How to Grow Bell Peppers: Plant, Grow & Harvest Sweet Peppers

Epsom salt adds magnesium to the soil, and magnesium is essential for making chlorophyll, which is essential for photosynthesis. Magnesium is a secondary plant mineral, meaning only very small amounts are needed, hense only watering on transplant Clover is a legume, which means it's roots have nodules of bacteria that put Nitrogen into the soil. Nitrogen is a primary plant nutrient that is fairly quickly removed from soil.

this worked for me. when my seedlings got leggy I transplanted up to first leaves -- on time only--- I let them grow on, at the next transplant I did NOT do what I did the first time Simpy place plant in new pot same level . hope tis helps. To confirm - transplant up to first set pf leaves ONE TIME ONLY.

Most pepper plants are treated as annuals and you reseed each year. However, in some climates or if you have the right indoor setting, you can overwinter them. They are technically perennials! https://www.growveg.com/guides/improve-your-harvest-by-ov...">See how to overwinter.

When it comes to Adorno peppers, the fruits continuously change color based on the stage of maturation. They display beautiful shades of color that go from green, yellow, purple, blue, black, and lastly, red. We would pick them when they are red. 

In terms of green peppers, most varieties take 60 to 90 days to mature. See above information aobut harvesting. 

Your peppers are annuals, so under the best conditions, they are going to cease to thrive before too long. They are, essentially, outdoor plants, so if you bring them indoors and expect to keep them going even a while, or start new ones, you need to replicate ourdoor conditions. That would mean light, heat, and whatever nutrients. You can learn more about lighting here https://www.almanac.com/content/best-grow-lights-growing-... and about hydroponics (although it is not exactly your system) here: https://www.almanac.com/what-hydroponics-basics-hydroponics

You should be able to grow a number of pepper varieties in most parts of New Hampshire during the summer growing season, which is any time now until around Labor Day or possibly September 24, potentially the date of the first fall frost, for a growing season of about 127 days. Check you plants for the growing days to maturity. 20°F is not a summer temp anywhere outdoors in the state that we know of. Peppers would not likely survive in winter as you describe in a raised bed or box. 

The 2 things I remember about living there is the lack of rain during July and August and the very hot winds. The hot winds in my opinion are the biggest problem. Growing in the country was a bigger challenge than in the city. There are many wind blocks in the city. Also you can find shade. These two items can be at a premium in the country. I would first mulch the soil well to help keep the soil moist and cool. Second I would look for a partially shaded site. What you want is a good SE facing spot for the peppers. Measure the sunlight to be sure you are getting 4-6 hrs of sunlight. The SE sun is much gentler on the plants than the SW sun. Hopefully you also have a good wind break out in the country so those plants can survive the dry, hot winds that as I remember were averaging 20-30 mi/hr. Our winds came mostly from the SW to W direction. So finding a way to break the wind on that side would be very helpful. Buildings and cedar fences are great for this.

This should read one red, one green, and one yellow....not Longfellow

This is a tough one. Match sticks may not exactly be the problem but it may be a hint: we are thinking that something about the soil is inadequate, is not providing the nutrients the plant needs or allowing it to absorb them. Did you check the pH of the soil? Do you fertilize? Something with not too much nitrogen (the first number in the set of three, e.g. 5-10-5)? Is the plant getting enough water? Containers famously dry out before/quicker than the ground. Is the pot outdoors in the sun?

Still and all, it might be the soil. Don't want to snow you with info but here's a list of the "invisible" but so-important nutrients plants need and are often evaluated in soil tests: http://hortipm.tamu.edu/ipmguide/nutrient/diagnosi.html&n... "Fruit" is not mentioned but once, but as the ultimate product, it could be affected.

What kind of peppers are they? Thai chilie peppers grow upward and Serreno peppers look like Thai chilies but are round at the bottom and grow down. Usually bigger.

That's the theory, Chuck: that pinching off the early flowers (and small fruit) encourages more fruit production.

We have no experience with this product so can not comment but a little searching (of .edu's) turn up this page that may or may not be helpful to you: https://web.extension.illinois.edu/cfiv/homeowners/080818...

No, large leaves won't take away from the fruit. Provided the plant is adequately fed and watered, the large leaves should be beneficial (more surface area for photosynthesis = more energy).

Once the plant is established in the ground, it's important not to use a fertilizer with too much nitrogen, which promotes foliage growth rather than flower and fruit production.

Early flowering in peppers sometimes happens. Some gardeners leave the flowers alone, but others prefer to pinch the early blossoms so that the plant can focus on developing a good root system before focusing on fruit production. Blossoms may drop if the plant is stressed, such as too hot (above 85F or 90F day) or cold (below 60F night), or not enough or too little water. Peppers are particularly sensitive to temperature, and like daytime temps of around 70 to 80F. Transplanting may also stress the plant for a little while, but they should recover. Petals of a successfully pollinated flower will drop after a few days--look just near the area of the petals to see if a little fruit is forming. Hope this helps!

Is using strips of aliminul foil as a ground cover under pepper plants really beneficial to the plant? Does it really help in any way?

Peppers need lots of water and strong sunlight for 14-18 hours a day. I have my peppers growing indoors and they are great. I use miracle grow for soil with added bone meal and perlite. I am now using a general fertilizer for vegetables for it and it’s producing great peppers. During the seedling stage, I cut the main stem off above 4 leafs. The plant will then double strengthen its stock and double its quantity of peppers and will have thicker branches. This is growing under a 1000 watt equivalent multi spectrum led grow light. Paid 130$ bucks on amazon for it. Most of my plants are amazing and fast growing. I just started this a couple months ago and I’m addicted to growing anything and everything. It’s all about your light and time of light and not overwatering. Always touch soil to feel it and you will know if it needs water or not. I hope this advice can help you in your overall success. Cheers from Canada!

Hi Megan,

The two most important factors that can affect growing peppers with thick walls are the days to maturity and the amount of water given. If peppers are not given adequate time to reach full maturity, they will have thin walls: this is especially noticeable in hot regions. Try not to be impatient when waiting to harvest your peppers and it will pay off. As for water, the growth of peppers can be drastically influenced by an inconsistent watering schedule. Peppers like well-draining moist (not wet) soil, so be sure to water pepper plants evenly and consistently, and to water more or less only when temperatures or humidity change drastically, as they will affect the amount of water evaporating into the air. Good luck with your crop of peppers this coming growing season!

Peppers can drop their flowers for a few reasons, including temperatures that are too cool or hot, inadequate pollination, or some other cultural stress, such as too little or too much water, humidity too high or low (which can affect the pollen), soil too rich or nutrient-poor. Sudden changes in temperature, such as what might happen when moving them indoors, can also stress the plants. Some insect pests and diseases can also cause flowers to fall off. Best guess, since your plants seem otherwise healthy, would be that your plants are either just adjusting to their new environment and should eventually recover, or the flowers aren't receiving enough pollen (peppers are self-pollinating, but wind or insects help the transfer of pollen). Since your plants are indoors, away from wind and insects, you might try gently shaking the plant a tiny bit, to mimic wind, to encourage pollen to fall onto the flower stigmas. Or, you can gently gather pollen onto a cotton swab or small paint brush (just brush the pollen-coated anthers of the flower) and then transfer the pollen to the flower stigma, in the center of each flower. Hope this helps!

