Crop fact sheet · Warm season · frost tender
Bell Pepper
Not in season right now in Houston. Dates below.
Your dates in Houston
| Window | Order seed by | Start indoors | Plant | First harvest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring 2027 | Dec 14 | Jan 4 | Feb 22 – Apr 12 | from Apr 23 |
| Fall 2027 | Jun 10 | Jul 1 | Aug 19 – Sep 16 | from Oct 18 |
Worked out from AgriLife planting windows (days before/after average frost) and Houston's average frost dates. "Order seed by" is our own 3-week heads-up, not an AgriLife date.
The numbers
- How to plant
- Set out transplants 0.5" deep, 21" apart, rows 33" apart.
- Days to harvest
- 60–90 days
- Yield per 10 ft of row
- about 6 lb (60 lb per 100 ft of row)
- Keeps producing
- about 12.9 weeks
- Start indoors
- 7 weeks before planting out
- Sun
- Full sun
- Family
- Solanaceae (for rotation)
Water
Water slowly and deeply to build strong roots. Do not let pepper plants wilt, because wilting reduces yield and fruit quality.
Feeding
- At planting: 2 to 3 lb of 10-10-10 per 100 sq ft worked into the soil, or about 2 level tablespoons per planting hole.
- First fruit: After the first fruit begins to enlarge, scatter about 2 tablespoons around each plant about 6 inches from the stem, then water.
Not sure what your soil needs? Get a soil test first.
Texas heat
AgriLife sources fetched give no heat threshold for pepper fruit set. Clemson says peppers grow best at 70-85 F days and 60-70 F nights. Steady moisture matters because uneven watering causes blossom-end rot.
Pests to watch
- aphids
- flea beetles
- leaf miners
- thrips
- caterpillars (corn earworm, armyworm)
Diseases
- bacterial leaf spot
- fungal leaf spots
- bacterial wilt
- tomato spotted wilt virus
What to do about them: pest sheet · what's wrong with my plant?
When it's ready
Pick when shiny, firm and dark green. Fruit left on the plant turns red (or yellow/orange by variety) and is still edible. First peppers come about 8 to 10 weeks after transplanting.
Storing it
Refrigerate in the crisper or a covered container and use within 3 to 5 days (AgriLife). Clemson gives 45-50 F at 80-90% humidity for 2 to 3 weeks as optimal.
Texas tips
- Buy dark-green transplants 4 to 6 inches tall rather than growing from seed.
- Transplant in the evening or on a cloudy day to reduce wilting.
- Fall crop: plant 12 to 16 weeks before the first expected frost.
- Give peppers heavier, well-drained soil with lots of organic matter and at least 6 hours of sun.
Varieties that do well in Texas
Bell Tower, Big Bertha, California Wonder, Gypsy, Jupiter, Yolo Wonder, Aristotle, Camelot, Summer Sweet