Sweet Pepper
Capsicum annuum
Sweet peppers are tender annuals that produce crisp, colourful fruits with a mild flavour. Native to Central and South America, they thrive in warm, sunny positions and are commonly grown under glass in the UK to ensure reliable cropping, though they can succeed outdoors in sheltered spots during particularly warm summers.
Growing Guide
Step-by-step instructions for growing Sweet Pepper
Planting Calendar
Growing Guide for
Change the guide to see different planting timelines and tips.
Step by step guide to growing sweet peppers in a greenhouse or under cover.
1 Sow Seeds Indoors
Fill seed trays with peat-free seed compost and sow your seeds about deep. Cover lightly with compost and water gently from below to avoid disturbing the seeds. Place in a heated propagator or on a warm windowsill at to encourage germination.
2 Prick Out Seedlings
Once seedlings have their first true leaves, carefully transplant them into individual pots filled with peat-free compost. Handle by the leaves to avoid damaging the stems, and firm in gently. Keep in bright light at or above and water regularly.
3 Pot On
When roots start to show through the drainage holes, move the plants into larger pots with multi-purpose compost. This gives them room to grow stronger before final planting.
4 Transplant to Greenhouse
Plant out into the greenhouse border or large pots when night temperatures are reliably above . Space plants apart and provide supports like canes for taller varieties.
5 Pinch Out Growing Tips
Once plants reach about tall, pinch out the growing tips to encourage bushy growth and more side shoots for better fruiting.
6 Fertilise
As soon as the first flowers appear, start feeding weekly with a high-potash liquid fertiliser like tomato feed to promote healthy fruit development. Keep the compost evenly moist but not waterlogged.
7 Harvest
Pick peppers when they reach full size, starting green for a crisper taste or leaving to ripen to red or yellow for sweeter flavour. Regular harvesting encourages more fruits to form.
Related Plants
Explore similar plants you might like
Spring Onion
Spring onions are fast-growing, mild-flavoured onions grown for their green stems and small bulbs. They are easy to grow and can be sown in succession for a continuous harvest. Hardy varieties can even be sown in late autumn to overwinter for an early spring crop. Spring onions don't take much space and grow well in containers or between slower-growing vegetables.
Sprouting Broccoli
Sprouting broccoli is a hardy and nutritious vegetable that produces multiple tender spears with small clusters of purple or white buds, offering repeated harvests in late winter and early spring when fresh produce is scarce. It's easy to grow in the UK, thriving in cool conditions and providing vitamins A, C, and folic acid. Unlike standard broccoli, it focuses on side shoots rather than a single large head, extending the picking season for weeks.
Squash
Squash come in summer and winter types, offering versatile fruits from tender courgette-like harvests to hard-skinned varieties that store through winter. They're vigorous plants that love sun and rich soil, producing colourful, flavourful crops perfect for roasting, soups, or stuffing. With trailing or compact options, there's a squash for every garden size.