If the weather's been especially hot (which peppers prefer), the peppers may have thought that it was Summer Part II and thus, time to produce more peppers! It's unlikely that they'll make it to full maturity at this point in the season, but you could try to give them a couple extra weeks by employing https://www.almanac.com/video/how-make-row-cover-tunnel">row covers. 

I live in central Indiana and had a similar experience this summer. I potted two bell pepper plants. One produced 5 peppers all summer, the other only 3. That is until the humid heat wave. Both plants began to rapidly bloom, and I currently have 20+ peppers on each plant.

Make hat two weeks, sorry. I'm in the Boston area if that matters

Instead of using match heads under peppers, use a pinch of epsom salt (Magnesium sulphate). Match heads provide sulphur as does epsom salt. You can make a solution of E.S. and water for foliar feeding as well.

You can certainly freeze peppers, but it's recommended that you do a little prep work beforehand. Wash the peppers and dry them, cut off stems, split each pepper in half, and remove the seeds. Then cut into slices, if desired. Spread the pieces on a tray, so that each piece does not touch any other, then place in the freezer for about an hour or so until frozen. Then remove the tray and place the frozen pieces in a dated and labeled zipper freezer bag, squeezing out as much air as possible, and place in the freezer.

Insects and diseases might cause such symptoms, but it may actually be sunscald. Bell peppers are susceptible to sunscald, which occurs during high temperatures, especially during humid conditions, and direct exposure of the fruit to sunlight during its development. It can appear as faded, papery, blistered, or gray-white sunken areas on the fruit on the side that has been exposed to the sun; the areas will later dry and possibly develop black mold. It is best to have the fruit develop under the leaves; you can provide shade cloth or use row covers to help protect them. Staking plants as they grow also helps fruit to remain under the leaf canopy. Good watering and fertilization at the appropriate times help to develop a good canopy. Hope this helps!

It's OK to keep "potting up" peppers are they grow. They're quite adaptable. That said, we usually stop transplanting peppers once they have flowers and fruit as the fruit and blooms may die with transplanting. A 3 gallon pot (14-inch diameter) would be suitable for a couple pepper plants.

Hi Bella,

The 18 to 24 inches of space is a recommendation. 12 inches between each plant should be plenty, so don't remove any plants. As long as the area where your pepper plants are growing is in full sun, you should be fine. Thanks for writing!

Peppers are heat-seeking vegetables which are well suited for desert climates. That said, some pepper varieties do better than others. Jalapeños do the best, especially when grown in full Sun. Ancho and sweet banana peppers do very well, but produce even more yield when grown under shade cloth. In desert regions at around 4,000 feet of elevation, sweet bell peppers often fail to develop a thick fleshy wall, especially upon ripening, and their quality can be poorer than store-bought bells.

I bought yellow and red pepper plants from my local nursery. The yellow pepper plant has a big pepper, but it is green. Will it turn, or did the nursery have it labeled wrong. Other plants are fair size, but no peppers yet. Thanks

Fertilizers, both organic and synthetic, can be found at garden centers. The package may tell you what plants they are good for, such as vegetables. Peppers do better in a fertilizer lower in nitrogen, such as 5-10-10, before they set fruit; after that, it is OK to use a more balanced formula. Or, you can add aged manure or compost. They also like fish emulsion, if you want to go that route. To learn more about the various types of fertilizers, you may be interested in this page: https://www.almanac.com/content/npk-ratio-what-do-numbers...">https://www.almanac.com/content/npk-ratio-what-do-numbers...

As to planting directly in the ground, you can certainly do that, but depending on your soil, you might have better success by using potting soil if planting in a container, or if planting in the ground, by first preparing the plot to improve soil structure, adjust pH if needed, add any nutrients that are deficient, improve drainage if needed, etc. Peppers like loose soil, and a pH around 5.8 to 6.5. For more information about preparing soil for planting, you might like:

https://www.almanac.com/content/preparing-soil-planting
https://www.almanac.com/news/gardening/gardening-advice/o...">https://www.almanac.com/news/gardening/gardening-advice/o...
Also, here is a video on preparing soil in spring:
https://www.almanac.com/video/how-enrich-your-garden-soil...

Hope this helps!

Mixed results with growing peppers in the past.

It is best to not let the seeds dry out as they germinate in a warm wet location. I germinated mine in a wet paper towel in a plastic bag at room temperature.

I'm not sure that I understand the setup--are there several pepper plants in one container, one plant being far more advanced than the others? Or, are they all now planted out in a garden? As the above article suggests, two seedlings grown together seems to work well, but otherwise it is best to space plants 18 to 24 inches apart; you might want to thin them out a little, by snipping at the base (don't pull plants up, to avoid disturbing roots of plants you'd like to keep). Fertilize when transplanting, and then after first fruit set. Be careful not to give too much nitrogen, which encourages leaf growth over flowering, until the peppers are developing. If you have lots of flowers but no fruit, you might try hand pollinating to help things along,

It's hard to know what it might be, as there are several things that can cause large brown spots on fruit. However, I'm wondering if it might have been anthracnose; for more information about this disease, see: http://www.almanac.com/pest/anthracnose and this article from the Ohio Cooperative Extension:
http://www.oardc.ohio-state.edu/sallymiller/Extension%20O...
which shows you a picture of it on bell pepper fruit.

Some other possibilities might include:
blossom end rot: http://www.almanac.com/pest/blossom-end-rot
                           http://extension.uga.edu/publications/detail.cfm?number=C938
sunscald: http://msue.anr.msu.edu/news/hot_and_sunny_days_promote_s...

Hope this helps!

Good morning, I submitted a question to you on 26 February 2017, but have just realised that you are in England, and I am in Sydney, Australia, our climates are very different!! My apologies, I will try one of our sites. Regards, Loretta

You can keep your pepper seedlings in the peat pellets, to help minimize transplant shock (they are especially good for that, since you can plant them pellet and roots together in the ground). If you do not plan to transplant them out directly in the garden for several weeks, you might consider at some midway point between now and then, transplanting the seedling (including its peat pellet) into a larger pot. Otherwise, wait and plant outside directly, after hardening off. As to the lighting, seedlings usually need about 12 to 16 hours of light. Make sure that your desk light is not on constantly overnight--use a timer. It would be better to use a grow light that offers the spectrum needed by plants, or a fluorescent shop light. The windowsill and desk lamp (if using a regular light bulb) may lead to thin, elongated stems. If there is no other option, though, adjust the lamp so that it is close to the seedlings, but not too close to cause any heat damage. Keep rotating your plants every day, even twice a day, so that the stems do not grow in one direction (toward the source of light). Good luck!

