Vegetable (fruiting annual)
Pepper
Capsicum annuum
Slower and more heat-loving than tomatoes — cold soil at transplant sets peppers back for weeks even if they survive it.
| Light | Full sun, 6-8 hours |
|---|---|
| Water | Moderate, consistent; avoid waterlogging |
| Spacing | 40-60 cm |
| Zones | Annual everywhere; needs warm soil to establish |
| Harvest | 60-90 days for green, longer for full colour |
| Difficulty | Moderate |
Wait for warm soil
Transplant only once soil temperature is reliably above 16°C. Peppers set into cold soil often just sit for a month rather than dying outright, which costs most of the season.
Colour is ripeness, not a different vegetable
Most peppers are green when immature and ripen to red, yellow, or orange with more sugar and vitamin content. Leaving fruit to fully colour reduces total yield per plant but improves flavour.