How to grow sweet peppers from seed

How to grow sweet peppers from seed

Sweet peppers are easy to grow and taste delicious. We show you how to grow them from seed.

A table displaying which months are best to sow, plant and harvest.
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
At its best
At its best

Plant is not at its best in January

Plant is not at its best in February

Plant is not at its best in March

Plant is not at its best in April

Plant is not at its best in May

Plant is at its best in June

Plant is at its best in July

Plant is at its best in August

Plant is not at its best in September

Plant is not at its best in October

Plant is not at its best in November

Plant is not at its best in December

To do
To do

Do not To do in January

Do not To do in February

Do To do in March

Do To do in April

Do To do in May

Do To do in June

Do To do in July

Do To do in August

Do not To do in September

Do not To do in October

Do not To do in November

Do not To do in December

The range of sweet peppers available to buy may have increased in recent years, but the choice you get from growing your own is far wider. You don’t need a greenhouse to grow sweet peppers – as long as you have a warm, sheltered and sunny site, you should get a decent crop. Sweet peppers are attractive plants (especially when in fruit) so are ideal for growing on a south-facing patio or window sill.

Pepper varieties to try include: ‘Mohawk’, ‘Unicorn’, ‘Gypsy’ and ‘Carnival’. These are all suitable for growing both indoors and outdoors.

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You Will Need

  • Pepper seeds
  • Multi-purpose, peat-free compost
  • 7.5cm plastic pots
  • 30cm pots

Total time:

Step 1

Fill pots with compost to 1cm below the rim and firm gently with your fingers to remove air pockets. Sow four to five seeds per pot, ensuring they are well spaced and not too close to the edge, to give seedlings adequate room to grow.

Sowing sweet pepper seeds
Sowing sweet pepper seeds

Step 2

Cover seeds with a thin layer of compost or vermiculite and label pots clearly. Water well using a watering can with the rose attached. Let the water drain from the pots before placing them in a heated propagator or on a warm, well-lit window sill.

Placing the pots in a cold frame
Placing the pots in a cold frame

Step 3

When seedlings are 5-6cm tall, transplant them into individual 7.5cm pots filled with compost. Carefully ease the seedlings out of the original pot and tease the rootball apart. Make a hole in the compost in each new pot and lower the seedlings into position, handling them by their leaves. Firm the compost around the roots, and water. Return plants to a greenhouse or sunny window sill and keep the compost moist.

Transplanting sweet pepper seedlings
Transplanting sweet pepper seedlings

Step 4

When plants start to become pot-bound, transplant them into slightly larger pots filled with multi-purpose compost. Keep doing this as plants become pot-bound, stopping only when your plants are ready to plant in a 30cm pot. If growing them outside, harden them off in late May, by gently letting them acclimatise to outdoor conditions. It’s a good idea to stake plants to provide additional support, as the crop can be heavy.

Transplanting sweet pepper seedlings
Transplanting sweet pepper seedlings

Step 5

As soon as flowers appear, start feeding the plants weekly with a high-potash liquid feed, such as a tomato fertiliser or comfrey solution. In dry conditions, mist flowers with tepid water to help increase the fruit set and give you a better crop. Keep watering plants, but don’t allow the pots to become waterlogged. Harvest peppers when they have reached the size and colour indicated on the seed packet.

Sweet pepper flower
Sweet pepper flower
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