When to Harvest Bell Peppers, and 3 Signs They’re Ready to Pick

Determining when to pick bell peppers depends on which variety you grew, but expect to wait 60-90 days to harvest. If you start the peppers from seed, they can take closer to 90-150 days to harvest. But we promise, it’s worth the wait!

These warm-season vegetables, from the time you plant until they are ready to pick, take longer than almost all other garden crops. Other influencing factors include temperature, water, soil composition, and pest control.

Read on to learn when your bell peppers are ready to pick.

3 Signs Your Bell Peppers Are Ready to Harvest

1. Peppers are 3-4 inches long. Most standard-size bell peppers mature at 3- to 4-inches long and wide with a blocky shape. Some giant varieties grow a bit larger, while others (like pimento peppers) may be tapered at the bottom.
2. Fruits are weighty. All peppers should feel solid, slightly heavy, and firm to the touch with just a slight give when pressed with your thumb.
3. Color blushes from top to bottom. Color should be uniform throughout with a glossy appearance.

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5 Top Tips for Harvesting Bell Peppers

Bell peppers come in a rainbow of colors other than green including red, orange, yellow, purple, white, and brown. As a general rule of thumb, differently colored peppers take longer to mature than green bell peppers.

Follow these tips for the best pepper harvest:

• Pick green peppers anytime, but leave them on the vine another two to three weeks for a sweeter pepper with a richer color.
• Green peppers that have started to turn will continue to ripen and change color after picking if set out in a cool, dark location for several days. Ripening off the vine, though, can result in loss of sweetness and flavor.
• Don’t try to pull peppers off the plant. Use a snipper or pruner to clip fruits and leave a good amount of stem attached.
• Harvest peppers right away when they show signs of insect damage or sun-scald. The undamaged portion is still edible.
• Remove any soft or mushy fruits and dispose of them. This directs energy into maturing viable fruits.

How to Harvest Bell Peppers

Peppers on each plant ripen at different times over several weeks. You may find one ripe pepper on your plant or several ready to harvest at once. Here’s how to pick your peppers.

1. When the recommended “days to harvest: approaches, check plants daily for mature fruit.
2. Pick peppers on a dry day or in the morning after dew has dried. Working in wet plants can damage foliage or spread disease.
3. Remove ripe peppers from the plant by supporting the pepper in your nondominant hand and using your dominant hand to clip the stem where it attaches to the branch. Use an appropriate cutting tool and never pull on the fruit or the branch. Pepper branches can break easily.
4. Peppers without stems should be used right away.
5. Store harvested peppers in the refrigerator crisper drawer for up to two weeks in mesh or plastic bags. Add a dry paper towel to plastic bags and leave bags open to prevent accumulation of moisture.