VegetablePepper
Mini Bell Red Pepper
Mini Bell Red Pepper is a compact, prolific cultivar of Capsicum annuum that brings full-sized pepper flavor to smaller spaces. These thumb-sized peppers mature from green to bright red in just 60 to 69 days from transplant, reaching their sweet, heat-free peak when fully colored. Growing on bushy plants that top out around 24 inches tall, this variety thrives in full sun across hardiness zones 4 through 13, making it accessible to gardeners in nearly every climate. The smooth, firm-skinned fruits are only about 1.5 inches wide and tall, yet pack the genuine bell pepper taste that makes them as useful in the kitchen as they are beautiful in the garden.
Photo © True Leaf Market
Growing Conditions
USDA Zone
4-13
Sunlight
Full Sun
Water
Moderate
Soil
Well-drained, Fertile Loam With Organic Matter
Growth Stats
24 in
Height
TypeUpright
Spacing
18
Plant Profile
Sunlight
Full Sun
Water
Moderate
Zones
4-13
Size
24in H x ?in W
Growth
—
Care
High
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Highlights
At just 1.5 inches wide and tall, Mini Bell Red Peppers deliver genuine bell pepper sweetness in a package that's almost impossibly cute. A single 24-inch plant produces an abundance of peppers throughout the season, turning from green to glossy red as they mature. The smooth, firm skin and complete lack of heat make these peppers accessible and appealing to every palate, from children tasting homegrown vegetables for the first time to seasoned cooks looking for something unexpected to stuff, roast, or snack on raw.
Common Uses
These petite peppers shine in dishes where their small size and sweet flavor are assets rather than drawbacks. Stuff them whole for elegant appetizers or side dishes, roast them as a sweet, tender addition to vegetable medleys, or slice them raw into salads and platters where their jewel-like red color catches the eye. Kids often gravitate toward them as finger-friendly snacks straight from the garden.
Growing Timeline
No timeline data available yet for this variety.
Care Instructions
Start Indoors
Start seeds indoors 6 to 8 weeks before your last spring frost date. Sow seeds 1/4 inch deep in warm, moist seed-starting mix and maintain soil temperatures between 70 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit for best germination, which typically occurs within 7 to 14 days.
Transplant Outdoors
Harden off seedlings over 7 to 10 days by gradually exposing them to outdoor conditions, then transplant outdoors once soil temperatures reach at least 60 degrees Fahrenheit and all danger of frost has passed. Space plants 18 inches apart in full sun, with 36 inches between rows.
Harvesting
Mini Bell Red Peppers are ready to harvest when they've fully transitioned from green to bright red and feel firm to the touch, typically 60 to 69 days after transplanting. Cut peppers from the plant using pruning shears rather than tugging them off by hand, which can damage the branches. You can harvest peppers at the green stage if needed, but allowing them to fully ripen to red develops their sweetest flavor. Plants remain productive throughout the season, so regular harvesting encourages continued flowering and fruiting.
Growing Calendar
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Companion Planting
Pests & Diseases
Ecology & Traits
Edible
Scientific Classification
Capsicum annuum
Family
Solanaceae
Genus
Capsicum
Growth Habit
Upright
Native Status
L48 (NI)HI (I)PR (I)VI (I)