| Annual or perennial | Annual (tender perennial) |
| Difficulty | Moderate – needs warmth |
| Height | 40-90cm |
| Spacing | 40-50cm |
| Harvest window | August to October |
Peppers are sun-lovers that reward patience. Slower to produce than tomatoes, they make up for it with spectacular colour, excellent flavour, and a long harvest season once they get going. Sweet peppers (capsicums) are the focus here – a genuinely achievable crop in a warm Alsace summer.
Which variety to grow
For Alsace, choose early-maturing sweet pepper varieties: ‘Gypsy’, ‘Cubico’, or ‘Mohawk’ are reliable and quick. Italian sweet frying peppers like ‘Corno di Toro’ and ‘Jimmy Nardello’ are excellent. Pimento and long sweet varieties generally do better than large blocky bell peppers in cooler climates. If you want coloured peppers (red, yellow, orange), allow extra weeks beyond green – all peppers start green.
When to plant
Start seeds indoors in February or early March at 21-24 degrees. Peppers need a long growing season – starting early is essential. Plant out after the last frost, late May, in the warmest spot available. A greenhouse or polytunnel significantly increases your success rate.
How many to grow
Four to six plants gives a generous harvest. Each healthy plant in a good summer can produce 10-20 fruits. More than six plants and you’ll be giving peppers to everyone you know.
Conditions it needs
- Sunlight: Full sun – the hottest, most sheltered spot you have.
- Soil pH: 6.0-6.8
- Soil type: Rich, well-draining, moisture-retentive. Dig in plenty of compost.
- Heat: Peppers need warmth at every stage – cold slows them significantly.
Container growing
Peppers grow very well in large containers (minimum 15-20 litres per plant) – this lets you move them to the warmest spot or into a greenhouse if weather turns. Use rich tomato compost and water regularly. A south-facing wall or terrace is ideal.
How to care for it
Water consistently at the base. Once flowering begins, feed weekly with a high-potash fertiliser. Unlike tomatoes, peppers do not need side-shooting – let them branch naturally. Stake if the plant becomes top-heavy with fruit. Pinch out the first flower bud to encourage the plant to build strength before fruiting.
Propagation
Grow from seed each year. Peppers need a longer growing season than almost any other vegetable – starting seeds in February is not too early. Save seeds from fully ripe fruits of open-pollinated varieties.
Watch out
Peppers can appear to stall completely for weeks in cool or cloudy weather. This is not failure – it is patience. Once temperatures rise consistently above 18 degrees, the plant will suddenly take off. Do not give up on a pepper plant in June – it is probably fine and just waiting for proper summer. The turning point is usually July.
Companion planting
Basil is a good companion, as with tomatoes. Marigolds help deter aphids and whitefly. Carrots and spinach make good ground-level companions under the pepper canopy.
Problems to watch for
- Aphids: Can colonise growing tips quickly. Blast off with water or encourage ladybirds.
- Whitefly: Yellow sticky traps help. Worse in warm enclosed spaces.
- Slow growth: Usually weather-related – be patient.
- Blossom drop: Flowers fall without setting – usually caused by temperature extremes or inconsistent watering.
When and how to harvest
Green peppers can be harvested as soon as they reach full size (typically July/August). Leave them on the plant and they will ripen to red, yellow, or orange over several more weeks. The coloured versions have significantly better flavour and higher nutritional content. Harvest regularly to encourage the plant to produce more fruit.
How to store
- Fresh: Refrigerate for up to two weeks.
- Roasted and frozen: Roast, peel, and freeze in portions – excellent for sauces all winter.
- Preserved in oil: Roast, peel, and pack into olive oil with garlic and herbs. Refrigerate and use within two weeks.
In the kitchen
Savory
Ratatouille, piperade, roasted pepper soup, stuffed peppers with rice and herbs, pisto, escalivada, shakshuka, salads, stir-fries, pasta sauces, roasted vegetable dishes. Roasted and peeled red peppers are one of the great versatile ingredients – in salads, on bruschetta, in pasta, as a sauce base.
Sweet
Roasted red pepper jam or chutney is wonderful. Pepper and tomato preserves are a classic. Piquillo peppers stuffed with something sweet-savoury blur the line pleasantly.
Drinks
Roasted red pepper gazpacho is both a soup and a drink. Fresh pepper juice combines beautifully with tomato, carrot, and ginger in a vegetable juice.