Bell Pepper

Sowing: Bell pepper germinates best in warm conditions, so most gardeners start seed indoors 8–10 weeks before the last spring frost, sowing about 1.3 cm deep in a sterile mix and holding the soil at 21–29°C until germination, which can take 8 to 25 days; direct seeding is reserved for areas with a long, warm growing season. Seedlings are potted up once two sets of true leaves appear, hardened off outdoors for 7–10 days, and transplanted once the soil has warmed to at least 15.5°C, roughly two to three weeks after the last frost.

Growing: Plants want full sun and a well-drained loamy or sandy soil with a pH near 5.5 to 6.8, spaced about 30–45 cm apart in rows 60–76 cm apart; drought stress, extreme heat, cold, or low humidity can cause flowers to drop. A balanced fertilizer applied at planting and again when the first flowers appear, together with a nitrogen side-dressing at transplanting and even watering by drip or soaker line under mulch, keeps plants productive, and staking or caging helps once the fruit load gets heavy so branches do not break and fruit stays off the ground.

Pests: Whiteflies, thrips, and red spider mites are the main pests of bell pepper, though few insects kill the plant outright; beet armyworms, cutworms, flea beetles, aphids, leafrollers, weevils, tomato fruit worms, and tomato psyllid can also cause damage. Thrips are notable for spreading tomato spotted wilt virus, one of several viruses affecting the crop alongside mild mottle virus and tobacco mosaic virus.

Diseases: Fungal problems including damping-off, crown and root rot, stem and fruit rot, gray mold, and powdery mildew can damage or destroy plants and fruit, along with anthracnose, seen as circular fruit lesions with concentric tan-to-black rings, and Cercospora leaf spot, which appears as water-soaked spots maturing into lesions with pale centers and dark borders. Disease-free seed and transplants, hot-water seed treatment, and rotating away from susceptible crops for several years help limit these fungal problems.

Disorders: Blossom end rot can develop from calcium deficiency, while sunscald leaves papery spots on exposed fruit; good leaf coverage helps protect fruit from sun damage.

Fruits form about 2 to 6 days after the flower drops and do not reach their full color until they ripen. Picking should be done regularly, cutting the fruit from the stem, to keep the plant producing.

Culinary: Bell pepper is grown chiefly as a fresh vegetable, eaten raw or cooked in salads, sandwiches, and a wide range of dishes worldwide; its high water content adds moisture to the dishes it is cooked into, and its bright colors are valued for the visual appeal they bring to a plate.

Ornamental: Owing to its bushy habit and colorful fruit, bell pepper is also planted in small garden spaces, flower beds, and as a border plant, and being a tender perennial it can be brought indoors over winter as a houseplant.

Bell pepper traces to a wild ancestor native to South America, particularly southern Brazil and Bolivia, and the species was already under cultivation in Mexico by around 2500 BC. Its spread beyond the Americas is credited to Christopher Columbus, who is reported to have carried the plant to Europe, from where it moved on to other regions including India.