While I am confident there is some reason for the inconsistent results with bell types I don't know what it is.

What I have learned from years from growing peppers is that no variety is immune to 'issues' in any given year. Having said that bell types for me, you, and many others have proven to be among the most difficult peppers to grow well CONSISTENTLY.

I wish I knew the reason.

When it comes to bells I typically grow a few different varieties each year in hopes one does well, but for other peppers I don't really worry about it.

I have even found that bell varieties that do well for 2-3 years in a row for me will then inexplicably have a bad year. Again, I wish I knew why. I simply label them as finicky which is roughly akin to my explaining their performance by witchcraft.

organic dusty & jag I really don't want to give up on them they are grown in ground peppers grow great here in wampee (about one mile west of north myrtle beach) the soil is somewhat of a very sandy loam with little organic matter a ph of 5.0 phosphorus in the medium range and potassium in the low medium before I applied the amendments for the year I always get a soil test done at the end of the year (just like folks here told me to) I applied everything they told me to in an organic form added black kow brand composted manure and when I dug the holes I dug 4 inches deeper than the root ball and put a little chicken manure in a granular form then filled it in till the root ball was level with the ground and then planted the plants I mulched the bed with grass clippings well weed clippings from mowing the yard oh and it's plenty hot here right now it's 91 f and very humid I said I didn't over water and I don't but mamma n has gave them plenty of rain in fact she just let me know it will be raining again in that low rumbling voice of hers sorry this post is so long but I'm trying to include as much info as possible

Hi 1angel3,
Bell peppers have been bred to have highly desireable characteristics.
They have also acquired climatic sensitivities. So, out side of climate controlled commercial greenhouses the weather does not always cooperate for productivity.
Bells like to do their vegetative growth at ideally 21-23 * Celcius (C.) & when fruiting ideally 20 -21*C. with a night time temperature of ideally 16-17* C.
The plant can grow at many temperatures; it is the pollen, whose structure is affected by getting too cold & denatured if too hot.
But, aside from the ideal day & night temperature spreads, a low total 24 average temperature has most affect. North American lowland summer day time highs & the lingering of heat into the evening works against a moderate 24 hour average temperature.
In the tropics bell peppers are a highland crop, where elevation gets the temperature into more productive ranges.

Bell are difficult in most areas. I gave up on them. why bother. You can get some nice sweet peppers that are smaller than a bell. Even the commercial growers say that Bell peppers are very difficult to grow in almost all areas of the country.

I find chili peppers easy so I go with the flow. Why fight the tide.

gringo jay really that's about 70 to 82 f with a fruiting temp in the high 60s is that right no wonder they look so sad the poor guys are baking out there in this 95+ weather that's 35 c + then perhaps it would be better to start some from seed in mid July in cups that I can take to the shade when its hot by the end of August they should be ready to go in the garden it be a little hard on them at first but by the time they get ready to produce fruit the temp should return to the idea temps next year I'll get them out in very early spring and they can just hang in the hottest parts of summer until the fall temps come if I can keep the ones in the garden going then when things cool off a little then maybe they'll feel better a couple are starting to get a foot hold and one is starting to grow a pepper although I think it will be on the small side but anyway now I have a plan thanks gringo jay I really appreciate it
garden awgie I don't want to give up because bells are a dollar apiece here and they are so good on bratwursts or stuffed but I can see why they are so pricey

man I love this forum

I have those "ideal" temps but my bells are behind my Italian Roaster in the same box (earthbox). Last season was considerbly cooler and wetter than this season and I was still able to grow bells. In contrast I have a tiny jalapeno that is putting out more fruit (albiet tiny fruit)than the roaster and bells.

I had pitifully poor results year after year trying to grow bell peppers here in south central Indiana. I thought it was just me not having the correct soil, etc. Hot peppers grew like crazy, well, those that the birds didn't eat. Anyway, year befoe last I tried Revolution bell pepper which I'd never seen before. It grew! I planted them again last year and this year. I'm trying a different variety this year, but still have planted the Revolution as well.

I can grow bells ok here in the cool Pacific NW, but they are a bit more finicky than other types. I have noticed that they tend to be squat, leafy plants. When its wet (as it often is here) the leaves stay wet longer and this can lead to rot. Also, the fruit often stick up above the squat plant making them a bit prone to sunburn (when we get sun).

