Growing guide
How to grow capsicum
A polyhouse crop in the plains: long season, premium coloured fruit, high skill and capital.
At a glance
- Planting window
- Polyhouse: transplant August – September for a crop into May
- Duration
- 8–9 months in a polyhouse
- Climate
- 18–25 °C by day, 16–18 °C at night
- Soil
- Raised beds of well-drained loam or soilless media; pH 6–7
- Water need
- Moderate
- Seed
- About 10,000–12,000 plants per acre of polyhouse
- Yield
- Roughly 25–35 tonnes per acre of polyhouse over a long season.
What to do, and when
Dates assume planting around 25 Aug. Change the plan to shift them.
- 5–6 weeks before — Raise seedlings in plugs: Inside the polyhouse nursery.
- 1–3 weeks before — Solarise and prepare beds: Drip and mulch.
- Day 0 — Transplant: Paired rows.
- Month 2 — Train to 2–4 stems: On strings.
- Months 1–9 — Daily fertigation: EC and pH checks.
- Months 3–9 — Harvest weekly: Coloured fruit at 80% colour.
Varieties to consider
Buy certified seed or planting material from an authorised source.
- Green hybrids (e.g. Indra) — Hardier; lower price than coloured.
- Red and yellow polyhouse hybrids — Premium price; need high management.
Water
- Daily drip fertigation by stage and weather.
- Never let it go short at: Flowering · Fruit colouring
- Drip irrigation suits this crop.
Pests and diseases to watch
Prevent first; spray only when needed, with a product registered for the crop, at label dose.
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What would you like to do next?
Where these numbers come from
- Common grower practice in north India Widely followed by farmers; confirm with your KVK for your block.
- Agriculture Novel indicative estimate A planning number, not a quote. Replace it with your own costs and your mandi’s price.