It's up to you. Some gardeners pull the whole plant and hang it upside down in a basement or garage, while others just harvest the ripening peppers. The fruit can be placed in a paper bag with an apple to help hasten ripening, if you prefer. If you have lots of peppers that are not up to full size yet, you might try pulling the whole plant in case the plant can still give the fruit a tiny bit more nutrients before the plant dries. But if your peppers are mostly of a mature size, then just harvesting the peppers themselves should work fine.

A hot topic, it appears, on the Web. No. It's a hoax. Pepper plant flowers contain both mail and female reproductive parts, and so the developing fruit is neither male nor femaile. The number of lobes does not affect flavor. Don't believe everything you read on the Web...but you can believe this.

They may be purple, Ken, because they ARE purple peppers! If you started them from seeds, we can not explain the confusion; the packet should have been marked...or it was and you did not know. If you bought them as seedlings, it's possible that the plant stick was moved from other peppers inadvertently; it happens occasionally.

They are different from other bells in so far as the contain a pigment called anthocyanin, which give them their inky color. They may be slightly more bitter than red, yellow, or orange bell peppers...or that may be a matter of taste.

Harvest, eat, and enjoy!

It sounds likely that they are diseased. In that case, it may be best not to eat them since it is not known what exactly is infecting the fruit. Even if the spotted areas are removed (cut at least 1 inch further out from the affected area), unblemished areas may still harbor fungus, bacteria, or viruses that may cause trouble, depending on the pathogen. Quality will likely not be as good either, perhaps affecting taste etc. Unfortunately, when in doubt, throw it out.

Had you experienced cool or hot temperatures earlier and now temperatures have moderated? Nighttime temperatures below 60F or above 75F can hamper fruiting. Also, if you had very hot daytime temperatures, such as 90F or above, that can cause blossoms to drop or pollen to become sterile, reducing fruit production until plants recover. Ideal daytime temps are between 70 and 80 (hot peppers can take about 5 degrees higher). Drought or other stress, too much nitrogen, or other factors can also discourage fruiting.

I too have had a second Harvest from my Bells! This second Harvest has produced more peppers than the first and seeming bloomed after a long hot drought, so perhaps the more temperate weather has caused a second Harvest?

Hi, Janice, Your Green Bell Peppers Will Turn Color, Eventually. Depending On The Variety, It Could Be A Couple To A Few Weeks. You Must Leave Them On The Vine, Too, BTW. (This Is One Reason Why Red, Yellow, And Orange Peppers Cost So Much More Than Green Ones.

– Welcome!

Pepper plants are self-pollinated, so it is unlikely that bell peppers would affect the flavor of hot peppers planted close by, and vice versa.

We're glad to hear your bell peppers are doing well! In most of temperate North America, the pepper is grown as an annual, meaning that you'll have to plant again next year. It is a “tender” vegetable and easily killed by frost. However, in tropical regions, the pepper grows as a perennial plant, so it will produce again.

Any time you transplant something, you have to give it time to adjust to the new environment. In do doing you literally uproot it. Think about it: it was comfortable, producing, getting on with its business—slowly maybe (for lots of other reasons). But it had shown you that it could make fruit. Then you removed it from its familiar surroundings—with good intentions, no doubt. But now it has to essentially settle in and then maybe get back to the business of making fruit. Next time, put the plant into a pot that it can call home for the season and surround it with proper soil. It's hard to know if you there is enough time in the season (and the plant's life) for it to produce again. We give it a strong maybe. You can only wait and see.

Small peppers can be caused by several things, including planting them out too early (daytime temperatures should be 65 to 70F, nighttime above 55F), temperature extremes or drastic fluctuations in weather, not enough light or water, fertilizing too early to encourage leaves at the expense of fruit, poor pollination, or some other stress, such as disease or insects. Check your plants for insects and disease; monitor the light, water, and fertilizer; and watch the weather--protect plants from cool and overly hot temperatures as best you can.

Good question. In most of temperate North America, the pepper is grown as an annual.  It is a "tender" vegetable and easily killed by frost. However, in tropical regions, the pepper grows as a perennial plant.

If your pepper plants are vigorous and doing well, it may not improve their production and overall health to remove the first round of flowers. However, if the plants are struggling or growing slowly, then it can sometimes help to remove the first round of flowers.

As is mentioned below, bell peppers average about 6 to 8 peppers per plant. Some may yield less (2 or 3), some more (15 or more).

Peppers change color as they near their ripe stage. Check the "days to maturity" on seed packets or in catalogs for a guideline for your particular variety (such as 'Bell Boy' bell peppers mature in about 70 days). This will be the time when the pepper is at the peak of maturity, and fully colored. If you want your peppers immature (for different crispness and flavor), pick them earlier. Some peppers will start coloring up different colors before their final color (such as turning from yellow-green to yellow to orange to red). Timing, though, will depend on variety and local conditions.

So if I understand this, you just wait for them to turn the red or yellow.

That might depend on where you live. Please visit the following page, input your location, and it will give you the recommended times to plant out peppers (or first sow indoors) based on frost dates from the nearest weather station in your area (if you are in the United States).

https://www.almanac.com/gardening/planting-calendar

Yes. Bell peppers and capsicum are the same thing.

It sounds like your pepper plants  are coming along nicely. The flowers will form the bell peppers (the fruit of the plant), once they are pollinated. Bell peppers self-pollinate, so usually they don't need any help from outside influences, such as bees or hand pollination.

Do you mean an ornamental pepper (Capsicum annuum), that holds its fruit upright and is usually grown as a houseplant? If so, then in the United States, these are usually grown as annuals, unless you have a greenhouse or live in a tropical environment. After they fruit, they are usually discarded.

Keep the seedlings under the lights as long as you keep the plants indoors. Move the light up as the seedlings grow. When the seedlings are about 3 inches tall you can move them into small individual pots. When night temps reach about 50 degrees it's time to start hardening the pepper plants. Put them outside in the shade for 1/2 day at first. Then put them outside for the day and gradually move them into the sun before planting them in the ground.

The yield of a bell pepper will depend on many factors, such as variety, weather and soil conditions, pests, timing, spacing, light, etc. However, for a rule of thumb, bell peppers average about 6 to 8 peppers per plant. Some may yield less (2 or 3), some more (15 or more). Pepper size will vary as well.

How big is the pot? If you are using a tiny pot for seed starting, then 10 is too many. Usually about three would do, and then pinch off one as they show their first true leaves (the first "leaves" are actually sort of baby leaves, called cotyledons, that develop with the seed. The next leaves that form are called "true" leaves, and function slightly differently.) Since you have ten seedlings together, what you can do is either pinch off the weaker seedlings at the base (don't pull them up, as they may injure the roots of other seedlings)--saving two healthy seedlings to grow in the pot. The other thing you might try is a little more risky -- take a blunt pointed object, such as a dull pencil, to tease apart a seedling from the surrounding ones -- be very gentle with the plant and at detangling its roots from the others; you don't want to damage either seedling. Plant the seedling that you removed into another pot. Do the same for seven more seedlings if they look healthy, leaving two in the original pot, preferably undisturbed. The transplanted seedlings may recover enough from their move to continue growing. Good luck!

