in normal years my peppers are as big or bigger than what is at the grocery. this year has been disappointing around this area ( st louis, mo ) my peppers have been small & lack flavor. my uncle near sprinfield illinois however has had a remarkable pepper & tomato crop this year. most of his peppers have been 1/2 bigger or more than average peppers

I never have had good record of growing bell peppers.
They had been poor producers and very small.

So this year I decided to plant other sweet peppers.
What the heck! Bell peppers sold in Asian markets here very cheap (mostly under $1/lb, while other sweet peppers sell for more than twice that price)
I bought couple of cubannel and gypsy sweet plants and planted them. Boy, they have been producing all summer and still going strong. I also like the flavor of non-bell sweet peppers better.

From what I have read and heard, it seems that bell peppers need special requiremens about soil Ph, night temperatures, fertilizing. Although they are warm weather crops, but prefer cooler nights; and not too much sun etc.

I am growing Fat N' Sassy hybrid bell peppers for the first time this season. They are great! Healthy, vigorous, no disease or pest issues. They not only produced quite heavily all season, but they taste great as well. They are just as big as the ones in the store. I have many pictures and posting regarding this pepper at the following link if you're interested. I would highly recommend these peppers. These have been the best bell peppers I have ever grown.

Here is a link that might be useful: Kim's Garden

Of course, both bells and non bells. Depending on cultivar bells may be smaller, same size or larger than supermarket. Big Bertha is larger \
{{gwi:113918}} Asis Super Heaviweight {{gwi:33350}} California Wonders are smaller http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/mm92/farmerdill/Veggies%202009/CalWonder1.jpg AS are Golden Belles {{gwi:19297}} Summer Sweet 8620, Crispy, Gator bell etc run about the same as supermarket size {{gwi:113919}} {{gwi:19295}}

This year I grew Big Early Hybrid. The peppers are more elongated, and less boxy than supermarket peppers, but this is the first year that I've managed to grow big, thick-walled peppers. They are about 8" long and 3-4" across the shoulders, tapering down to about 2" at the blossom end. I grow them in raised beds ammended with lots of goat manure.

I grow the best home grown sweet peppers in my area. Mine are always superior to the supermarket. This summer was too cool and damp, so mine are not up to speed. They are still better than what I can buy around here. I typically intend to grow what is listed below. We did not plant until circa June 7, due to cold weather and aching joints; and our supplier was out of Cal Wonder and Eneralg Giant plants.

California Wonder -- Jupiter Bell -- Purple Beauty

These will be smaller, but perfect shape for stuffing. They should feel heavy for the size before picking.

Emerald Giant -- Big Bertha

These get huge, but are not perfectly 'bell shaped.' I prefer the Emerald Giants because they tend to be more evenly shaped and occasionally will stand up on the blossom end. Both are good for cutting in long strips.

Sweet Cubanella

These look like pepperoncini, but are not hot. They will turn red if you have forever; which I do not. They have a savory/ nutty flavor and crispy texture that holds up to frying.

Sweet Hungarian Banana -- Gypsy

The Sweet bananas are more productive for mem we got a couple hundred. Gypsy have almost a bell shape and are maybe sweeter. We yielded about 50 of these. Had 4 plants each. Both are popular with slugs,

Pimiento

I get the spike shaped ones. They did not ripen well for me this year, but still have a great flavor when still green.
We got about 25 from 4 plants. Slugs ruined a dozen more.

Mild Anaheim Chilies

If you like a real slight zing with a lot of pepper flavor, these are great. We got more than 300 from just 4 plants.

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I still grow bells occasionally, but I agree with Cyprus - they are more temperamental than many of the non-bell sweet peppers.

To get the largest peppers, depending upon the blossom set, you might need to thin out the young peppers. I've grown "Big Bertha" fairly often... and since I grow almost no hybrid vegetables, that shows how much I like it. They are impressively large, and ripen surprisingly early. "Chocolate Beauty" is another of my favorites, the peppers are on the larger side, and bugs that attack the more brightly-colored peppers tend to leave them alone. These easily reach supermarket size, and I prefer their ripe flavor to red bells.

Don't know how it was in Cali, but this has been a bad year for bells in much of the country; nearly a record low here in Wisconsin for average Summer temperature. Hardly any peppers ripened for me, other than the ones in cages covered with spun polyester.

For the most part, I tend to grow non-bell sweet peppers. I tried "Cubanelle", and was impressed by the yield; but I prefer the thick-walled peppers. My favorite large pepper is "Greygo", a very large "cheese" type, which often exceeds 8 ounces. Fully ripe, they are as sweet as apples, which is how I eat them. Green, they are very firm, and lend real body to canned salsa. "Tennessee Cheese" comes in a close second, and unlike the heirloom "Greygo", is commercially available... but they are not as sweet.

My favorite "sweet" pepper ("Pizza") is actually listed by Territorial as a hot pepper, and it can be hot to varying degrees, if harvested in warm weather. But I've found its secret; it becomes a sweet pepper in cool weather. Unless I am growing it for seed, I plant it late, timing it so the green peppers will be full grown just before frost. Harvested at that time, they are completely sweet, extremely crunchy, and lack the "off" flavor of many green peppers - truly gourmet quality. If you have the climate to use this trick & try it, you will probably want to grow "Pizza" every year. The green peppers also have outstanding storage quality; they keep their crunch for up to a month in the fridge, and seldom develop mold internally, as most of my sweet peppers do.

