All plants

Pepper

Capsicum annuum

Solanaceae · nightshade family

Matures
65–85 days
Harvest
Continuous · Annual
Sun
6–8+ hrs
Spacing
12–18 in
Botanical engraving of Pepper

Planting window

When to sow, by microclimate — foggier blocks run a different calendar than sunnier ones.

JanFebMarAprMayJun
Foggy●◐
Sunny◐◐●●
JulAugSepOctNovDec
Foggy
Sunny◐
Well-suitedMarginalNot suited

Sunlight

How well it does at each level of direct sun per day.

<2 hrsNot suited
2–4 hrsNot suited
4–6 hrsMarginal
6–8 hrsWell-suited
8+ hrsWell-suited
Well-suitedMarginalNot suited

Soil depth

Root room it needs — useful for sizing raised beds and containers.

6–10"Not suited
10–15"Marginal
15–18"Well-suited
18–24"Well-suited
Well-suitedMarginalNot suited

Spacing

Room each plant needs — along the row and between rows — for sizing beds.

In-row
12–18 in
Between rows
36 in

Growth habit

The shape it makes in the bed and how tall it gets — what tells you whether to give it a trellis, a stake, or just room.

Habit
Upright
Mature height
1.5–3 ft

Stands on its own; the tallest types appreciate a stake in wind.

How to start it

Sow it where it grows, or raise it under cover and set it out — and how far ahead to start the seedlings if it's the latter.

Usually
Transplant
Start indoors
8 weeks ahead
Direct-sowNot suited
TransplantWell-suited

Started under cover, then set out as a seedling.

Well-suitedMarginalNot suited

Getting started

How it goes in the ground — how deep to sow or set it, and the soil temperature it needs to wake up. The cold-soil floor is the real limiter for direct-sowing in a foggy SF spring.

Started from
From seed
Ideal soil temp
65–75°F
Sow depth
0.25 in
Time to emerge
13–25 days

Germinates between 60–95°F; happiest around 65–75°F.

30°F110°F
IdealWorkable

Pests & diseases

What tends to trouble this crop — what it is, what you'll see, and what to do about it, least-toxic first.

