Pepper Seeds - Sweet - Orange King Bell
85 Days to maturity (from transplant). Capsicum annuum. Orange King Bell Pepper Seeds. Non-GMO, annual, open-pollinated, heirloom, drought tolerant, high-yielding, sweet pepper with no heat. 0 Scoville Heat Units. Suitable for growing in containers, garden plots, raised beds, and greenhouses. Orange King is the color of a bright orange sunrise. Its walls are thick, juicy, and sweet. Orange King produces a nice blocky 4-inch sweet pepper. ~3,360 seeds/oz.
Download Free Vegetable Growing Guide PDF
Growing Orange King Bell Peppers in the Vegetable Garden
To grow your Orange King Bell peppers, prepare your seed starting trays and plant the seeds. Start the process about 6-8 weeks before your last spring frost date. Plant the seeds in either a well-draining soil or in a seed starting mix like Minute Soil Coco Clair. The pH of the soil should be about 6.5. The seeds should be planted about 0.25 inches deep. Make sure the soil stays moist, but don’t overwater your seeds. You can stick your pinky into the soil to see if it is dry below the surface. If it is, then give your plants a little water, but make sure you don’t overwater them. Plant the seeds in this soil in a seed starting tray and keep it in a very warm area, somewhere around 80-90 F. You can use a grow light to keep this area warmer. The seedlings should emerge within 7-10 days. After they are a few inches tall, you can plant them in the garden or in planters! Plant them 12-18 inches apart, and space your rows about 2-3 feet apart. Bury the roots completely in the soil. Be sure not to plant hot peppers and sweet peppers close together, as this can lead to cross-pollination!
There are several things you can do to make sure your Orange King Bell peppers grow well. Make sure that you water your plants consistently, especially during dry periods. Sprinkling mulch around the base of the plant can help retain moisture and can also help with suppressing weeds. To help your plants grow, you can try giving them fertilizer full of phosphorus and calcium. Be sure to follow the instructions on your fertilizer and not over-fertilize them. Don't forget to give your plants a little support with stakes or trellises to keep them standing tall as they start to grow fruit. Try companion planting with crops like marigolds and basil. This can help keep pests away and attract pollinators to your garden. Keep an eye out for pests or diseases and make sure to address them immediately if you see signs.
Harvesting Orange King Bell Peppers
These peppers are full size when they’ve grown to about 4 inches in diameter. They will be a bright orange, and they should have a somewhat glossy sheen. They’ll be ripe somewhere around 85 after transplanting. When the peppers have grown to their full size and color, you can harvest them with garden shears or a knife by cutting off the peppers, leaving a small stem on the pepper. Be sure to be gentle with the plant so you don’t damage the plant and it can keep producing fruit. Because this is a sweet variety, try not to harvest them too early, because they won’t have their full sweet flavor. Also try to avoid leaving them on the plant for too long, because overripe peppers might be a little bit bitter. Store them in a cool and dry place.
About Orange King Bell Pepper Garden Seeds
Bell peppers originated in Central and South America. They were bred for their large size and sweet flavor. They spread to the rest of the world through the Columbian Exchange in the 15th and 16th century.
These peppers are high-yielding and drought tolerant.
These peppers are suitable for growing in containers, garden plots, raised beds, and greenhouses.
Tips From Our Gardeners
"These peppers grow to about 4 inches wide. They have thick, juicy, and sweet flesh.They are great stuffing peppers and are also tasty raw for dipping or in salads."
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- Chelsea Hafer, True Leaf Market Writer |
Other Resources
Orange King Bell Pepper Seeds Per Package:
- 250 mg - Approximately 30 Seeds
- 1 oz - Approximately 3,360 Seeds
- 4 oz - Approximately 16,800 Seeds
Non-GMO Orange King Bell Pepper seeds are available for Fast Free Shipping on qualifying orders.
Basic Info
| Latin Name: | Capsicum annuum |
| Pepper Type: | Sweet - These peppers (think Bell Peppers) are almost all at 0 on the Scoville Scale, meaning that they have no heat at all. A handful of sweet peppers do register very low on the Scoville scale but are still classed as sweet peppers. For example, Pepperoncinis are sweet peppers but usually rank around 100 to 500 on the Scoville Scale. |
| Orange King Bell Pepper Color: | Orange |
| Orange King Bell Pepper Flavor: | Sweet |
Growing Info
| Hardiness Zone: | 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 Technically a tender perennial, but commonly grown as an annual. Perennial in zones 10 and 11. |
| Days to Maturity: | 85 (from transplant) |
| Days to Germination: | 7-10 |
| Seeding Depth: | 0.25 inch |
| Plant Spacing: | 12-24 inches |
| Row Spacing: | 24-36 inches |
| Plant Height: | 18-24 inches |
| Growth Habit: | Upright |
| Soil Preference: | Well-draining, loose (sandy loam), slightly acidic (6.5 pH), and moisture retaining. Too much nitrogen in the soil may lead to more foliage production and less fruiting, similar to tomatoes. Peppers also need sufficient amounts of phosphorus and calcium. We recommend using a balanced fertilizer for the best results. |
| Temperature Preference: | Warmer (70-85 F). During high heat, foliar and flower development slow or pause until temperatures return to the preferred range. |
| Light Preference: | Full Sun |
Other
| Direct Sow: | No |
| Start Indoors: | Yes. Start Indoors 6-8 weeks before your last spring frost date. Harden off and transplant when seedlings are 6-8 inches tall. Bury the stem slightly deeper than the root ball. Avoid planting hot and sweet peppers right next to each other, as they can cross-pollinate, potentially affecting the flavors of your harvested peppers. |
| Pepper Pollination: | Peppers have perfect flowers (male and female parts) and will self-pollinate. However, wind and pollinator activity may increase success rates of fertilization and fruit production. |
| Plant Width: | 18-24 inches |
| Deer Resistant: | No |
| Scoville Heat Units: | 0 |
| Heat Level: | Sweet - Peppers with no heat. 0-99 on the Scoville Scale. |
| Growth Speed: | Mid - Ready for harvest around 76 to 90 days from transplant. |
| Germination Temperature: | 80-90 F |
| Pests and Diseases: | Peppers are commonly susceptible to cutworms, aphids, flea beetles, bacterial spot, Phytophthora, sunscald, and blossom end rot. To avoid or reduce problems with pests and diseases, stick to a regular watering schedule (drip irrigation is preferred), plant into well-draining soils, and utilize practices such as crop rotation. When taking pest control measures, consider utilizing integrated pest management principles by using mechanical removal, biological control, and other cultural practices before turning to chemical agents. |
| Garden Size: | Greenhouse, Garden Plot, Raised Bed, Containers |
| Pepper Use: | Stuffed, stir fry, salads |
| Climate Tolerance: | Drought Tolerant |