How to grow Capsicum at Home – Step by Step

Capsicum plants are the easiest vegetables you can grow in pots that require minimal care and attention.   

Filled with nutritious value, growing it in home is always a good idea.

How to grow Capsicum at home? 

To grow capsicum at home, you need seeds and a flat tray for germination, fill this tray with soil and sow the seeds in it and gently water. Keep this tray in partial shade until the seedling grows 10-12 cm in length, then transplant it in the final container and move to a sunnier spot.

In this guide, I will share everything with you about growing capsicum plants step by step.

Capsicum Growing Conditions

Best Season/Time to grow Capsicum in India 

Best season to grow capsicum in India is Spring-Summer i.e from March – July. 

Although it can be grown all year long in the Southern part of India, which is free from extreme cold weather and has very less chances of frost.

Things You Will Require

Seeds

Flat Tray For Germination (Get it from here)

Potting Soil (my recommended soil)

Pot or Grow Bag

Watering Can (a good one like this)

Steps To Grow Capsicum at Home From Seeds 

Sowing Seeds – Step 1

Best time to sow capsicum seeds is from Mar-April when the temperature ranges from 20-30 degree Celsius. 

For sowing capsicum seeds:

Take a seedling or flat tray with drainage holes, fill it with a potting mix of Garden Soil (50%) & Coco Peat (50%). 

Now simply sprinkle the seeds keeping some gap from each other. 

Cover these seeds with a thin layer of the same potting mix, and then gently mist the soil with a water sprayer (like this one).

Keep this tray in partial shade and mist it whenever the top layer gets dry.

Germination of Seeds ( Step – 2)

Capsicum seeds take 5-7 days to germinate, once they germinate expose them to light direct sunlight to promote growth.  

After 18-20 days the seedlings will grow big enough (10-12 cm in length) and are ready to be transplanted into their final container.

Transplantation of Seedlings – Growing Capsicum in Pots (Step – 3)

For the final container take a pot or grow bag of 12 inches depth make drainage holes at the bottom.

Fill it with a potting soil of following composition, if you make your own potting soil at home:

• Garden Soil – 40%
• Compost or Vermicompost – 40% (good quality like this one)
• Sand – 20%

Or you can simply use this one.

Once it is done, now simply take the seedling out of the soil carefully without hurting its root system and plant 2 seedlings per container. 

Water it just enough to make the soil moist and then keep this container in direct sunlight. 

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9 o’clock Plant Care

Fertilizing 

After a month or so of transplanting, you need to feed the plant with good fertilizer for it to produce healthy Capsicum.  

Use good quality vermicompost or make compost at home from kitchen waste and feed it in a gap of 20-25 days.

Provide Support  

Once the plant starts to grow big, it will require some sort of support to stand still. Insert a stick inside the potting soil and use a thread and tie it to the main stem. 

Harvesting

Capsicum plant takes around 3-4 months to produce fruits and harvested. Keep pinching its white flowers for more fruits.

For harvesting capsicum, use a sterilized knife and cut it near the node.

Capsicum Plant Care 

Capsicum plant care includes providing it with an adequate amount of sunlight and watering. And protecting it from pests. 

Fulfilling Sunlight Requirement 

Does Capsicum need sunlight? 

Yes, Capscium plants love sunlight and require 3-4 hours of moderate direct sunlight, but keeping it in shade during the afternoon is very necessary as the intense sunlight during this period can burn its leaves. 

So, for capsicum plant care, pick a spot where it can enjoy both morning & evening sunlight and go under shade during noon.  

Properly Watering 

Capsicum doesn’t require a lot of water, but you should try to maintain a constant moisture in its soil by watering it whenever the upper layer of the soil feels dry. 

Which you will probably find every single day, considering it stays under direct sunlight for quite a few hours of the day. 

So, just make sure you are not letting a big portion of the soil to dry out.

Protecting From Pest 

Like most of the fruit bearing plants, Capsicum also gets attacked by pests. 

You must regularly check behind the leaves for any foreign element and shoo them away. 

If you see the leaves of your capsicum plant with holes, these are very well done by pests. 

To get rid of them, keep neem oil spray (get it from here) ready and when you find these kinds of insects on your plant spray it on a gap of 15-20 days to keep them at bay. 

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does capsicum take to grow?  

Capsicum takes around 90 – 120 days to grow and get ready to be harvested.

Can I grow Capsicum from Fresh Seeds? 

Yes, you can. Carefully cut a healthy capsicum into half and take out the seeds. These seeds can be used to grow capsicum.

Can you grow Capsicum in Pots? 

Yes, capsicum can be grown in pots easily but they require a big pot in order to grow freely. So, make sure the pot you use is at least 10 inches deep with good width as well.

Wrapping Up  

I hope this guide will help you grow capsicum at home & enjoy it. 

If you still have any doubts, do let me know through the comment section.