Pests14

Aphids
What it is
Aphids have soft pear-shaped bodies with long legs and antennae and may be green, yellow, brown, red, or black depending on the species and the plants they feed on. A few species appear waxy or woolly due to the secretion of a waxy white or gray substance over their body surface.
What you'll see
Low to moderate numbers of leaf-feeding aphids aren't usually damaging in gardens or on trees. However, large populations can turn leaves yellow and stunt shoots; aphids can also produce large quantities of a sticky exudate known as honeydew, which often turns black with the growth of a sooty mold fungus.
What to do
Before planting vegetables, check surrounding areas for sources of aphids and remove these sources. On the other hand, these aphid-infested weeds can sometimes provide an early source of aphid natural enemies.
Source
Armyworms
What it is
Armyworm larvae feed in groups, which distinguishes them from other vegetable pests such as corn earworms and loopers. Markings on newly hatched armyworms are usually hard to distinguish from those of other caterpillars; older larvae have distinct lengthwise stripes.
What you'll see
Armyworms may feed on the crowns of seedlings. On larger plants, armyworm caterpillars skeletonize leaves.
What to do
Handpick. Virus diseases, parasites (Hyposoter and Trichogramma), and general predators may be effective on caterpillars.
Source
Corn Earworm or Tomato Fruitworm
What it is
The corn earworm or tomato fruitworm is a common caterpillar pest of many vegetables and flowers. Newly hatched larvae have several rows of dark bristles on their backs.
What you'll see
Earworms feed on leaves, buds, and flowers of many vegetable crops. They destroy seedlings, bore into lettuce heads and bean pods, make deep watery cavities in fruit, and leave frass.
What to do
Handpick, and avoid spraying with insecticides. Bacillus thuringiensis may kill 40 to 60% of the population but must be applied just after eggs hatch and before caterpillars enter fruit.
Source
Cucumber Beetles
What it is
Adult beetles are shiny with black heads, long antennae, and about 1/4 inch long. Adults may be striped or spotted, depending upon species.
What you'll see
Adults feed on the leaves of many vegetables as well as on soft fruit. Shoots and blossoms may also be consumed.
What to do
Management of cucumber beetles is difficult. The best strategy for most vegetable gardens may be to place protective cloth over emerging plants and remove it when plants are old enough to tolerate damage.
Source
Cutworms
What it is
Cutworms are dull brown caterpillars ranging in length from 1 to 2 inches when fully grown. They curl into a C-shape when disturbed.
What you'll see
Cutworms feed on blossoms and leaves of many ornamental plants and attack most garden crops. They clip off seedling stems near or just below the soil level.
What to do
Cutworms are pests mainly in the spring. Destroy crop residues; keep garden weed-free in winter.
Source
Earwigs
What it is
The adult earwig is readily identified by a pair of prominent appendages that resemble forceps at the tail end of its body. Used for defense, the forceps are somewhat curved in the male but straighter in the female.
What you'll see
European earwigs feed on a variety of dead and living organisms, including insects, mites, and growing shoots of plants. They are voracious feeders on soft-bodied insects such as aphids and insect eggs and can exert significant biological control under some circumstances.
What to do
Management of earwigs requires an integrated program that takes advantage of their habitat preferences. Initiate a regular trapping program.
Source
Flea Beetles
What it is
Their small size, enlarged back legs, characteristic shot-hole damage, and habit of jumping when disturbed make flea beetles easy to identify. There are numerous flea beetle species.
What you'll see
Adults feed mostly on leaves, leaving tiny pits or small holes at their feeding sites. Flea beetles feeding together can cover leaves with bleached, pitted areas or ragged holes.
What to do
Remove debris in the fall to remove any overwintering beetles. Reflective mulches applied very soon after planting and before plants become infected can be helpful.
Source
Hornworms
What it is
Tomato hornworms are likely to be the largest caterpillars you see in the vegetable garden. Their striping pattern makes them hard to spot despite their size.
What you'll see
Entire leaves and small stems may be consumed. Large pieces from green fruit may also be chewed.
What to do
Handpick or snip hornworms with shears. Natural enemies normally keep populations under control.
Source
Pepper Weevil
What it is
Adult pepper weevils are dark, robust snout beetles 0.13 inch long, with beaks longer than their head and thorax. Larvae are less than 1/4 inch long, white, legless, and found inside fruit.
What you'll see
Buds or fruits turn yellow. Buds or young pods may drop from the plant.
What to do
Destroying pepper plants as soon as the harvest is over should reduce weevil problems the following year. Destroy nightshade plants, an alternative host, wherever they occur.
Source
Snails and Slugs
What you'll see
Snails and slugs feed on a variety of living plants and on decaying plant matter. They create irregular holes with smooth edges on leaves and flowers by scraping with their rasp-like tongues.
What to do
It will not be possible to eliminate some shelters, such as low ledges on fences, the undersides of wooden decks, and water meter boxes, so make a regular practice of trapping and removing snails and slugs from these areas. The survivors congregate in the remaining shelters, where you can more easily locate and remove them.
Source
Spider Mites
What it is
To the naked eye, spider mites look like tiny, moving dots; however, you can see them easily with a 10X hand lens. Adult females, the largest forms, are less than 1/20 inch long.
What you'll see
Mites cause damage by sucking cell contents from leaves. A small number of mites usually isn’t reason for concern, but very high populations—levels high enough to show visible damage to leaves—can damage plants, especially herbaceous ones.
What to do
Cultural practices can have a significant impact on spider mites. Mid­season washing of trees and vines with water to remove dust may help prevent serious late-season mite infestations.
Source
Thrips
What it is
Most adult thrips are elongate, slender, minute (less than 1/20 inch long), and have long fringes on the margins of both pairs of their long, narrow wings. Immatures (called larvae or nymphs) are oblong or slender and elongate and lack wings.
What you'll see
Thrips feeding on plants can damage fruit, leaves, and shoots and very noticeably affect plants’ cosmetic appearance. However, thrips rarely kill or threaten the survival of trees and shrubs.
What to do
Thrips species that feed on many different plant species often move into gardens and landscapes when plants in weedy areas or grasslands begin to dry in spring or summer. Avoid planting susceptible plants next to these areas, and control nearby weeds that are alternate hosts of pest thrips.
Source
Vegetable Leafminers
What it is
Adult leafminers are small, active, black flies often with a prominent yellow triangle between the bases of the wings. The head behind the eyes is mostly black.
What you'll see
Leafminers attack many different vegetable and flower hosts, including cole crops, cucurbits, tomatoes, peas, beans, aster, begonia, dahlia, impatiens, lily, marigold, petunia, and verbena. Adult female leafminers puncture leaves and sometimes petals to feed on exuding sap.
What to do
Leafminers rarely require treatment in gardens. Clip off and remove older infested leaves.
Source
Whiteflies
What you'll see
Whiteflies use their piercing, needlelike mouthparts to suck sap from phloem, the food-conducting tissues in plant stems and leaves. Large populations can cause leaves to turn yellow, appear dry, or fall off plants.
What to do
Whiteflies have many natural enemies, and outbreaks frequently occur when these natural enemies have been disturbed or destroyed by pesticides, dust buildup, or other factors. General predators include lacewings, bigeyed bugs, and minute pirate bugs.
Source

