When to sow Sweet pepper in the UK
Across the UK the first sowing of sweet pepper falls 11 weeks apart — early January in the mildest areas, late March in the coldest. That gap is why a single national sowing date is wrong for almost everybody.
Sowing and harvest dates by region
Timings below are adjusted from the midlands and lowland wales baseline using Met Office average last and first frost dates for each area.
| Where you are | Sow indoors | Plant out | Harvest |
|---|---|---|---|
| South West Coast and Cornwall | early January to late February | mid April to early May | early June to late August |
| South Coast and Channel | mid January to early March | late April to mid May | mid June to early September |
| Greater London (Urban Heat Island) | early January to late February | mid April to early May | early June to late August |
| South East and Home Counties | late January to late March | early May to late May | late June to mid September |
| East Anglia | early February to late March | mid May to early June | early July to late September |
| Midlands and Lowland Wales | mid February to early April | late May to mid June | mid July to early October |
| Wales and West Coast | late January to late March | early May to late May | late June to mid September |
| Northern England | late February to mid April | late May to mid June | mid July to early October |
| Scotland Lowlands and Central Belt | late February to mid April | early June to late June | late July to mid October |
| Scotland Highlands and Islands | late March to early May | late June to mid July | mid August to early November |
| Northern Ireland | early February to late March | mid May to early June | early July to late September |
| Channel Islands and Isle of Man | early January to late February | mid April to early May | late May to late August |
About the earliest indoor dates
The indoor sowing dates shift with your local last frost, because that is what decides when the seedling can go outside. Under glass, though, the limiting factor is daylight rather than frost. In the mildest regions the table pulls this sowing back into midwinter, and a UK windowsill in January has neither the light nor the day length to raise a sturdy plant — you get pale, drawn seedlings that never catch up. Unless you are growing under supplementary lighting, treat mid February as the practical earliest sowing for sweet pepper however mild your area.
Growing notes
Sow indoors mid-February to early March for plants grown under glass, or late March to early April for outdoor plants; they need 18-21C to germinate. Peppers crop far more reliably in a greenhouse or polytunnel than outdoors in most of the UK.
At a glance
- Spacing
- 40 cm between plants
- Row spacing
- 45 cm
- Plants per m²
- 5
- Days to maturity
- 120 days
- Yield per plant
- 1.0 kg
- Sun
- Full sun
- Frost tender
- Yes — do not plant out until after the last frost
- Grows in a container
- Yes, 30 litres or more
- Minimum soil depth
- 30 cm
- Balcony rating
- 4 out of 5
What usually goes wrong
- blossom end rot
- aphids
- grey mould
- glasshouse red spider mite
- glasshouse whitefly
Companion planting
Grows well near
Keep away from
Related guides
Timings cross-checked against RHS guidance for sweet pepper.