Sweet bell pepper: a mild Capsicum annuum
Capsicum annuum
- Exposure
- Sun
- Hardiness (USDA)
- 12a (10°C ≤ T° < 12.8°C)
- Lifecycle
- Perennial
- Foliage
- Evergreen
- Family
- Solanaceae
- Genus
- Capsicum
- Species
- Capsicum annuum
Peppers belong to the Capsicum annuum species, as do chillies. Both belong to the Solanaceae family, like tomatoes and eggplants. What's the difference? It's not the species, but the presence of capsaicin, the molecule responsible for the spiciness. Peppers, on the other hand, are almost completely devoid of capsaicin, which explains their mild, sometimes sweet taste.
How to recognize capsicum (Capsicum annuum)?
In tropical climates, capsicum annuumannuum is a herbaceous perennial. In our frost-prone regions, it is grown as an annual in the vegetable garden.
Peppers form a small, bushy shrub with many branches, reaching 60 cm to 1 m in height.
The bright-green, glossy leaves are alternate, lanceolate and pointed at the apex.
The star-shaped flowers have five to eight petals, fused at the base. White, they can be tinted green or purple. Each plant has hermaphroditic flowers, facilitating pollination and fruiting.
All fruits are green at first. It's only when they reach maturity that they take on their final color: red, yellow, orange, purple or even chocolate brown, depending onthe variety. Their shape varies considerably. They can be cubic, elongated or conical. Beneath the shiny, colorful skin lies flesh, more or less fine, and numerous seeds.
The star-shaped flowers have five to eight petals, fused at the base. White, they can be tinted green or purple. Each plant has hermaphroditic flowers, facilitating pollination and fruiting.
All fruits are green at first. It's only when they reach maturity that they take on their final color: red, yellow, orange, purple or even chocolate brown, depending onthe variety. Their shape varies considerably. They can be cubic, elongated or conical. Beneath the shiny, colorful skin lies flesh, more or less fine, and numerous seeds.
Which bell pepper varieties to choose?
The choice depends on your climate, the space available and your culinary needs. Among the most widely grown in the vegetable garden are :
- Corno di Toro (Bull's Horn): with elongated (up to 20 cm), very sweet red or yellow fruits;
- California Wonder: square fruits, robust and easy to grow, even in pots;
- Yolo Wonder: highly resistant to disease and viruses, produces square, dark-green then red fruit;
- Lipari: a variety with elongated fruit, hardy and early to plant if your summers are short;
- Le Petit Marseillais: very productive, with rectangular orange-yellow fruit;
- Mini redskin: a dwarf but edible bell pepper, ideal for pot cultivation;
- Sweet chocolate: an early variety that produces sweet brown fruit.
Are peppers toxic?
Bell pepperleaves and stems are toxic, containing several substances (solanine and alkaloids) that can be harmful if ingested.
The fruit, on the other hand, is perfectly edible, raw or cooked, and can be used in many recipes (ratatouille, piperade, grilled or stuffed vegetables). It is also an excellent source of vitamins A and C.
Unlike Capsicum annuum, it contains almost no capsaicin, so there's no burning sensation.
Our care tips
Peppers These are heavy feeders. Do not grow them in the same spot two years in a row. Then plant bulb vegetables or root vegetables to restore the soil's balance.
They are also sensitive to frost. Wait until all risk of frost has passed before planting them in the ground.
They are also sensitive to frost. Wait until all risk of frost has passed before planting them in the ground.
Watering
Water your plant generously during the growing season.
Keep the soil cool and moist, but not soggy.
Water, preferably with rainwater, at the foot of your Capsicum annuum.
Adapt your watering when the days get shorter.
Water the base of your Bell pepper when the substrate surface is dry. Do not wet the leaves to avoid the development of diseases and fungi. Watering is best done with rainwater at room temperature.
Water moderately to keep the soil fresh. Avoid watering if the ground is frozen to preserve the roots.
Repotting
Obtain a pierced pot or tub 30 to 60 cm deep and 15 to 25 cm in diameter.
Pour clay balls or gravel at the bottom to make a drainage layer.
Fill your pot with a rich, light substrate. Use vegetable potting soil (80%) with a little perlite (20%).
Plant your Capsicum annuum. The crown should be level with the soil. Fruits can be large and heavy. Add a stake to prevent stem breakage. Pack gently and water.
You can mulch the base to retain moisture and cover the plant with a tunnel if the nights are still cool.
Pour clay balls or gravel at the bottom to make a drainage layer.
Fill your pot with a rich, light substrate. Use vegetable potting soil (80%) with a little perlite (20%).
Plant your Capsicum annuum. The crown should be level with the soil. Fruits can be large and heavy. Add a stake to prevent stem breakage. Pack gently and water.
You can mulch the base to retain moisture and cover the plant with a tunnel if the nights are still cool.
