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Sweet Red Pepper Varieties for Illinois Gardens

Any bell pepper turns red and sweetens when fully ripe. Reliable varieties: 'California Wonder', 'Karma', 'Sweet Rainbow'. For roasting: 'Carmen', 'Godfather', 'Giant Marconi'—all mature red and sweet.

Selection Tips

Check days-to-maturity for your season length.
Park Seed, Burpee, Johnny's, Harris Seed have good selections.
Peppers need warm soil—transplant 2 weeks post-frost.

Green bells are just unripe reds.

Growing Vegetables: Why Are My Onions Too Hot? Choosing Sweet Varieties; Why Hot Peppers Lack Heat: Water, Soil, and Timing; Understanding Jalapeño Ripening: Green to Red and Heat Increase; Mild Cayenne Peppers: Seed Mix-Up or Growing Conditions?; Canning Sweet Peppers: Vinegar Pickle Method; Freezing Hot Peppers and Roasting Sunflower Seeds; Identifying Volunteer Peppers vs. Weeds: The Nightshade Lookalike Problem; To Pinch or Not to Pinch Pepper Flowers: Natural Approach; When to Harvest Tomatoes and Peppers for Best Flavor; Growing Sweet Peppers: A Quick Guide

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