How to Grow Bell Pepper 'Red Knight'
Capsicum annuum 'Red Knight'
Bell Pepper 'Red Knight' is a reliable warm-season variety prized for its excellent resistance to bacterial leaf spot and tobacco mosaic virus. Gardeners value this easy-to-grow plant not only for its productive yield but also because it thrives in containers as well as garden beds.
📷 Wikipedia: Capsicum annuumStarting Bell Pepper 'Red Knight': indoors or direct sow?
🌾 Sow directly in the garden — Bell Pepper 'Red Knight' is not usually started indoors.
As a warm-season crop, do not start indoors; instead, direct sow seeds or transplant seedlings only after the last frost has passed and soil temperatures have warmed sufficiently.
Soil, care & harvest
Prepare loose, fertile soil with a pH between 6.0 and 6.8 before starting seeds indoors. Sow the seeds 10 to 14 days before your last expected frost date, placing them about one-quarter inch deep. Germination typically occurs within two weeks, so keep the seedbed consistently moist during this period.
Space plants 18 to 24 inches apart in full sun to ensure proper air circulation. Provide consistent moisture, aiming for 1 to 1.5 inches of water weekly, and apply mulch around the base to retain soil temperature. Feed the plants regularly with a balanced fertilizer to support fruit development throughout the season.
Watch for aphids, spider mites, pepper weevil, and hornworms; inspect leaves frequently and use organic controls like insecticidal soap if needed. Prevent blossom end rot by maintaining even soil moisture. Harvest fruits 75 to 80 days after transplanting when they reach full color and firmness.
When to Plant Bell Pepper 'Red Knight'
Planting windows vary by USDA hardiness zone. Look up yours by ZIP code.
| Zone | Start Indoors | Direct Sow | Harvest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 1 | May | — | October – August |
| Zone 2 | April – May | — | September |
| Zone 3 | April | — | September – October |
| Zone 4 | March – April | — | August – October |
| Zone 5 | March | — | August – October |
| Zone 6 | March | — | August – October |
| Zone 7 | February – March | — | July – September |
| Zone 8 | February | — | July – September |
| Zone 9 | January | — | June – August |
| 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 'Red Knight'
✓ Good companions
Repels aphids, spider mites, and thrips while potentially improving pepper flavor
Help break up soil for pepper root development and don't compete for nutrients
Repel nematodes, aphids, and whiteflies with their strong scent
Act as trap crops for aphids and cucumber beetles while repelling whiteflies
Repel aphids, thrips, and other pests that commonly attack peppers
Deters pests like aphids and spider mites while attracting beneficial insects
Attracts beneficial insects like hoverflies and parasitic wasps that control pepper pests
Share similar growing conditions and can help shade pepper roots from intense sun
✗ Keep away from
Releases juglone toxin that causes wilting and stunted growth in peppers
Compete heavily for nutrients and may stunt pepper growth due to different soil pH preferences
Produces allelopathic compounds that inhibit pepper growth and development
Nutrition Facts
Per 100g serving (USDA FoodData Central)
