Commercial Production of Bell Peppers in Mississippi
Peppers are sensitive to excessive nitrogen fertilization. Too much fertilization will cause blossoms and small pods to drop off.
Soils
Bell peppers are adapted to a wide range of well-drained soils in Mississippi. For early production of peppers, choose a south to southwest exposure to plant your crop. Do not plant peppers on land that had cotton, tomatoes, eggplant, sweetpotatoes, Irish potatoes, or soybeans planted the previous year. A 3-year rotation of corn, small grain, and pepper is recommended.
Varieties
Consult with buyers before choosing which variety of bell pepper to grow. Commonly grown varieties include Yolo Wonder, Keystone Resistant Giant #3, and Jupiter. Some available hybrid peppers have characteristics not present in open-pollinated varieties.
Planting
Nightly soil temperature at a 4-inch soil depth should average above 60 °F before peppers are transplanted.
| Zone | Spring | Fall |
|---|---|---|
| Coastal Counties | March 1 | August 15 |
| Southern Central | March 15 | August 10 |
| Central | April 1 | August 10 |
| North Central | April 5 | August 1 |
| North | April 10 | July 15 |
Transplant Care
As soon as your transplants arrive, remove them from the shipping crates and place transplants in a cool, high-humidity area. Never let roots dry out. If watering is required, wet roots only. Set roots at least 3 inches deep in prepared bed. Apply 1/2 pint of starter solution to each transplant. (To make starter solution, dissolve 3 pounds 10-57-17 or similar fertilizer in 50 gallons of water.)
Spacing Methods
- Keep rows at least 36 inches apart, with 12- to 18-inch spacings between plants in the row.
- Space 2 rows 12 inches apart on a 5-foot bed, with in-row spacing of 12 to 18 inches.
Fertilizer
Apply fertilizer according to soil test results. The pH of the soil should be kept between 6.2 to 6.8. Sidedress with 100 pounds per acre of ammonium nitrate or 200 pounds calcium nitrate just after fruit set. Additional sidedressings may be necessary to maintain vigorous growth and to promote continuous blooming and fruit sizing.
Fruit Set
Optimum temperatures for fruit set are between 65 and 80 °F. Fruits set at temperatures above 80 ° are small or poorly shaped. There is minimum fruit set at temperatures below 60 ° or above 90 °F.
Irrigation
Shedding of flowers and young fruit will occur in response to water stress, which can result from root pruning during cultivation or drought. Plants should receive 1 to 1 1/2 inches of water per week. Peppers are shallow-rooted and should not be grown without available irrigation.
Weed Control
Glyphosate and paraquat can be used as a burndown treatment before planting. Trifluralin is incorporated before transplanting, and Dacthal can be applied after transplanting. Sethoxydim can be applied for grass control when grasses are small. Always consult the label for proper use of the pesticides.
Diseases
Consult Extension Publication 801, "Pepper Disease Control." Common diseases include bacterial spot, anthracnose, and bacterial speck.
Insects
Common insect problems include aphids, corn earworms, cutworms, wireworms, and pepper weevils. For control measures, consult Extension Publication 554, "Disease, Insect, and Nematode Control Recommendations for Commercial Vegetables in Mississippi."
Harvesting
Peppers are usually picked at the mature green stage some 70 to 80 days from transplanting. Pepper plants have brittle stems and can break easily during harvest. Peppers are picked in field baskets and hauled to a shed for grading and packing. Discard pods with sunscald, disease, scars, or other damage of any kind.
Grading
Size, color, and shape are important characteristics for grading.- U.S. Fancy--pods are firm, well-shaped, and greater than 3 inches in diameter and 3 1/2 inches in length.
- U.S. #1--pods are firm, fairly well-shaped, and greater than 2 1/2 inches in diameter and length.
Handling
During grading and packing, take care not to break the skin or bruise the fruit. A water bath with 500 ppm chlorine at 128 °F after grading and before waxing helps to control intransit fruit rots. Most peppers are sprayed with a wax emulsion before packing.
Storage
Peppers are susceptible to chilling injury and should be stored at 7 to 10 °C (45 to 50 °F) and relative humidity of 90 to 95 percent for minimal injury and ripening. Bell peppers can be kept up to 3 weeks under these conditions.
Yield
Bell peppers are commonly packed in boxes with a capacity of 1 1/9 bushels (one bushel weighs 25 to 28 pounds). Yields ranging from 3 to 8 tons per acre may be expected.
Production Costs
| Preharvest | $530 |
| Harvest | $914 |
Market
In the past, grower prices for 1 1/9 bushels of U.S. Fancy have ranged from $5.50 to $15, averaging $8.50.
The information given here is for educational purposes only. Reference to commercial products or trade names is made with the understanding that no discrimination is intended of other products that may also be suitable.
By Dr. David Nagel, Extension Vegetable Specialist
Mississippi State University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, disability, or veteran status.
Information Sheet
1516
Extension Service of Mississippi State University, cooperating with U.S.
Department of Agriculture. Published in furtherance of Acts of Congress,
May 8 and June 30, 1914. Ronald A. Brown, Director
Copyright by Mississippi
State University. All rights reserved.
This document may be copied and distributed for nonprofit educational
purposes provided that credit is given to the Mississippi State University
Extension Service.
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