What Are the Best Tips for Growing Capsicums?

The best tips for growing capsicums, or pepper-bearing plants, is to plant them at the correct time and in a location with abundant sunlight. These plants also require basic, well-conditioned soil and ample water. If treated and cared for carefully, each capsicum plant will produce scores of peppers during the long growing season.

Capsicums need to be planted in the spring after the risk of overnight frost or freezing has passed. These plants should be grown in a location that gets direct sunlight or about six hours of full sun per day. If this location is not possible, one option is to place the plants in pots with wheels. This will allow the capsicums to be shifted around to provide the required amount of sunlight. These pepper plants also require copious amounts of water, so the location should be near a water supply.

When growing capsicums, the pH level of the soil needs to range from neutral to somewhat alkaline. Soil-testing kits can be used to determine the pH of the soil in which the capsicums will be placed. If the soil is acidic, lime can be added to neutralize the dirt, and if the soil is too basic, sulfur can be applied to acidify the dirt. Adjusting the pH of a garden, however, can be tricky due to the composition of the soil. Before applying any additives, take the results of the soil-testing kit and a sample of the soil to a garden store where application amounts to adjust the pH can be better suggested by experts directly reviewing the test results and soil constitution.

The root system of this plant must be allowed to spread fairly extensively to support the heavy and abundant peppers that will grow. When growing capsicums, the gardener should use a medium to large pot or a container with a diameter of at least 1 foot (0.3 m) to provide adequate room for the large root system. The hole needed for growing capsicums plants, whether in a pot or in the ground, should be about 2 inches (5 cm) larger than the diameter of the plant and about 2 inches (5 cm) deeper than the root ball. Capsicum seeds should be planted about 0.25 inch (0.6 cm) below the soil surface. After planting capsicum plants or seeds, the soil should be thoroughly dosed with water, and daily watering should continue throughout the growing season.

When growing capsicums in rows, spacing between the plants within a row should be wide enough to allow for the development of the root ball and growth of the plant. Rows should also be spaced wide enough to provide space for the gardener to move among the plants for weeding. To best accommodate the plants, the capsicums should be positioned about 10-20 inches (25-51 cm) apart within a row and the rows should be arranged about 1-2 feet (0.2-0.6 meters) apart.