My bell peppers came late due to inferior weather all spring and summer. Then I had a ton and they are still producing now but a bit slower.....please post recipes. I'm sick of stuff peppers. There are 12 in the crisper right now--what should I make?

Recipes: Try grilled strips with Beef Tips or Italian Beef. They are also good in Chili. We have so many, we chop them & blanch or sautee in olive oil, then freeze. I agree on the weather, we are in Zone 5. I had decent yields, but they are smaller. The Pimientoes did not ripen. Due to the recent damp weather, we had slug / garden snail issues. They drill pin size holes in the peppers. That can be cut around; but if they are left on the vine, bugs or mold gets in the hole and rots them.

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Hi,
I'm in the Kansas City area and I set out about 1,200 plants this year. Of the bells, I had:
purple bells - smallish
California Wonder-pretty good sized, mostly as big as the grocery store, some were smaller. But, I didn't water much and I only fertilized a couple of times. I was happy with the quality of the fruit and plants though. For the last month or so, I've been getting some great red bells from these plants.
Quadrato Asti Giallo - this is seed from Italy for a giant yellow bell. I was impressed with the size of the fruit.
Mini Orange Bell- cute little bell pepper, orange, about the size of a ping-pong ball. Cute little stuffers
Sweet Red Cherry -very prolific
Cubanelle - Very prolific and I had some very large ones and some that were average in size
Pimiento-this is an underused pepper. We used it in salads like one would use a red bell. It is just as sweet if not sweeter.
I know you said sweet peppers but I also grew hot peppers.
Anaheims - got some nice sized ones, mild heat
Serrano- a bit smallish but nice and warm
Red Cayenne - tons!
Bird pepper - tons!
Ancho/Poblano-disappointed with the size
Jalapeño - very prolific
Red Hot Cherry - very, very prolific
Black Hungarian - very prolific, very ornamental
Pasilla bajio - not very prolific but did get some nice-sized peppers
Hungarian Yellow Hot wax - nice flavor mixed sizes. Some were nice sized and some were so-so.
Sweet Yellow Banana - so-so size but prolific
Orange Habañero - late but now have a lot of them, don't know if the rest will make it to ripeness, we may get a touch of frost this weekend (dang it!).
I also had two other types of peppers I lost the labels. One was a long Italian frying-type. Nice sizes and I let some of them turn a nice, rich, red color. The other was an Italian or Greek pepperoncini but I let them get too big.

I was harvesting about 30 lbs of peppers a week. I probably have about 50 or 60 lbs out on plants right now but it is in the mid-50s right now, raining and getting progressively colder at night. Probably the last week for my peppers. But, this has been an incredible year for me and for my peppers sweet and hot both. I don't think I need to tell anyone here how rewarding it is to walk down your rows and see all of that delicious and beautiful fruit producing like gangbusters!

Wow!
Some of you guys have REAL green thumbs growing sweet peppers.
As I said before, I gave up on bell peppers. I discovered cubanell instead.
It just keeps producing, especially, since the night temperatures have dropped considerably and day temps are around low 80s. Jalapanos are doing great too. Now they get less hot, especially if picked younger. I have let a cubanell to get really red ripe. I am letting it to dry , hanging in my kitchen, for seeds next year.
Gypsy sweet is doing fine too, but nothing can beat cubanell.
cyrus

I didn't get my peppers in until late June due to weather and didn't think I would get much of a harvest, but I am picking bushels now and they are the best peppers I've ever grown.

marial 1214 I chop and freeze my peppers in snack size plastic bags, then use them in the winter for chilli, spaghetti sauce,etc. If your sick of stuffed peppers now, make them , bake half way, then freeze for winter.

I grew Golden Marconi peppers for the first time this year. They are the pepper for me I think, they are a sweet pepper, and were huge and prolific. I picked most of them before they were yellow, but they are very sweet when they get yellow.

My California wonder bells did good this year too. I had a few as big as the supermarket ones, they are all nice size though and heavy. This year was the first year I watered a few times with espsom salt water. I can't remember right now where I came to the idea that I needed it (thinking about fall bulbs now-not veggies!!, but it was my best pepper year ever.

The growing season is finished here but it was about 15% warmer than normal. That meant the peppers had a good season and made good size. They are easily as large as any in the supermarket.

I grow Whoppers and Peto most every year and, usually, the peppers are maybe just over half the size they got this time around. Nice what a little heat can do . . .

I also really like Marconi peppers and they can do just fine most any year. I wouldn't want to be without Italian sweets.

Steve

thank's evryone for your imput.
les matzek

All of your peppers look wonderful. My peppers didn't turn out so great. I planted yellow, red and orange and had a problem with them having much flavor. Also, while they were still green they started getting burnt spots on them. We still ate them in some stir fry though. Was wondering if any of you have any seeds for sweet peppers. I am looking for big sweet pepper seeds and also the mini sweet pepper seeds.
Thanks.
mspriggs

This was a box for the food pantry in 2008. Last year was not real good either; we had some blight. I would rate the last two years as mediocre. 2007 was a real good year; but I would have to look in an older 'puter to see if we took pics,

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My peppers seem to do well each year. I grow only sweet. My wife loves the red bells and eats one everyday for lunch. I have setteled on two varieties that we like- Monster Bells (Red) and Red Marconni. Of course, the Monster Bells can be used green before ripening. Also, I take the first bloom, usually a large bloom, off of the plant in the spring. Seems to help establish a stronger plant to support more peppers. Luke