Diseases4

Mosaic Viruses of Peppers and Eggplants
What you'll see
Peppers and eggplants are susceptible to several different viruses. Many are spread by aphids, and some are spread by seed or mechanically.
What to do
Minimize plant handling and damage to reduce the dispersal of some viruses that can be spread mechanically. Reflective mulches may reduce or delay infections as it helps repel insects from plants.
Source
Phytophthora Root and Crown Rot on Peppers and Eggplant
What you'll see
P. parasitica Above ground symptoms of rot on peppers or eggplants include rapid wilting and death of affected plants. Tap roots and smaller lateral roots show water-soaked, very dark brown discoloration of cortical and xylem tissue.
What to do
Plant on raised beds with well-drained soil. The disease can be effectively prevented by a program integrating crop rotations of 2 years that excludes susceptible plants (corn, beans, or strawberries would be good rotation choices), with irrigation management, clean seed, and transplants.
Source
Spotted Wilt Virus on Peppers
What you'll see
Symptoms on plants infected with spotted wilt virus include overall yellowing (chlorosis), dead spots on leaves or terminal shoots, and general stunting. Fruits show chlorotic spots, red and/or green areas surrounded by yellow halos, and concentric rings that may become necrotic.
What to do
Although spotted wilt virus is extremely widespread and very damaging in greenhouses on ornamentals, it is not usually a serious problem in gardens. Destroy infected plants.
Source
Verticillium Wilt on Peppers and Eggplant
What you'll see
Wilting of leaves is a common symptom of plants infected with Verticillium wilt. Eventually the margins and tips of leaves become dry and turn brown.
What to do
Verticillium wilt is caused by a soilborne fungus and can survive in the soil indefinitely as microsclerotia that germinate in the vicinity of roots. Where Verticillium has been a problem, follow good sanitation practices and avoid ground previously planted with potatoes, tomatoes, or cucurbits.
Source

Disorders1

Blossom End Rot
What you'll see
Blossom end rot affects tomatoes, peppers, and cucurbits. Plants with blossom end rot show small, light brown spots at the blossom end of immature fruit.
What to do
Blossom end rot results from a low level of calcium in the fruit and water balance in the plant. It is aggravated by high soil salt content or low soil moisture and is more common on sandier soils.
Source

Sources

Every figure above is backed by these.