Fertilization
Fertilize until the first fruits appear.
Apply a fertilizer rich in nitrogen and potassium, such as a special tomato fertilizer.
Harvest
Harvesting begins in summer and lasts until the first frosts.
When the fruit has stopped growing and its skin is shiny, you can harvest it.
You can pick the fruit as soon as it's green, or wait until it changes color. The flavor will then be sweeter and the flesh thicker.
Slice off the stalk with a knife and remove the fruit carefully, so as not to damage your Capsicum annuum.
Prune
Prune after the second wave of fruit appears.
When your plant has formed its first two waves of fruit, shorten the branches one leaf above the last fruit.
If you live in a region with little sunshine, deadhead your plants when they bear around ten fruits. This way, the plant will concentrate its energy on harvesting rather than growing.
Planting
When the risk of frost has passed, it's time to plant.
Prepare the soil by adding compost to the dirt. Dig a planting hole slightly larger than the root ball.
Plant your Bell pepper. The root collar should be level with the soil and not buried. Add a stake to support the stems: the fruit can become heavy and cause them to break. Firm the soil and water.
If you're planting several plants, space them at least 50 centimeters apart.
Mulch around the base to retain moisture. You can also set up a tunnel to protect your young plants from cool nights.
Plant your Bell pepper. The root collar should be level with the soil and not buried. Add a stake to support the stems: the fruit can become heavy and cause them to break. Firm the soil and water.
If you're planting several plants, space them at least 50 centimeters apart.
Mulch around the base to retain moisture. You can also set up a tunnel to protect your young plants from cool nights.
Sowing
You can start seedlings indoors when the days get longer.
Peppers seedlings need a temperature of at least 20°C to germinate (ideally 24°C). Grow your seedlings indoors, using a heated mini-greenhouse or heat mat if necessary.
Pour a drainage layer into cups or a terrine, followed by potting soil for seedlings and plantations. Water: the substrate should be moist, but not soggy.
Plant your seeds. You can plant them in rows in your seed tray, or arrange three seeds per cup. Cover the seeds with a thin layer of potting soil (about 5 mm).
Water regularly to keep the soil fresh and aerate your mini-greenhouse to prevent rotting.
Pour a drainage layer into cups or a terrine, followed by potting soil for seedlings and plantations. Water: the substrate should be moist, but not soggy.
Plant your seeds. You can plant them in rows in your seed tray, or arrange three seeds per cup. Cover the seeds with a thin layer of potting soil (about 5 mm).
Water regularly to keep the soil fresh and aerate your mini-greenhouse to prevent rotting.
Frequently asked questions
When should peppers be harvested?
You can harvest the peppers when these conditions are met:
- The fruit has reached its full size;
- The skin is shiny;
- The fruit is firm to the touch.
This usually happens six to eight weeks after flowering.
After that, depending on your preference, you can harvest the pepper while it's still green. It will have a slightly bitter and more herbaceous flavor.
You can also harvest it when it's fully ripe, once it has reached its final color. The flesh will then be thicker and sweeter.
After that, depending on your preference, you can harvest the pepper while it's still green. It will have a slightly bitter and more herbaceous flavor.
You can also harvest it when it's fully ripe, once it has reached its final color. The flesh will then be thicker and sweeter.
What are the friends and foes of peppers in the vegetable garden?
Peppers appreciate association with :
- Basil, which helps repel certain insects;
- Carrots, whose roots do not compete with them;
- Onions and garlic, which repel aphids.
On the other hand, avoid combining peppers with :
- Other Solanaceae(potatoes, tomatoes): they consume the same nutrients and share the same diseases;
- fennel: unfavorable allelopathic effect.
Don't forget to rotate crops to avoid disease and let your soil rebalance itself.
Is a bell pepper a chili pepper?
Botanically, the bell pepper is a chili pepper. Peppers and chillies both belong to the Capsicum annuum species, in the Solanaceae family. The difference lies not in the species, but in the content of capsaicin, the molecule responsible for their spiciness.
- Peppers contain capsaicin (their intensity is measured on the Scoville scale);
- Peppers are varieties selected for their sweetness, with virtually no capsaicin content.
Diseases / Threats
Information
- Lifecycle
- Perennial
- Foliage
- Evergreen
- Exposure
- Sun
- Substrate
- Humus soil
- Planting methods
- Open groundIn potsIn tubsPlanter
- Categories
- ShrubVegetable
- Tags
- BeginnerCold-sensitiveThirstyEdible vegetable
- Origins
- North AmericaCentral AmericaSouth America
- Hardiness (USDA)
- 12a (10°C ≤ T° < 12.8°C)
- Leaf colors
- Dark greenLight green
- Flower colors
- WhitePale green
- Fruit colors
- Dark greenLight greenRedYellowBlackOrangeVioletBrown
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