Heat causes blossoms to drop. Daytime temps above 90 or night temps above 75 degrees can cause blossoms to drop and even small fruits to abort. Optimum high temperatures for peppers are 60 degrees at night and 85 during the day. Also how shady is your mesh screened balcony? They might not be getting enough light.

It too hot for them. They need a cooler environment. Take them indoors and just place them in front of a sunny window. Water once a week because you don't want to over do it since they'll be inside.

1) As to the pesticide, it might depend first on whether it was approved for use on edible crops. If it was not, then we would not recommend using any peppers from your plants, since it is possible that the plants can absorb certain chemicals that remain in the soil from that application. Whether the seed itself can do so, it might be possible, too (they were sown after the spraying, right?). We don't know how much of the pesticide would actually pose a danger, but you might want to play it safe and be overly cautious. If the pesticide was approved for edible crops, then you might obtain the name of the pesticide and call the manufacturer about safety procedures, or contact the National Pesticide Information Center at 1.800.858.7378

2) Peppers should be watered when the soil feels dry about 1 inch deep. How often will depend on your climate. If the heat of summer dries your container out quickly, you might need to water every day between storms. Or, you might need to water 2 or 3 times per week. But if the storms provide enough water, you may not need to water at all. Be sure that there is drainage at the bottom of the pot, though, so that the plant doesn't sit in water.

Pepper blossoms are sensitive to temperature fluctuations. It is difficult for them to set fruit if the night temps are below 58 degrees or the daytime temps rise above 85 degrees. The blossoms will fall off before they can be pollinated. If that is not the case in your area, it may be due to a lack of bees or other pollinators.

Hi, Leslynn: You can, but this is one of those things that is often more easily said than done. Even what might appear to be sufficient sunlight to us might not be enough for the peppers, which really do require a lot. They shouldn't be transplanted until at least two sets of leaves have fully developed. They need adequate space. They need never to go drier than slightly damp. And they may need help with hand pollination. Other than these requirements, not a prob! Good luck! And do let us know how you make out!

Jerri, still early in the season here, so I would safely assume yes. My peppers produce the most mid-summer through the end of summer. If you like red (sweeter) peppers, try leaving them on the plant a little longer until they turn red.

Some gardeners do prune certain stems and flowers/fruit at this stage (about 10 to 12 inches tall). Overall, it may help with the sturdiness of the plant, creating a thicker main stem, and may produce more side shoots. It is best to prune before the flowers actually form fruit. Sometimes pruning at this early stage might encourage more fruiting, or result in fewer but larger fruit.

Is it possible you had some cool nights? On trick to increase blooms on peppers is to use a 16 oz spray bottle of water with 1 tbs of epsom salt.

Hi Lindsay,

We don't have any information or experience about growing peppers and peanuts in the same spot. We suggest that you move your peppers to a different spot in the garden to see if they will do better. It is a good practice to rotate your crops every year.

It was my experience that yellowish leaves on bells is from to much watering.

You can truly pick peppers whenever you wish. For bell peppers, we wait until they are about 3 to 4 inches long,

Botanically speaking, pepper flowers are "perfect," meaning that both male and female parts are in the same flower. Therefore, each flower can self-pollinate (however, pepper flowers may also cross-pollinate).

There is misinformation going around the internet that male bell peppers have 3 lobes and female bell peppers have 4 lobes--this is not true. The fruit comes from perfect ("all in one") flowers.

Contact me for all kinds of vegetable seeds. Am based in Ibadan Oyo State. olakabeer@gmail.com , 07038374167

Flower drop, leaf curling, and yellowing may be caused by several things. Since water levels and fertilizer are good, and it doesn't seem that your area is getting high heat (over 90F) or really cold nights, then best guess would be the tarnished plant bug, which sucks juices from plant buds and can lead to blossom drop. Thrips or aphids might also be culprits. As to diseases, check for wilts and viruses, especially verticillium wilt.

For more information about pepper problems, see:

http://extension.umd.edu/sites/default/files/_images/prog...

and about tarnished plant bug:

http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/trees/tarnished_plant...

http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/gardens-gardening/...

Depending on where you live, it is a little too cold now to grow peppers outdoors (they like warmth). Putting them in the greenhouse is a good idea. Bring them back outside when overnight and morning temperatures are not quite so chilly.

The peppers will eventually turn red if they get enough sun. You can speed up the final ripening by putting them in a paper bag with a ripe tomato. The ethylene gas it emits will help things along.

It's difficult to be certain, but this could be caterpillars or flea beetles. Try an insecticidal soap, available in garden supply stores.

You should dust it with 7dust u can find that at wall-mart it keeps pest away

Hi, Joan, The temperature of the water should not be extreme at any time; warm water is not going to keep the seeds warm. The black plastic mentioned above is laid on bare ground to warm it; it is not placed on seeds. You'll have better results keeping the seed containers inside until the plants sprout. In fact, see this page for more advice on starting seeds: http://www.almanac.com/content/starting-seeds-indoors

We hope this helps.

Hi Joan, I live right below you in Mebane NC. I started my bell pepper seeds inside about a month ago. I have moved them outside completely now and they are growing just fine. Out of one pack of seeds started this way I have about 20 seedlings. Most if not all have 5+ leaves already and are 3-5 inches tall. Starting the seeds inside would be your best route. Then once they have 3-4 leaves transplant them as per the description noted here.

Bell pepper plants are annuals: They produce through one growing season and then die. However, they may produce many peppers through that growing season, and not all at once, so it may seem like they keep producing. And they do—but only in one growing season. They will not survive or come back for next growing season. You need to start with new plants or seeds every year. Got it?

Bell peppers are tender herbaceous perennials usually grown as annuals in non-tropical conditions. They might last a few years, but they turn woody.

Here is one person's experience with the longevity of various pepper plants:

http://www.homegrown-peppers.com/growing-peppers/how-long...

You also might be interested in this page that discusses the wild ancestor of the modern bell pepper. There, it says that it (Capsicum annuum) in its native habitat starts out as herbaceous but does become woody and shrub-like. A short-lived perennial, it usually lasts about 3 to 4 years.

http://www.fs.fed.us/global/iitf/pdf/shrubs/Capsicum%20an...

Yes u will need the sun when u plant the seeds

If you are concerned about soil contaminants, you might want to have a soil test done beforehand. Your county's Cooperative Extension may be able to give you some names of soil testing labs that test for contaminants. If your home has been built before 1978, and was painted, it may be that it was with lead paint. In this case, we'd suggest having your soil tested, not planting edibles near the foundation, and using a raised bed further out in the yard.

For more information, you might see:

http://homeguides.sfgate.com/soil-contamination-testing-2...

Gardening guidelines for soil with lead:

http://www.douglascountyhealth.com/healthy-children/lead-...

