlings
Balanced liquid fertilizer (e.g., 5-5-5) at half strength once true leaves appear.
Growing
Balanced liquid fertilizer (e.g., 5-5-5) every 2-4 weeks.
Flowering and fruiting
High potassium/phosphorus fertilizer (e.g., 5-10-10 or 2-3-1) to promote fruiting.
How often
Every 3-4 weeks from transplant through fruiting. Side-dress lightly beside the row, starting about the time the first fruits set; too much nitrogen gives bushy plants that are slow to set fruit.
Note
Avoid high nitrogen post-flowering to prevent leafy growth at expense of fruit.

Your bell pepper, planned to the day.

Canopy turns these timings into dates from your own frost data, places every plant at its spacing on your garden map, and tracks it all the way to harvest.

Add bell pepper to your planting calendar →

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