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(Best months for planting Capsicum in United Kingdom - temperate/cool regions)

• Harvest in 70-90 days
• Grow in seed trays, and plant out in 4-6 weeks. Sow seed at a depth approximately three times the diameter of the seed.
• Best planted at soil temperatures between 18°C and 35°C.
• Space plants: 100-150cm

Small bushy plant about 40cm high The seeds are reluctant to start germinating if temperatures drop at night. These are best sown in small trays in a warm, sheltered place: a small greenhouse if possible. Then plant out when about 10 -12cm (4-5in) tall.

They are from the same family as chilli but are not hot and spicy. The seeds are bitter.

Capsicums are frost tender and need warmth to ripen the fruit to the brilliant reds and yellows of commercial ones. They can be used green but are not as sweet.

There are a number of colours available, chocolate, black, yellow, orange as well as red. They all start off green and change as they ripen.

In cool, wet weather cover with a cloche or frost fleece.

Culinary hints - cooking and eating Capsicum

Can be sliced and seeded and used raw in salads.
Will freeze successfully without blanching if seeded and sliced.

Or brush with olive oil, roast at a high temperature until the skin changes colour
then put in a covered dish until cool and rub off the skin and remove seeds.

Your comments and tips

26 Oct 09 Andy James (Australia - temperate climate)

You can use the seeds from commercial capsicums but these varieties have been developed to be grown under very specific conditions and require low pH and lots of fertiliser etc. I get much better results from bought seed (heirloom varieties) here in Perth, as they seem to be more suited to the general vegie bed conditions. Unless you have a specific spot for them and can be bothered messing about with the pH...

31 Oct 09 mark (Australia - sub-tropical climate)

Hello All. Can anyone tell me whats the best way to plant capsicum in the ground. I am new to this and want to learn the proper way to do it. Any advice will be most welcome. thank you.

13 Nov 09 Michelle (Australia - sub-tropical climate)

Hi, first time growing caps. I planted seedlings about 6 weeks ago. While they are growing, it seems to be quite slow. How fast and how big do the plants get?

10 Dec 09 Clare (Australia - temperate climate)

I was wondering if anyone could help me-I have two small plants in a medium sized pot and they started off growing so well and fast inside during the end of Winter but now they seem to have stopped growing. They are about 25cm high and when I put them outside they wilt but inside they seem to not grow at all. Any advice? Thank you!

30 Dec 09 Annalisa (Australia - sub-tropical climate)

Tamara: Thanks! Perennial, yay! I DID keep those plants from last year in the ground, and they have 2 fruit each, looking great! My new plants are starting much slower. Maybe next year they'll do better. So excited :) Clare - 25cm is about fully grown. My capsicum love the sun here in Brisbane. I have about 10 plants (2 planted last year, 8 sown early this spring) and so far about 10 fruit. I would see if you can gradually introduce your plants to more and more sun, or in a partial sun/shade spot to prevent wilting. Number one capsicum tip: Be patient and you will be pleasantly surprised :) I used seeds from a store-bought capsicum, but it was from a fruit/veg stand, not a supermarket... I made sure I took seed from an extra delicious, perfectly formed capsicum. I don't mess with checking my dirt's PH levels, but I have really great dirt, happy plants, and feed with liquid seaweed fertiliser 1-2/month just for fun. Good luck!

09 Jan 10 karen (Australia - temperate climate)

help, my capsicum are bearing good quantity but rot before they are ready to pick, what am i doing wrong

27 Jan 10 michelle (Australia - sub-tropical climate)

hi,I have great capsicum plants with lots of vege, just wondering how long it takes them to go from green to yellow, then red? Should i add something to the soil? thanx

02 Feb 10 Lloyd (Australia - cool/mountain climate)

have a great plant but the fruit is a long light green a bit like a chilly but has mild taste does anyone know what type it is as i would like to keep seeds and replant

07 Feb 10 Phil (Australia - temperate climate)

Lloyd i have some as well they are light green and the shape of a chilli they bare Jalapeno capsicums taste great as well

16 Feb 10 Karen (Australia - sub-tropical climate)

Help, I am after info on capsicum and Zucchini. 1. Capsicum, I grew my capsicum and it came up fairly well, I then put it into the garden, a fairly sheltered spot there I was told they do not like too much sun, 2 of the plants, did not well at all, droopy leaves and the fruit has brown hard bits on it. Can someone please tell me what I am doing wrong. 2. Zucchini No luck what so ever with them. they get a lot of green foliage, but mostly male flowers, no matter if in pot or ground. Whats happening? We use our compost, rich in all things, horse manure and no chemicals, any help would be greatly appreciated.