Depending on where you live, it is a little too cold now to grow peppers outdoors (they like warmth). In general, mini sweet bell peppers can grow in a 5-gallon pot, about 12 inches deep and 12 inches wide. One plant per pot. You can certainly grow them in a greenhouse. If you do not have a greenhouse, but have a location that will be about 70F to 80F or so in temperature consistently, then you can grow them indoors over winter. They will need about 14 to 16 hours of daylight or fluorescent grow lights (1 cool bulb type, 1 warm) per day. Set the plant lights about 4 to 6 inches above the plants. You will need to hand pollinate the flowers to encourage fruiting. Keep up with the watering. Good luck!

It depends on how cold it gets in the winter. You may be OK with a couple of seedling heat mats under the pots or you can get a couple of heating lamps and turn them on before a cold front approaches. A small space heater with a fan will also work.

Peppers like warm soil, above 65F. Cold soil may slow the flowering process. You might try choosing an early-maturing variety, and placing black plastic over the soil a week or two before planting (see above for recommended planting times) and leaving it there after sowing seeds or transplanting. The black plastic will help to keep the soil warm. In colder climates, start the seeds indoors. Hope this helps!

Use miracle grow potting soil if u havnt already. It will make your flowers blume earlier and faster. While at the same time u will have a healthier plant that will produce flowers sumtimes within a week or two uwill have small peppers come out wen the accuall flower falls off. Just like the regular process but a lil faster. Ive harvested a numbrr of really greally great peppers starting in august an im still pulling off more and more

Peppers love warm soil and sun. They are not going to be growing much more when the temps. drop. If you cover the plants at night you can keep them in the garden for another few weeks. If you have room you can dig a few plants to bring indoors. Plant them in containers and place them in a sunny window.

Try to cover your peppers with old sheets or towels. You may also want to cover the cucumbers and squash plants.

Yes, the black stage is normal, Karen (assuming the plant is healthy). The red color should follow—or you can eat them black.

Only time will tell. If the injury left some of the vascular system intact, so that the plant juices and nutrients can still flow between the roots, stem, leaves, and fruit, then there might be a chance it will muddle through to the end of the season. But, the plant is now more susceptible to disease and insects, and may possibly go into shock. Providing support is good--do anything else that you can to coddle the plant so that it is under the least stress possible. Good luck!

Your peppers will greatly appreciate some extra support.

Do you mean the stem end or the bottom of the pepper? Black areas starting at the bottom of the pepper might be due to blossom end rot. This is caused by a calcium deficiency which can show up in dry weather or uneven watering. It might also happen if there is root damage, a lot of salts in the soil, or lots of nitrogen. In this case, you don't need to worry about other plants getting the disease, since it is a cultural problem. Mulch to maintain moisture, and water consistently. Avoid high-nitrogen fertilizer.

If the black area is at the stem end, it might be bacterial soft rot. This is caused by bacteria that causes watersoaked areas on the fruit, which rots. Leaves will wilt. Discard any affected fruit, and give your plants plenty of spacing so that they have good air circulation; keep up with pests; and mulch to keep the bacteria in the soil from splashing onto plants.

Or, perhaps the variety was mislabelled and it is actually a black sweet pepper? In which case it is just part of the ripening process.

Hot peppers can tolerate heat better than bells. Perhaps at the time of flowering, it was too hot for sufficient pollination for the bells, but the hot peppers came through? (That wouldn't explain the Cubanelles, though.) Too much nitrogen can also cause lack of flowering/fruiting, but the other plants seem to be OK. Are all plants getting the same amount of soil nutrients, sunlight, water, etc? If not, perhaps the area where the bells are is different enough to cause a problem.

Hi, Elizabeth: Well, it's not really a "wrong," but what you're not doing enough of is being patient. They will turn color eventually. Sometimes, once you start to see a little color, you can speed up the final ripening by putting them in a paper bag with a ripe tomato. The ethylene gas it emits will help things along.

On one pepper plant, you may get 1 or 2 peppers to form or you may 6 to 8. It depends on the pepper variety and your garden/weather conditions. If you pick the pepper before it's fully mature, you will spark your plant into producing more peppers because the plant wants its "babies" to succeed, though many gardeners say the pepper tastes better if it's fully mature. One idea is to harvest early on some plants and let others mature. Try this experiment and see what works for you!

Most likely, the peppers are suffering from blossom end rot, which can spread to any area of the fruit and is not always on the "ends". Provide a good mulch to prevent moisture evaporation, and shade your plants during the hottest hours of the day. Keep the soil evenly moist like a wrung out sponge, not wet and not completely dried out.

Hi Ken, We have answered your question a few times below so you're not alone. The number of fruits per plant varies with the variety. Bell pepper plants may produce 5 to 8 fruit per plant. However, do not be surprised if you get one or two. Peppers are sensitive to temperature and need consistent moisture, especially during dry periods. Read more below; there are a lot of common Q&As and good learning as a beginner gardener. Good luck!

Holes in peppers could be anything from worms to flee beetles to weevils. However, pest holes are not usually surrounded by black. Bacterial spot is a disease that causes small black spots; the spots are lesions, not holes. Most outbreaks are tied to the original seed or transplant which was infected. If this is the case, there is little you can do except buy sterile seed and avoid replanting in this area next year. Also, overhead irrigation and splashing of water on the plant can spread infection. (Watering should happen at base of plant and never overhead.) This is a difficult disease to control. There are sprays that can be used at an early stage. We would suggest you bring a sample to your local cooperative extension office or garden nursery to get a confirmed diagnosis.

It will depend on the variety. Check the name on the plant tag or seed packet. Depending on the type, and growing conditions, the fruits can range from between 1.5 and 7 inches long. Plant heights can range from 6 inches to 5 feet tall, again depending on the type and your local growing conditions. 'Big Bertha', for example, can grow up to 5 feet tall and bear fruit that is up to 7 inches long and 4 inches wide. 'Red Mini Bell', on the other hand, grows about 16 inches tall and bears fruit just 1.5 inches long and wide. A standard type, such as 'Sweet California Wonder', grows up to 2 feet tall and bears fruit about 4 inches long by 3.5 inches wide.

Depending on what weather you have had, it could be that cold temperatures are delaying sprouting, since pepper seeds like a warm soil temperature to germinate. Keep the soil moist (not soggy) to help penetrate the hard seed coat and help the seed germinate. The variety of pepper also affects how fast it will germinate: some hot peppers can take almost a month.

Cold temperatures can also slow plant growth (Look through the questions/answers below for similar problems.) If temperatures are still cool, you might place row covers over the plants to help keep them warm at night. Black plastic mulch helps to keep the soil warm.

As to whether sowing seeds now will give the plants enough time to produce, check this page and put in your zip code to determine best times for your area:

http://www.almanac.com/gardening/planting-dates/

In some areas, sowing now through end of June should be fine for a Setember/October harvest.

It seems that several gardeners are having the same problem (see questions/answer below), probably because of cooler temperatures (or the temperature fluctuations). You might want to pick the fruit and allow the plants to get taller; side dress the area with a bit of balanced fertilizer to encourage more plant growth.

