How Do You Grow Bell Peppers?

How Do You Grow Bell Peppers?

To grow bell peppers, plant them in a container that is conducive to draining the soil, keep the earth damp but not saturated, install stakes for support and give them access to full sun. Bell peppers can grow both indoors and outdoors, but inside plants need to be near windows all the time for maximum sun exposure.

Bell peppers love heat, so they need to be sprouted indoors and then transplanted outside after the last frost of the season.

Step 1: Create proper drainage

Choose a pot or container with plenty of drainage holes in the bottom. Avoid over-packing the soil, as this can lead to saturated roots, which bell peppers do not like. Keep the soil moderately damp throughout the peppers' life cycle, but never flood them with water.

Step 2: Install stakes for support

Wooden or plastic steaks prevent the bell pepper's stalks from becoming too overburdened by the fruit. Use a flexible material to marry the stems with the stakes, such as pantyhose or webbed straps. Make sure the plants have full sun exposure and that the soil is draining properly.

Step 3: Harvest before they ripen

Bell pepper plants will produce more fruit if the peppers are harvested prematurely. However, the full flavor of the fruit does not develop until the plant reaches maturity. Growers should find their own happy medium between these two issues, but it is a good idea to harvest the plant while it is still green.