That said here are some ideas:

1 - try a little more moisture (esp. when applied to the root and not the leaves).
2 - try a little mid-day shade
3 - try a little extra fertilizer. The smallish plants may need that extra boost. Perhaps a liquid like Fish Fertilizer or anyhting with a good nitrogen number

If you post pictures of your bells vs. your easier growing non-bells that may help us assess what is going on.

alright here are the pixs
this is one of the saddest looking bells

I have the same issue. I have no solution, but lots of commiseration. I've harvested 3 varieties of hot peppers already (when green...I'm impatient and the plants need to get bigger anyway), but no bells/sweet peppers have set yet.

I agree with comments about temperatures. I am growing some Pinot Noir (Burpee) sweet bells this year in an Earthbox. Plants did extremely well up until about 3 weeks or so ago when daytime temperatures hit 98 F several days in a row. I lost some well-developed fruits to sunscald. I have since moved the EB to a more shady area and they seem to be doing better.

My Rocoto and chiltepins also must have reprieve from the heat in order to thrive.

I must be the exception to all of you. I grow two to three sweet bells ea season and they do very well for me. I get nice plants with about five peppers on ea plant at any given time. I live in Thousand Oaks, which is about 20 miles (as the crow flies) inland from the coast and so the temps here are quite moderate (today the high was around 77*f) with the nighttime temps still getting cool. My garden is a reaised bed. I have spent a lot of time filling it with compost I make it from leaves, grass clippings, and horse manuer I get from a local horse ranch. I French double dig the bed every 2 to 3 years. Since my garden is only 10'x15' double digging it is not such a big deal. This year, until the latter half of June, I seemed to have more "June Gloom" kind of weather than the typical nice clear days we usually have. I got a very late start this year, not getting my nursery bought plants into the ground until the end of May. Usually I put my seedlings in the ground late March/early April. This is the first time in years that I did not start my own plants from seed.

I like to plant my pepper plants quite close together (six inches apart) as I find they tend to shade each other when the weather turns hot. Daytime temps will get into the high 90's during the day and perhaps as low as 75sh at night in late August and early September. Even thought it may seem like they are close togeher they get plenty of sun. Because So Cal has such low humidity I made a 1'x 3' frame out of 1/2" pvc and covered it with an old white sheet to shade the peppers. Without the humidity the temp in the shade is easily 15* lower than in the direct sun. I find this really helps during the really hot afternoons (say from noon to 3).

Even though I have composted nearly everything that goes into the garden I still put a small handfull of fertilizer in the bottom of each hole (mixed with a little soil) when I am putting the plants into the garden. After about six weeks I will side dress each plant with one T of 5-10-10 fertilizer (the same stuff I use for my tomato plants). I need to check this out and make sure this is a good choice for the peppers.

I water every day (I am guessing about galon per plant). I find that consistent watering is best. I deep water one day ea week. I heavily mulch the entire garden bed with about 3" of grass clippings to help moderate the soil temp and retain moisture. My soil is such that the water drains into the soil moderately fast. It pools but within a couple of minutes it is gone.

But like Justaguy2 said consistency is the name of the game. Out of the last 10 years I have had three that would be classified as "so so". But I continued plant them again the next year.

I would try the following:

Plant the plants closer together (unless you live in a very humind local that has little to no air movement (ie no breeze). I think the mutual shading helps.

Keep the soil consistently moist, but not wet.

Try mulching with compost. As you occasionally wet the mulch the water will leach nutrients into the soil. I will not mulch with anything that will not break down fairly quckly. I say that because when the mulch breaks down it releases all kinds of good suff into the soil. I do not use bark, plastic, or news paper, etc. I want my mulch to be gone by the end of winter. That is why I like grass clippings and compost.

Try making a raised bed for just the peppers. This really helps maintaining a consistent soil dampness.

If it gets really hot where you live, build a shade covering of some kind that you can move easily. I use a white sheet because it seems to reflect heat while still letting some light penetreate to the groud. Darker colored materials will absorbe heat and then radiate it to the plants, just what you do not want when it is really hot.

Make the raised bed small (say 2'x3') and use it just for the peppers. If you plant them close together you can easily get three rows deep that are 3' long. And you will have easy access to all sides of the plants without having to acutally walk in the garden. This way you will not compact the soil as you maintain the peppers.

Finally,not evey local is right for every kind of vegetable you might want to grow. Pick and choose what grows best in your area. Perhaps the best thing you can do is try to find someone who has had success growing their bells and pick their brain as to why they are successful.

I hope I was not too wordy or long winded.

Tom

I'll insert one very important point to remember abbout Bell Peppers: The fruit size is directly proportional to the container size, if growing in pots or raised bed.