When a pepper plant starts producing fruit before it has reached full growth, it sometimes helps to remove the tiny peppers and side dress the area with a bit of balanced fertilizer to encourage more plant growth. Cool temperatures during flowering may also affect pollination (the pollinators aren't out as much), resulting in tiny, misshapen fruit.

Please see the answer below.

They might perk up when temperatures get warmer, although there is a possibility that they will remain stunted. In the meantime, if your area is still cool, you might place row covers over the plants to help keep them warm at night. Black plastic mulch helps to keep the soil warm. When a pepper plant starts producing fruit before it has reached full growth, it sometimes helps to remove the tiny peppers and side dress the area with a bit of balanced fertilizer to encourage more plant growth. Cool temperatures during flowering may also affect pollination (the pollinators aren't out as much), resulting in tiny, misshapen fruit.

This could be any number of things -- it's good that you're on top of it! Make sure that it is getting enough sun. Make sure that it is getting enough water, but not too much! Water regularly, but only when the top surface starts to dry out to a depth of an inch or two. It could be a nutrient deficiency; try a little bit of some well-balanced (10-10-10) fertilizer. It could be pests: Do an inspection and use some eco-friendly pesticide if necessary. So, your order of action here should be Pests, Water, Sun, Nutrients -- in successive but quick order!

Our advice would be to thin just to one seedling (pinch one off, rather than pull it out) because these are so close together and might be competing too intensely. When you plant the peppers in the garden, you could place another plant about 3 inches away; this might help with the sunscald and the plants may support each other as they grow further. If you don't have a problem with sunscald, then regular spacing might be best.

Hi William,

If you already have white flies on your peppers try predator insects, such as parasitic wasps and ladybugs. Some folks recommend putting yellow sticky tape around the garden and others have used insecticidal soap and oil sprays with some luck.

Most store bought peppers come from hybrid plants and seeds collected from them don't grow as well as seeds planted from a seed package. But, you already have seedlings growing so you can transplant them into bigger pots when they are about 2 to 3 inches tall and see what happens. The seedlings will not grow well if they are crowded.

Good luck!

You will want to plant the whole thing about 1/4 an inch into the soil! That's the start of the "roots". I've started lots of my garden from seed. Some from Bonnie plants.

Always check your soil's pH (acidity/alkalinity) before introducing additives. Acidic, or sour, soil has a pH lower than 7.0 and is amended with finely ground limestone. Ideally, lime is added to soil several months before planting.

Aklaline, or sweet soil, has a pH above 7.0 and is amended by adding ground sulphur—again, several months before planting.

Bell peppers prefer well draining, composted soil that is slightly acidic, with a pH between 5.5 and 7.0. 

Too much lime can be harmful to peppers. Perhaps you want to check the soil's pH. Kits for doing so are available at almost any garden or home store for a couple dollars.

I've been gardening a long time n I've learned that the dirt you use is very important. If transplanting into pots make sure to use a potting mix and when planting sweet peppers I always put a few wooden matches in the hole before the plant the peppers love the sulfur. Good luck

Pepper seeds germinate best at temps between 85°F and 90°F, and seedlings develop well at 75°F during the day and no less than 65°F (some say 60°F) at night. They slow down during cool periods. Did anything change in your temp conditions?

If they come back to life, beware of transplant shock: reduce the air temp and amount of water and increase the air circulation around them before bringing them outside.

They need large pots to grow. They r probably rootbound

I live in Florida too. The single holes in some of your bell peppers are almost surely from snails. They will attach, usually eating only one hole per pepper (in my observances).

Peppers have many fans that are not humans.

Corn earworm (shows up where corn is grown, probably not your area), fall armyworm (strikes in autumn, as the name suggests), pepper maggot (is about the size of a housefly; here's a candidate) and pepper weevil larva (these are tiny and found in sub-tropical areas, also a contender) are among the insects that bore into the fruit. There are others.

Management on a few pots (vs a field or bed) usually involve using crop rotation methods (or changing pot soil from year to year) and using trays or saucers under the pots to deny some pests entry from the bottom. Use a slow-release fertilizer and if using composted material, be sure that it reached a temperture high enough to kill pest organisms. 

See the next entry for more advice.

Peppers do like warmth and the temperatures you've been experiencing are quite cold for these plants, so this combined with a lot of rain could potentially be the cause of the yellowing. I would expect to see wilting too though. It might be a good idea to cover the bed at night to provide a little extra warmth. It does sound more like a nutrient deficiency to me though - without seeing the plants it's difficult to say what, but if you think this could be a possibility I would recommend watering in a balanced organic liquid feed (make it fairly weak) and do this once a week until you see signs of improvement.

If, despite your best efforts, the cool to cold temps have done in your peppers, then you should get new seedlings, harden them off before planting (see above answer for ideas on that), and try again.

Correct. You won't have issues with the crops this season, but if you save these seeds and replant, you will get attributes of both parents. For example, you may find a sweet pepper has spicy notes. Or, a fruit won't taste very good.  The plants lose their unique characteristics.

See our indoor planting tips on this page. Are your seedling too crowded? Peppers need warmth. Make sure the temp. doesn't drop below 65 degrees. Sometimes a small fan that circulates the air will help.

Hi Val, No worries. Pepper flowers self pollinate for the most part. Once pepper will not change the fruit characteristics of the other pepper.
Now, if you're saving the seeds from the fruit to plant next year, there could be cross-pollination issues. However, it won't affect this year's crops.

As you see the pepper seeds come up, immediately get them in bright light: a south-facing window or, if this is not bright enough, under grow lights. Rigging up a couple of Cool White bulbs might do it.
Also, spindly growth can come from poor air circulation so don't crowd your plants and make sure that they can get light from all possible angles.
Finally, do not start seeds too early. See our planting dates chart for your zip code: www.almanac.com/plantingtable

A fan blowing enough to lightly rustle the leaves will also leave early plants growing stockier.

Usually you can transplant your seedlings into the garden after about 8 weeks indoors. Peppers love sunlight, just be careful that it doesn't get too hot on the windowsill. Before you transplant the seedlings you may want to harden them off by putting them outside during the day and bringing them inside during the night.

We're not clear. Are they still in pots or are peppers now in the ground? Peppers will suffer slow growth and not thrive if it's too cool. Our best guess is that the temps are too cool.
You can start them indoors 6 to 8 weeks ahead, and transplant them outdoors when soil has been thoroughly warmed in the spring.

Our research indicates no good or easy answer to this one. Mold is usually caused by too much moisture or water. Some sources suggest that you should start over again, but before you do that, scrape the mold off if you can and try to dry out the containers. Some sources suggest trying to replant the seeds/seedlings in new material and nurture them the old-fashioned way (not in this type of container). You have quite a potential crop and we wish you the best with it.

I also had this problem once, don't recall what it is called, but try placing a fan near your trays to circulate the air. I was informed the mold is caused by the soil being too wet and no/not enough air circulation. I didn't want to waste the time to try and save the plants so I just started over. Good luck.

