CropsSweet Pepper › California Wonder

California Wonder
Sweet Pepper in the UK

This is your go-to proper blocky red pepper, a real classic for the allotment. It's a solid maincrop choice that always delivers a cracking yield.

Big yieldsStoringBeginners
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Sow Plant out Harvest

Sow window for Sweet Pepper generally.

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How to grow it

Sow seeds indoors in February or March, like I say, they need warmth to get going. Pop them into small pots or modules, about 1cm deep. A propagator or a warm spot near a radiator, aiming for 18-25°C, is ideal to kick them off. If you've got grow lights, even better, keeps 'em from getting leggy. You can always pick up plug plants later if you miss this window, mind. Just remember, these aren't for direct sowing outside, not up here in the North East anyway.

Once they've got a couple of true leaves, prick them out gently into their own 9cm pots. Keep 'em warm, minimum 15°C, they're not keen on the cold. Don't rush them outside, they're tender things. Wait until all danger of frost is gone, usually mid to late May up here, and harden them off proper for a week or two. Then they can go into the greenhouse, poly tunnel, or a very sheltered spot outside. Give 'em about 45-60cm spacing and they'll need some support, like a cane, as they grow. Some varieties are great for containers too, especially if your space is a bit tight.

Full Sweet Pepper guide →

More Sweet Pepper varieties

Track your Sweet Pepper from packet to plate

Sowing reminders and harvest forecasts for your own frost dates, the Seed Tin, Scan Centre for any label or packet, and the Potty Mouth Garden Club. Free to start.

Tony C Smith
Tony C Smith

Allotment keeper in the North East of England, the voice behind the Tony C Smith YouTube channel, and the gardener who built GrowMore CookMore. Club numbers on this page update as members log their plots. Last updated 3 September 2026.