i too am in SD and my BEll has been outside since last friday and is still alive! i do believe that as long as it stays above 50 we are good(might slow the growing a little) all but 2 of my plants(the 2 bad off ones) are going to stay outside from now on, as they get sun from 3-sunset. but i can move them to get an extra hour of sun. at my apt its been 65-70F daytime and 55F at night

Spongey, I have a small greenhouse I got at Lowes, and have been keeping them outside for about the last 6 weeks (every since I got them), They get full sun, all day in the greenhouse. All my other pepper plants are doing great. I have 3 Jalepeno plants that are about 10-12 inches tall, and each one has 3-5 peppers growing. I have 2 Sante Fe Grande pepper plants about the same height although with many more leaves, that have a bunch of peppers, one of which is close to being ripe. I also have several New Mexico "Big Jim's" this I actually planted from seeds on April 9th, and they have almost caught up with all the ones I bought at the nursery (no flowers yet though). but the Bell's look about the same as when I bought them. One of them set fruit, but the pepper never developed beyond a bud. Since our weather has been in the low 50's at (San Marcos) and I keep hearing Bell Peppers are finicky, I thought I might bring them in at night to keep the soil temp up. I just don't know what that will do to the hardening process, or how it will affect the plant in general. Will it be beneficial, or set the plant back?

In general,I think bell peppers are too much hassle to be worth growing.

You kiss their pods for X amount of time for a small amount of pods.
Try some better tasing,more prolific sweet peppers or frying type peppers.
Lots less hassle to grow and tons more pod production.

I never figured out Bell peppers enough to grow them and be worth the effort.
Even the Hybrids don't put out enough pods to be worth the hassle.
A sweet chile will put out 15 or so pods while a bell pepper puts out 5 pods in the same size pot and same soil etc..
Might be because I have a container garden or the Temps. in S. California.
Bells are just too much work and not that good tasiting compared to sweet chiles in general.

Next year try some Tangerine Bell peppers(not a bell pepper-gold ball shaped and sized peppers).
Very Prolific and Tastey.
Very Sweet.
Mini Bells (red,yellow or Orange-different strains) are also more prolific and as good or better tasting than bells.
Sweet Banana,Aji Dulce,Trinidad Perfume,Suave Orange or red-all better producers with little to no heat but different tastes.
Lots of Italian or New Mex. type Roasters out there too.

I only grow non bell peppers in containers.
Send me an E mail,maybe we can work something out.
Trade?

Thank you sir for that list of sweet peppers! My GF loves sweet peppers and i do not know of any other types of peppers to try/know where to get them.

And i have found that i am at least 5-10 degrees cooler than thein San Marcos. like today we had a high of 67. i have a bell but after hearing the Smokemaster shoot off a few other options i think this will be my last year growing them(unless i get a crzy year out of them)
supposed to be a NICE 70 DEGREE WEEKEND FOR US HERE! WOO-HOO

Eric

You will get hooked on non bell sweet and mild peppers once you try them.
Lots easier to grow and,in general, less hassle to grow.
As far as getting seeds they aren't hard to come by.
E mail me for help with getting seeds for next years crop.
I trade a lot...