How to grow bell pepper
Solanaceae, medium to grow
Needs warmth: best in a greenhouse, polytunnel or a sunny, sheltered pot.
Growing bell pepper for the first time
Difficulty: Medium · Sun: full sun · Ready in: about 90 days
1. Choose the spot
Pick a sunny spot (6+ hours of sun). It does best in loam soil with a pH of 6.0–7.0. Avoid clay soil, or improve it with compost.
2. Sow or plant
Sow outdoors in May, Jun. Start indoors or under cover in Feb, Mar, Apr. Space plants about 45 cm apart.
3. Look after it
- Water roughly every 3 days, more in hot or dry weather. Water the soil, not the leaves.
- Feed every 14 days once it is growing strongly.
- Keep weeds down, and add a daily note and photo to your BeAgric grow diary so you can spot problems early.
4. Watch for problems
Common problems: Bacterial spot, Aphids. Take a photo with Check a plant if leaves look spotted, yellow or wilted.
5. Organic tip
Pinch out the first flower to encourage a bushier plant. Feed with a tomato feed once fruit sets.
6. Harvest
Expect your first harvest about 90 days after planting. Record it in Harvests and list any spare on the marketplace.
Growing it organically
Pinch out the first flower to encourage a bushier plant. Feed with a tomato feed once fruit sets.
Common problems
- Bacterial spot
- Aphids
Spotted something? Check a photo of the leaf.