Sweet pepper

capsicum annuum

Sweet pepper. Sourced figures stay next to their citation. Planting windows are listed for locations that have one. Unsourced fields say coming soon.

Unverified — based on HORDI Crop - Capsicum, Department of Agriculture Sri Lanka, accessed 2026-10-20: https://doa.gov.lk/hordi-crop-capsicum/; confirm for your microclimate.

Spacing

In-row spacing: coming soon
Between-row spacing: coming soon

Other sourced figures

Days to first harvest, minimum stored: 75 days
Soil pH: 5.5–6.8

From farmer field experience

Based on hands-on growing experience from Sri Lankan farmers. Not yet verified against official sources.

Nursery days: 21 days: Nursery days before transplanting.; Farmer field notenoted Oct 2026
Days to first harvest: 75–90 days: Days after transplanting. The HORDI page states 75 days as the stored minimum and does not state 90.; Farmer field notenoted Oct 2026
Harvest window: 45–60 days: Picking period.; Farmer field notenoted Oct 2026
In-row spacing: HYW and LYW: 15–30 cm in the row. CA-8: 40 cm in the row. The HORDI page states HYW/LYW 15 × 30 cm and CA-8 40 × 40 cm and does not say which side is the row.: HYW and LYW: 15–30 cm in the row. CA-8: 40 cm in the row. The HORDI page states HYW/LYW 15 × 30 cm and CA-8 40 × 40 cm and does not say which side is the row.; Farmer field notenoted Oct 2026
Between-row spacing: HYW and LYW: 30 cm between rows. CA-8: 40 cm between rows.: HYW and LYW: 30 cm between rows. CA-8: 40 cm between rows.; Farmer field notenoted Oct 2026
Container volume: 10–15 L: One plant. The container planner uses 10 L, the low end, as the minimum.; Farmer field notenoted Oct 2026
Container diameter: 25 cm: Pot diameter about 25 cm.; Farmer field notenoted Oct 2026
Container depth: 30 cm: Pot depth about 30 cm.; Farmer field notenoted Oct 2026
Plants per container: 1: One plant in that pot.; Farmer field notenoted Oct 2026

Market months

Prices vary by week, market, and year. This is not financial advice.

Based on hands-on growing experience from Sri Lankan farmers. Not yet verified against official sources.

Higher prices: October–January
Rain diseases cut yields.
Farmer field notenoted Oct 2026
Higher prices: May–June
Rain diseases cut yields.
Farmer field notenoted Oct 2026
Lower prices: February–April
Rain diseases cut yields.
Farmer field notenoted Oct 2026
Lower prices: August–September
Rain diseases cut yields.
Farmer field notenoted Oct 2026

Planting windows

Colombo — Low Country Wet Zone

Year round: Year round
Transplant
Using 75 stored days. First harvest is about 75 days after planting. Calculated from the stored day count and the planting month. It is not a separate harvest calendar. Farmer field experience. Using 75–90 stored days. First harvest is about 75–90 days after planting. Calculated from the stored day count and the planting month. It is not a separate harvest calendar.
HORDI says capsicum can be cultivated in most agro-ecological zones throughout the year, with supplementary irrigation in dry periods. The same Planting section also lists Yala as April and May and Maha as November and December, and says it can be cultivated throughout the year under irrigation or rain shelters. Those two pairs are not stored as extra windows because the year-round statement already fills every month.
Unverified — based on HORDI Crop - Capsicum, Department of Agriculture Sri Lanka, accessed 2026-10-20: https://doa.gov.lk/hordi-crop-capsicum/; confirm for your microclimate.

When to plant Sweet pepper in Colombo