How to Grow Bell Pepper 'Purple Top'
Capsicum annuum 'Purple Top'
Bell Pepper 'Purple Top' is a warm-season variety prized for its vibrant color and easy growing nature. Gardeners cultivate this plant to enjoy fresh fruit in the summer garden or as an attractive addition to containers.
📷 Wikipedia: Capsicum annuumStarting Bell Pepper 'Purple Top': indoors or direct sow?
🏠 Start indoors 8 weeks before your last spring frost, then move the seedlings outside.
Move seedlings outdoors only after all danger of frost has passed and the soil temperature is warm enough for peppers.
Soil, care & harvest
Prepare soil with a pH between 6.0 and 7.0, ensuring it warms up sufficiently before planting. As a warm-season crop, you must wait until after the last spring frost to move seedlings outdoors; do not sow directly in cold ground. Start seeds indoors roughly 8-10 weeks before your expected frost date. Sow seeds about 1/4 inch deep, expecting germination within 7 to 14 days.
Space plants 15 to 18 inches apart to ensure proper airflow and growth. Provide full sun for at least six hours daily. Water consistently to deliver one inch per week, keeping the soil moist but not waterlogged. Apply mulch around the base to retain moisture and feed the plant regularly during the fruiting stage.
Watch for aphids, flea beetles, pepper weevil, and cutworms; inspect leaves frequently and remove infestations early. Prevent bacterial spot, blossom end rot, and verticillium wilt by practicing crop rotation and maintaining even soil moisture. Harvest the fruit 70 to 75 days after transplanting when they reach full color and size.
When to Plant Bell Pepper 'Purple Top'
Planting windows vary by USDA hardiness zone. Look up yours by ZIP code.
| Zone | Start Indoors | Direct Sow | Harvest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 1 | May | — | September – August |
| Zone 2 | April – May | — | September |
| Zone 3 | April | — | August – October |
| Zone 4 | March – April | — | August – October |
| Zone 5 | March | — | August – October |
| Zone 6 | March | — | July – September |
| Zone 7 | February – March | — | July – September |
| Zone 8 | February | — | June – August |
| Zone 9 | January | — | May – July |
| Zone 10 | January | — | May – July |
| Zone 11 | January | — | April – June |
| Zone 12 | January | — | April – June |
| Zone 13 | January | — | April – June |
Companion Plants for Bell Pepper 'Purple Top'
✓ Good companions
Repels aphids, spider mites, and thrips while potentially improving pepper flavor
Help break up soil for pepper roots and don't compete for nutrients
Provides living mulch, conserves soil moisture, and harvested before peppers need full space
Repel nematodes, aphids, and whiteflies while attracting beneficial insects
Act as trap crops for aphids and cucumber beetles, protecting peppers
Repel aphids, spider mites, and other pests through their sulfur compounds
Repels pests like aphids and spider mites, and provides ground cover to retain moisture
Similar growing requirements and can share space efficiently, both benefit from same soil conditions
✗ Keep away from
Release juglone toxin that stunts pepper growth and can cause wilting
Compete for similar nutrients and may stunt pepper growth through root competition
Produces allelopathic compounds that inhibit pepper growth and development
Nutrition Facts
Per 100g serving (USDA FoodData Central)