Just put a fan on them or turn up ceiling fan. I had this same problem on my hydro clay pellets. Plants like oxygen so you can spray treat areas if mold with hydrogen peroxide. Put the fan km them and they'll be fine.

Pepper root are very sensitive you may have disturb the roots it self or may still be in shock which is typically 7 to 14 days i believe good luck oh and i envy that your in Caribbean. as i am in canada and expecting a foot of snow tonight

It should have some nitrogen. A 5-10-10 fertilizer works well for bell peppers.

Yes, peppers go dormant when temperatures reach 50 degrees.

Peppers can withstand light frost, however, they will start to go dormant when the temperatures get down to 50 F.

No dumb questions in gardening! Peppers grow anew each season; they generally take 35 to 45 days to mature from flowering to full color. People do try to keep growing peppers over the winter but in most climates they would need a lot of grow lamps and heat to keep going; usually, the declining amount of sunlight slows them down.

You should expect to be harvesting your delicious peppers about 65–85 days after transplanting.
You can harvest those peppers before they reach full maturity if you wish; sometimes the flavor is even better.

There are a variety of possible reasons why the peppers are small and deformed. The most common reason is temperature. Peppers are very sensitive to temperatures that are too cold or hot. If the temperatures dip below 60 degrees during fruit set, they can be small and misshapen.

Your peppers will continue to ripen after being picked. Just keep them at room temperature; if they are in cool conditions, they won't ripen very well.

Hi, Jenna, It sounds as if your peppers had blossom end rot. You probably don't have enough calcium in the soil and when it rains a lot or is too dry (moisture fluctuation), this becomes apparent. And/or you had too much nitrogen in the soil during early fruiting. There's not much you can do now. For next year:  Test your soil. Your cooperative extension should have free or low-fee soil tests. Get it to a pH of 6.5 to 6.8. If too low, you may need to amend the soil with lime. Or, if your pH is OK, you may need to add gypsum. Crumbled egg shells are good, too. Also: Avoiding adding fertilizer with nitrogen made from ammonia which ties up calcium. Finally: Water VERY consistently. Veggies need 1 to 1 1/2 inches of water a week while fruiting. Water at the soil level and don't use a sprinkler to avoid water on the fruit or leaves. Consider a timer or drip irrigation to keep the moisture levels even.

If your winters are cold the best bet is to dig up the pepper plant and plant it in a container that you can keep indoors. Peppers need as much light as possible so keep it close to a window or sometimes articicial light may be needed.

Cut one open. See any problems or pests inside the bumps? Some peppers just have bumps. Are the bumps soft? If so, it's a form of rot and you could just cut it out. Take a sample to a local nursery for a diagnosis!

Have you had any flowers on the plants? It sounds like you have an insect pests or a critter that has nibbled on the stems. Look for signs of insect pests. Depending on where you live it is getting late to grow peppers successfully. They love hot weather and lots of sun.

I think you definitely could be successful. I live on the NC coast and the temps here are in the 80's and UP. I have 2 containers of red bell peppers and have been getting lots of peppers from both. Even now, in September, though the temps here are still in the 80's.

The green peppers will turn red if you leave them on the plants long enough. You may need to harvest them green as your growing seasons is ending. You can move the grow bags to a more protected area with direct sun to extend the season.

Small or aborted fruit usually happens at this stage because of periods of extreme heat or hot, dry winds, and/or warm nights (above 70°F). Try to cool the peppers down with moist soil, mulch, and shade covers.

Yes, harvest them. When they get too ripe, they get overly soft.

They're ready! Green peppers can be harvested when they are 3 to 4 inches long, very firm, but still green.  OR, let them ripen and they will turn red or another color depending on the cultivar. The less green you see, the sweeter they get. So it depends on your taste. When you harvest, don't pull on the pepper. Cut it off. Congrats on such a wonderful pepper harvest!

Bell peppers need to grow to a mature stage until they produce seeds. Maybe it's just a tad early.

The flowers are the way that the pepper plants develops fruit! While your peppers are this small, do not pick them! Let the plant put energy into fruit development.

Sometimes blackish streaks are just normal. Fruit may develop a black pigment when immature in response to cool or cold temperature. However, if you see rotting or any bigger issues, you may have a disease or other problem.

Has it been too hot to fruit set (above 90 degrees)? Do not remove the leaves; this is how the pepper pulls in the sunlight for growth. Are they getting pollinated with bees? You might try hand pollinating the blooms.

Mushy peppers often means blossom end rot which is due to calcium deficiency and shows up when there are moisture variations due to drought/heavy rain or inconsistent irrigation.At this point, the mushy peppers need to be removed. In the future, avoid blossom end rot by adding eggshells, small amounts of lime, gypsum or bone meal to the soil. See more: http://www.almanac.com/content/blossom-end-rot

Great! Check your packet for the "days to maturity" as a guide to know when they'll be ready to harvest. Harvest when the fruit walls are firm, and the peppers are still in the green or yellow state. If you keep those green peppers on the vine, they'll turn red! It's your preference. 

If your peppers are not bearing fruit, the most common reason is due to temperature. Daytime temps can't get above 90 degrees F. and nighttime temps can't get above 75 degrees F. They prefer temps between 70 degrees and 80 degrees F.

Yes, there are white bell pepper varieties. Here is an example: http://www.reimerseeds.com/white-sweet-peppers_1256.aspx

The number of fruit really depends on the variety of plant, your location, and your conditions.
For example, a 'Vidi' variety might produce 4 to 8 peppers.
A 'Gourmet" may produce 6 to 12 fruit.
There are also varieties that produce smaller-size fruit--and 20 fruit would be normal.
Of course, hot pepper plants produce even more!

Let's just back up: Peppers generally grow slowly. On one pepper plant, you may get 1 or 2 peppers to form or you may 6 to 8. It depends on the pepper variety and your garden/weather conditions. If you pick the pepper before it's fully mature, you will spark your plant into producing more peppers because the plant wants its "babies" to succeed, though many gardeners say the pepper tastes better if it's fully mature. One idea is to harvest early on some plants and let others mature. Try this experiment and see what works for you!

Peppers need warm soil to thrive. Make sure they get a lot of sun and keep the soil moist. Add some mulch around the plants.

Dig up the plant carefully so that you don't damage the roots. Get as much soil with the rootball as possible. Plant in a big container and keep the soil moist.

Hi, Maggi, Peppers like a daytime temperature of 73 to 79 degrees and nighttime temps of at least 70 degrees. Otherwise, they'll grow slowly. Note that peppers do grow quite slowly as a rule so be patient. Make sure they're protected from any wind. Other tips: pick varieties meant for cold climates, seed REALLY early or use transplants outside, and warm the soil with red or silver plastic mulch. As the peppers develop, add a fertilizer higher in Phosphorous and Potassium (not too much Nitrogen which inhibits fruit).

