Vegetable
Bell pepper
Capsicum annuum · Solanaceae
Also called: Sweet pepper, Capsicum
Bell pepper (Capsicum annuum) is a moderate-water vegetable well suited to Tucson and the low desert. It's a moderate-growing vegetable.
Bell pepper at a glance
- Water use
- Moderate (established)
- Sun
- Full sun for production, but in Tucson provide afternoon shade or 30-40% shade cloth in peak summer to prevent sunscald on fruit and reduce blossom drop.
- Mature size
- 1.5-3 ft tall and 1-2 ft wide.
- Growth rate
- Moderate
- Bloom
- White flowers; fruit ripens green to red/yellow/orange, Warm-season crop: transplant into the garden in April (or May), after frost danger and once soil warms, for harvest through early summer and again in fall as temperatures moderate. Set struggles above ~90-95F.
- Cold hardiness
- Frost-tender annual; injured below ~32-40F and stressed by extreme heat. Often grown as a short-lived perennial in frost-protected microclimates but treated as a warm-season annual.
- Soil
- Well-drained, compost-amended soil; performs best in raised beds in Tucson's alkaline soils with steady moisture.
- Native range
- Native to Central/South America and Mexico; domesticated in Mesoamerica. Not native to the Sonoran Desert.
- Best used as
- Edible fruit (culinary vegetable), Raised-bed and container vegetable gardening
- Wildlife
- Flowers attract bees and other pollinators.
- Toxicity
- Fruit is edible and non-toxic; foliage contains solanine-type alkaloids and should not be eaten by pets or people.
How to grow Bell pepper in Tucson & the low desert
Watering
Even, deep drip watering to keep soil consistently moist; increase frequency to near-daily in summer heat. Mulch to stabilize moisture; uneven watering causes blossom-end rot.
Fertilizer & nutrients
Apply balanced fertilizer at transplant; once flowering/fruiting begins, favor phosphorus and potassium over heavy nitrogen. Side-dress lightly every few weeks during the harvest period.
Pruning & care
Minimal pruning; stake taller plants to prevent breakage under fruit load and remove the first early flower to encourage stronger growth if desired.
Notes
Grown as a warm-season annual in Tucson. Transplant in April after frost; provide afternoon shade and consistent moisture to keep flowers from dropping in summer heat. Bell peppers are more heat-sensitive for fruit set than chiles, so shade cloth markedly improves yields. A fall flush is common as temperatures cool.
Sources: University of Arizona Cooperative Extension - Pima County Monthly Gardening Guides (April, May); Pima County Master Gardeners; Tucson Organic Gardeners Planting Guide