WhenToPlantGuide

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When to plant bell peppers

Plant bell peppers 2–4 weeks after the last spring frost. Wait until the soil is at least 65°F. That works out to zone 5b (mid May to early June), zone 7a (late April to mid May) and zone 9a (mid March to late March).

Bell peppers planting dates by zone

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 2a Start indoors Mar 11 – Mar 25 Plant Jun 3 – Jun 17 3b Start indoors Mar 8 – Mar 22 Plant May 31 – Jun 14 4a Start indoors Mar 6 – Mar 20 Plant May 29 – Jun 12 4b Start indoors Mar 4 – Mar 18 Plant May 27 – Jun 10 5a Start indoors Mar 2 – Mar 16 Plant May 25 – Jun 8 5b Start indoors Feb 24 – Mar 10 Plant May 19 – Jun 2 6a Start indoors Feb 19 – Mar 5 Plant May 14 – May 28 6b Start indoors Feb 13 – Feb 27 Plant May 8 – May 22 7a Start indoors Feb 4 – Feb 18 Plant Apr 29 – May 13 7b Start indoors Jan 26 – Feb 9 Plant Apr 20 – May 4 8a Start indoors Jan 16 – Jan 30 Plant Apr 10 – Apr 24 8b Start indoors Jan 5 – Jan 19 Plant Mar 30 – Apr 13 9a Start indoors Dec 22 – Jan 5 Plant Mar 16 – Mar 30 9b Start indoors Nov 26 – Dec 10 Plant Feb 18 – Mar 4 10a Start indoors Oct 30 – Nov 13 Plant Jan 22 – Feb 5
■ spring planting · ■ start seeds indoors. Zones from the USDA 2023 map; dates from NOAA frost normals for the weather stations in each zone.
ZonePlant outdoorsbell peppers ready from
4a May 29 – Jun 12 Aug 4
4b May 27 – Jun 10 Aug 2
5a May 25 – Jun 8 Jul 31
5b May 19 – Jun 2 Jul 25
6a May 14 – May 28 Jul 20
6b May 8 – May 22 Jul 14
7a Apr 29 – May 13 Jul 5
7b Apr 20 – May 4 Jun 26
8a Apr 10 – Apr 24 Jun 16
8b Mar 30 – Apr 13 Jun 5
9a Mar 16 – Mar 30 May 22
9b Feb 18 – Mar 4 Apr 26

How to plant bell peppers

Plant astransplants
Soil temperature65°F or warmer
DepthSame depth as the pot
Spacing18–24 in
LightFull sun
Time to harvest60–90 days
Start indoors8–10 weeks before the last frost (zone 6a: Feb 19 – Mar 5; zone 8a: Jan 16 – Jan 30)

Peppers need warmer soil than tomatoes; cold nights stunt them for weeks.

Black plastic mulch warms the soil and helps in short-season areas.

Start seeds early indoors: pepper seed germinates slowly, best at 80°F.

When to harvest bell peppers

Harvest green peppers once full size and firm; leave them on the plant 2–3 more weeks for red, yellow or orange color.

Exact dates for your town: planting calendar · frost dates by state.

More vegetables to plant

Tomatoes · Potatoes · Pumpkins · Cucumbers · Okra · Zucchini · Watermelon · Green beans