This sounds like blossom-end rot--which is due to a lack of calcium in the soil or cold and wet weather. To help: Maintain the soil pH around 6.5. Adding lime will increase the calcium in soil. Water consistently; only water if they don't get the required one inch of rain per week. Use "nitrate nitrogen" as the fertilizer nitrogen source. Avoid over-fertilization as side dressings during early fruiting.

According to Aggie Horticulture, "Temperature may be the reason for blossom drop. The temperature range for fruit set is quite narrow. When nighttime temperatures fall below 60 degrees F. or above 75 degrees F., blossoms are likely to drop and fruit will not set. Daytime temperatures above 90 degrees F. will also inhibit fruit set, but fruits will again begin to form when cooler daytime temperatures appear."

Pepper plants are very sensitive to temperature and will drop buds if there is a sudden change in temperature. Poor pollination is another cause for flower drop. Plant some colorful flowers in the garden to attract more pollinators. Also make sure to water regularly.

Peppers grow well in containers. Mix some compost into the potting soil and make sure the soil is not too heavy. Peppers grow best in light well-drained soil. Sprinkle sulfur or Epsom salts into the hole before planting the seedlings. Good luck!

Please see www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/state-fact-sheets.aspx#.Ua... for some state agricultural information.

I just read earlier on another gardening site that unlike the tomato plant, the pepper plant will not grow an extended root if transplanted too deeply. I am interspersing pepper plants amongst my tomatoes this year, my first time cultivating peppers. Hopefully they will get along with each other.

i heard that if you hold back from watering you can induce the fruit to start blushing. once a pepper begins to chang color you can pick it and it will finish turning color off the plant.

You can use the starting mix as is or you can mix it into soil or other soil mixes.

Yes, though a pepper, like a tomato, is botanically a fruit, it is commonly considered a vegetable and eaten as a vegetable, thus categorized that way for growing.

I didn't see another post that addresses this question. I too and curious about transplanting seedlings outdoors 18"-24" a pair but keeping paired plants close to touching. How close is too close?

Bell pepper plants can live 3 to 5 years and produce fruits given right conditions, i.e., mild climates. Harvesting regularly will encourage the plant to keep blossoming and setting fruit, especially early in the growing season.

The number of fruits per plant varies with the variety. Bell pepper plants may produce five to eight fruit per plant. However, do not be surprised if you get one or two. Peppers are sensitive to temperature and need consistent moisture, especially during dry periods.

If its to hot (over 110 Degrees) yes, more shade the better. I get my best production here in the Mojave desert in the fall and Spring. Summer I just have to get my plants through it or sprout new plants so they are read to fruit in fall. I agree with keeping 2 plants either in a container togother or close by. This ensures Bio diversity Most people get to grow through summer, I have to plan for the hot months and grow mellons and Okra.

Even indoors, peppers require not only warm but bright conditions. Thought there is sunlight, they need the intensity of light. I'm not sure where you live, but if it's in the north, you may need to investigate a grow light or two.

I have space so I would go for the overwinter to get a jump on the spring fruits. Bell pepper plants can live 3 to 5 years and produce fruits given right conditions. If you do not have the space and want to grow something else then I would just start over from seed.

Usually, lack of fruit is due to temperature. Optimum temperatures fall between 70 degrees and 80 degrees F. Peppers like it warm (though not too hot)!

It could be no good bugs are visiting your plants to spread pollen. Take a cotton swab and use it to rub the inside of the flowers 1 by 1.

It may be a case of inconsistent watering and/or temperature fluctuations. Peppers need nighttime temperatures to stay above 65 degrees.

A couple thoughts: Did you rinse the plants off really really well and inspect for pests? Peppers are magnets for mites. Is it too cold? Peppers are very sensitive to cold and do best between 60 and degrees and never colder than 55. They also like very bright light so you might need to supplement. Just water to keep soil from drying out.

Are you overwintering your peppers or are you starting from seed? Peppers aren't the best houseplants. They can be overwintered if they have bright light and warm enough temps.

Give your pepper plants a little fertilizer and water and they should do fine. Peppers need warmth and sun. With the days getting shorter you may not get as many peppers as you did in early summer.

Saving pepper plants over the winter months is tricky. Harvest the peppers and bring the containers indoors. Make sure that you don't bring in any outside insects. You may want to repot the plants in new soil. Place the plants in a cool shady spot (about 55 degrees). Water about once a week and let the plants go dormant. The leaves will fall off. Prune the plants by about 1/3. One month before your last frost date in the spring place the plants in a warm sunny spot indoors. Give the plants more water and you should see some new growth in about a week. Move outside when the temperatures have warmed up.

Cut the pepper in half and see if you have an insect or bug inside. If not discard some of the pepper around the hole, wash and use. We suspect that you had a slug chewing on the pepper from the outside.

Sometimes blooms drop because it's above 90 F degrees during the day and/or above 75 degrees at night. This is too hot for bell peppers. Optimum temps should fall between 70 degrees and 80 degrees.

It could be the cultivar(s) that you are growing; some have thicker walls than others. At market, varieties with thick, smooth walls are favored. Thin-walled varieties may have a less attractive shape. For the home garden, look for cultivars that are described as being thick-walled, such as ‘Big Bertha’, ‘Red Knight’, and ‘California Wonder’.

Bell peppers change color as they mature; this happens best and most rapidly on the plant. But if you pick them just as they begin to change colors, they will continue to ripen indoors if stored in a warm place.

Pepper plants need constant and even moisture. Add mulch around the plants to keep the soil from drying out. Peppers are also heavy feeders. Soon after the plants set fruit feed with a timed-release fertilizer. Peppers will grow bigger in late summer when nights are cooler. If you have many small peppers on one plant it may help to thin them leaving just a couple to grow big.

After the green peppers ripen it may take 2 to 3 weeks depending on the variety before they start turning color.

To avoid burn spots from an intense sun: 1. Plant peppers in blocks to provide foliage to the ground and each other, 2. Set up a frame with shade cloth. 3. Plant in an area that gets some afternoon shade for relief. 4. Plan sunflowers or other plants nearby to provide some shade.

See the seed packets for accurate maturity dates. Most peppers mature in 60-90 days.

If it broke above the first leaves, the plant should still grow.

Some thoughts--Do you have enough sun? Peppers need eight hours of direct sunlight. Ensure good drainage. Peppers easily succumb to wet feet. Have you tested the soil? Peppers require a sweet soil -- pH between 6 and 8, phosphorous-rich -- bonemeal works well, and a soil high in organic matter. Hope this helps.

Has it been extra hot outside? Often, blossom drop is because daytime temperatures got about 90 degrees (F) and nighttime above 75. Bell peppers prefer to grow in temps 70 to 80 degrees. Also, avoid overfertilizing and do not disturb the soil around the plant. At this point, it's hard to say when the fertilizer will wear off; it depends on the amount of rain and how much you added, but you'll need to leave the peppers alone.

Yes, you can repot your bell peppers--and should do so. They need to be in fairly large pots for good production--often 5 gallon. Wet them down and let them recover in the shade to minimize shock. Reintroduce to full sun in 1 to 3 days.