(Best months for planting Capsicum in USA - Zone 5a regions)

S = Plant undercover in seed trays. P = Plant direct in garden where they are to grow.

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

20 Apr 13, Lucy Mutara (South Africa - Humid sub-tropical climate)

Thanks for the info but my question is where i can buy seeds for about 2000 plants for yellow capsicums

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16 May 13, Micky Brand (South Africa - Summer rainfall climate)

Depends on what type of capsium you are looking for. For ordinary bell peppers try California Wonder. They grow quite easily. I don't know how well you know the cycle of the pepper, but yellow peppers actually come from the same plant as green and red. All peppers start out green - hence the name "green pepper". This is also the time to start picking them. However, if you leave them on the plant, the green pepper will turn yellow. If left longer it will turn orange, then red and finally purple. There's just one snag: your plant will produce more peppers if they are picked green than left to turn yellow, orange, red and purple which is probably why green peppers are so much cheaper then their brothers. I always found it difficult to grow peppers from seeds gotten from fruits bought in stores. Rather buy a dried, treated seed like Stykes and Ayres. There's a wonderful seller on Bid or Buy called Seeds for Africa. They sell all matter of seeds and have quite a variety of capsium seeds from peppers to chillies. You might want to check them out.

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07 Apr 13, sean james (Australia - temperate climate)

there is a great deal of bull Large ants on & around my capsicum plant & the leaves are falling off, why. pls.

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26 Mar 13, JamieG (Australia - temperate climate)

Space plants: 100 - 150 cm apart ! Surely that is a mistake. 50cm would be more than adequate. Plant them 1.5m apart and they would get downright lonely.

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17 Apr 13, CelesteL (Australia - temperate climate)

Agree space seems excessive. My thrive about 50 to 70cm apart

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08 Mar 13, Lee Pilgrim (Australia - temperate climate)

Are capsicums annual? ie do they just keep growing or will they die off? If the latter should I pull them up and plant seeds next Spring? The ones I have are taking over/overshadowing my other herbs/veg.

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17 May 13, Alison McGregor (Australia - temperate climate)

Hi Lee, I strongly believe they last a few good years, having better fruit production in the second year after building up strong stem and branch material in the first year. As they get older the fruit seems to get smaller, but more of it. If they do this and the fruit are too small for your needs plant some seeds from those fruit and start again. My current cap plants are three years old and are producing loads of fruit, somewhat smaller than last year but much more of it. I find they almost go dormant during the colder months and then have a massive growth spurt when it warms up. Alison

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16 Jan 13, Shani (Australia - tropical climate)

I have had this same issue Stan. I thought it might have been a rat, because I found a best of baby rats in my compost around Christmas 2011 and had seen an adult rat. The rats have since been eliminated. But it is still an ongoing issue. I have found a small burrow in my yard, and believe I have a small resident marsupial living here. I have wrapped alfoil around the base of my capsicum bush (its about 1mt in height), and my resident friend hasnt touched it since. Hope this helps!

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10 Jan 13, Ferran (Australia - sub-tropical climate)

I have 5 capsicum plants in a 1 meter row i grew them from seed and after a month in seed mix they still only had their first set of leaves i planted them out thinking lack of nutrients may have been the cause. they all survived however have been growing rather slowly they are now 15-20 cm high they get at least 6h sun each day. i don't water them every day but i do keep the soil moist and they are mulched. the zucchini they were planted with have just come to the end of its life and it is in veggie soil mixed with compost from a trusted garden shop that has never had things grown in that bed before.i live between Sydney and Newcastle on the coast and have had a few 35c+ days recently. Am i just being impatient for caps? or is there such a thing as them being in the sun for too long?

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10 Jan 13, DEdwards (Australia - temperate climate)

I am in a temperate region, and my capsicums are a late bloomers (planted them in October). Make sure you water them at the base, direct to the roots - an overhead sprinker hinders pollination. I had a few really late frosts in my area, I think this may have slowed down their growth as well. Be patient :)

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