North Georgia
Use approximately April 15–June 15, about two weeks later than Middle Georgia.
Georgia sweet-pepper growing guide
Growing Peppers in Georgia
Sweet peppers need warm soil, full sun, steady moisture and enough season to move from green fruit to mature color—without duplicating the dedicated hot-pepper guide.
Warm-season essentials at a glance
Georgia Pepper Quick Facts
Start
Set healthy transplants after frost danger; peppers are not a cold-soil crop.
Sun
Give plants full sun while protecting fruit with a healthy leaf canopy.
Moisture
Keep moisture reasonably even to reduce stress and calcium-uptake problems.
Harvest
Pick sweet peppers green or allow them to reach their mature cultivar color.
PLANT BY REGION
When to Plant Peppers in Georgia
Plant only after frost danger when soil and nighttime conditions support warm-season growth.
Middle Georgia
Use April 1–June 1.
South Georgia
Use approximately March 18–May 18, about two weeks earlier than Middle Georgia.
These windows apply UGA’s published two-week spring regional adjustment to its pepper row in the UGA Home Gardening planting chart.
Choose fruit shape and kitchen use
Sweet Pepper Types for Georgia Gardens
Bell peppers
Blocky fruits can be harvested green or left to mature to their cultivar's final color.
Banana and wax peppers
These elongated peppers range from sweet to pungent, so read the cultivar description rather than judging by shape alone.
Frying and specialty sweets
Long, thin-walled and other sweet types broaden the harvest without turning this page into the separate hot-pepper guide.
Build roots before summer extremes
How to Grow Sweet Peppers
Soil
Use fertile, well-drained soil and a soil test rather than guessing at amendments.
Spacing
UGA's chart uses about 1½–2 feet between plants in 2½-foot rows.
Mulch
Mulch after soil warms to buffer moisture and limit soil splash.
Support
Stake or cage plants when heavy fruit or weather could bend branches.
Warm-weather peppers can still drop flowers during temperature extremes.
Protect the root zone with steady moisture and avoid assuming more fertilizer will fix weather-related fruit-set interruptions. Healthy plants can resume setting fruit when conditions improve.
Protect fruit quality without guessing
Common Pepper Problems in Georgia
Blossom-end rot
Dark tissue at the blossom end reflects disrupted calcium uptake, often associated with uneven moisture—not simply a need to add calcium.
Sunscald
Fruit exposed after canopy loss can develop pale, damaged areas. Preserve healthy foliage and avoid unnecessary heavy pruning.
Insects and disease
Scout for aphids, flea beetles and disease symptoms. Maintain airflow, rotate away from other nightshades and identify problems before treatment.
Peppers are largely self-pollinating. Companion choices should preserve sun, airflow and root space; tomatoes, eggplant and potatoes are not a true rotation because all are nightshades.
Green fruit can be mature enough to eat
Harvesting Sweet Peppers
Harvest firm, usable peppers green or wait for the cultivar's mature color and fuller flavor. Cut fruit rather than twisting brittle branches, and pick repeatedly to keep the crop moving.
Grow → Harvest → Cook: Carry sweet peppers into the protected recipes below, then browse the Georgia Garden Recipe Finder.
From Georgia garden to kitchen
Pepper Recipes
Stuffed Bell Peppers
Bell pepper halves packed with seasoned meat, rice, sautéed onion, garlic, tomatoes and cheddar.
Ingredients
- 4 large bell peppers, halved and seeds removed
- 1 pound ground beef or turkey
- 1 cup cooked rice
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 can (14 ounces) diced tomatoes, drained
- 1 cup black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup corn kernels
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- Fresh cilantro for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
- In a skillet, cook ground beef or turkey until browned. Drain excess fat.
- Add chopped onion and minced garlic to the skillet, sauté until softened.
- Stir in cooked rice, diced tomatoes, black beans, corn, cumin, chili powder, salt, and pepper.
- Place bell pepper halves in a baking dish.
- Spoon the meat and rice mixture into each pepper half.
- Top each stuffed pepper with shredded cheddar cheese.
- Cover with foil and bake for 25-30 minutes, then uncover and bake for an additional 10 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Garnish with fresh cilantro before serving.
Roasted Red Pepper Hummus
Chickpea hummus blended with roasted red peppers, tahini, garlic and olive oil.
Ingredients
- 1 can (15 ounces) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 2 roasted red peppers (store-bought or homemade)
- 1/4 cup tahini
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Paprika for garnish
- Pita bread or vegetable sticks for serving
Instructions
- In a food processor, combine chickpeas, roasted red peppers, tahini, minced garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, cumin, salt, and pepper.
- Blend until smooth and creamy.
- Adjust the seasoning to taste.
- Transfer the Roasted Red Pepper Hummus to a serving bowl.
- Drizzle with a little extra olive oil and sprinkle with paprika.
- Serve with pita bread or vegetable sticks.
Sheet-Pan Sausage and Peppers
Colorful garden peppers and onions roast alongside Italian sausage for an easy, caramelized sheet-pan supper.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds Italian sausage links, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
- 4 large bell peppers in mixed colors, seeded and cut into wide strips
- 1 large yellow onion, cut into wedges
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 425°F and line a large rimmed sheet pan with parchment or lightly oil it.
- Place the sausage, pepper strips and onion wedges on the pan. Add the olive oil, garlic, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper and toss until evenly coated.
- Spread everything into a single layer, leaving space between the pieces for browning.
- Roast for 18 minutes, turn the sausage and vegetables, then roast for 12 to 17 minutes more. The peppers should be tender with browned edges and the sausage must reach 160°F in the center.
- Drizzle with red wine vinegar, toss once more and serve hot.
Garden note: Avoid crowding the pan. Divide the mixture between two pans if necessary so the vegetables roast instead of steaming.
Continue your Georgia garden
Keep Exploring GA Garden
Continue with hot peppers, tomatoes, eggplant, Companion Planting and Harvesting Guides.