How to Grow Green Bell Peppers

Wait for the right time in the season. You should bring the plant outdoors as soon as the last frost ends and the weather starts to warm up. In hot climates, this time is around March or April. In areas with long winters, you may have to wait until near summer to plant viable seedlings. Generally, green bell peppers can be grown year-round in tropical and temperate climates. Just make sure to water the plant enough if you’re growing it in a hot, dry environment. ^[10]

• People usually plant seedlings indoors around the end of January or early February and plant them outdoors about 10 weeks later. ^[11]
• Cover the tree with tarpaulin at night to keep warm after planting the tree outdoors.

Find a sunny spot in the garden. Reserve a spacious garden corner to grow green bell peppers. The planting site should have fertile, well-drained black soil. Try to choose a spot that gets direct sunlight, and plant bell peppers far enough away from other vegetables and fruit trees that they won’t compete for nutrients. ^[12]

• Green bell peppers thrive best if grown where the temperature is around 21 degrees Celsius or warmer. ^[13]
• Don’t plant fruit trees like bell peppers near plants with leaves that rabbits and other animals like to eat.

Dig holes large enough to grow the bell pepper plants. Use a shovel or spade to dig holes about 15-20 cm deep and 25-30 cm wide. Thoroughly dig up the soil around the holes. Plant the seedlings in each hole and gently backfill with soil. ^[14]

• Green bell pepper plants need to be planted about 45-60 cm apart to have enough space to grow without jostling each other.

Add some fertilizer to the soil. Apply a little organic fertilizer such as blood meal or compost to the soil to provide nutrients to the plants. Don’t use too much fertilizer: just a teaspoon is enough. Green bell pepper plants get most of their nutrients from the soil, so over-fertilizing will damage the plant, even kill it. ^[15]

• Some gardeners recommend sticking a couple of matchsticks in the ground around the bell pepper plants to provide the extra sulfur needed for the plants. ^[16]

Use tarpaulin to cover the tree when it is cold. In order for the plant to grow healthy and lush, you need to keep it warm. Cover plants with insulating tarpaulin on particularly cold nights or when frost is imminent. The tarpaulin helps retain the heat that the bell pepper plants need, in addition to protecting the plant from heavy rain, running water on the ground, and wild rodents. ^[17]

• You can use mulch for heat-loving plants like bell peppers even in more temperate climates.
• Always wait until early spring to plant bell peppers. Cold weather can kill the plant or hinder its growth.

Water the plants regularly. Provide the right amount of water for green bell pepper plants once every 1-2 days, depending on weather conditions. You can water less often when the plant is mature and the roots are strong. Bell peppers grown in hot climates usually require more water. An amount of water about 2.5 – 5 cm per week is best for medium-sized green bell pepper plants and under normal conditions. Do not over-water, as the plant may die or become susceptible to disease if waterlogged. ^[18]

• Remember to choose a plot with good drainage so that water does not pool around the plant and cause waterlogging.

Mix compost into the soil around the plant. Tilt the soil around the plant every few weeks and apply a shovel of mulch or compost to the soil. Your green bell pepper plants will grow better with organic fertilizer. Many bell pepper plants don’t even need any other fertilizer if you add a little compost to the soil from time to time. ^[19]

• Organic matter such as mulch also helps the soil retain moisture, which is useful for bell peppers in hot weather.
• Since a calcium deficiency can cause the bottom of the bell pepper plant to rot, you can increase the amount of calcium in the soil by crushing eggshells into the soil (or applying lime). If using fertilizer, be sure to choose one that has a lower nitrogen content and is not ammonia-based. Excess nitrogen and ammonia can cause calcium deficiency.

Stick a support stake when the tree grows big. As they grow larger, bell pepper plants can produce heavy fruit that warps the stem. To avoid this problem, tie the trunk to a pole to help keep the tree upright. Plant stakes are very cheap, available at garden supply stores. ^[20]

• Tie the trunk to the stake with a leather sock or rubber band instead of the usual plastic rope. The elasticity of the rope will help the tree grow freely and the trunk will not be squeezed or broken. ^[21]