Pimento Pepper

Capsicum annuum

Also called pimiento, cherry pepper

ModerateGrows in pots

Pimento is a mild, sweet type of Capsicum annuum pepper that needs warm weather, a long season and full sun. Start seeds indoors six to eight weeks before the last frost.

Quick facts

Germination time: Not yet verified
Germination temperature: 27–32 °C81–90 °F
Sowing depth: 1.5 cm½ in
Spacing between plants: 46–61 cm1½–2 ft
Days to maturity: 100–120 days from sowing
Sun: Full sun

Safety for cats and dogs: not yet verified.

Compare with another seed How to grow it

By SeedBattle EditorsUpdated Oct 19, 2026

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01 · Overview

About pimento pepper

Pimento is a mild pepper in the Capsicum annuum species, which also includes many sweet and hot peppers. Its fruit is large, heart-shaped, thick-walled and sweet. Peppers are warm-season plants that grow slowly in cool weather. The wild form of this species is a woody perennial, but in the UK it is almost always grown as an annual because it is hard to keep alive over cool months.

Growing details

Start indoors: 6–8 weeks before the last frost
Sow outdoors: 2 weeks before the last frost
Water: Moderate
Containers: Yes, 19 L or largerYes, 5 gal or larger
Height: 0.5–1 m1½–3½ ft
Spread: 10–50 cm4–20 in
Frost tolerance: Not yet verified
Soil pH: pH 6.0–6.5
Life cycle: Not yet verified

Sowing timeline

When to sow pimento pepper seeds

Counted from your area's average last spring frost date. Find yours from a local weather service or garden center, then count back or forward.

Start indoors6–8 weeks before the last frost

Sow outdoors2 weeks before the last frost

Days to maturity100–120 days from sowing

Germination temperature: 27–32 °C81–90 °F

02 · How to grow

How to grow pimento pepper from seed

Start seeds indoors six to eight weeks before the last chance of frost, and do not set plants outside until after that date. Plant seeds about ½ inch (1.3 cm) deep, though another seed grower suggests ¼ inch (6 mm). Seed can also go straight into the garden about 2 weeks before the last frost. Pepper seeds germinate very slowly in cool soil, so aim for soil temperatures of 80 to 90 °F (27 to 32 °C) if you can. Set out transplants that are 6 to 8 weeks old once the soil has warmed. Plants set out before the soil reaches 65 °F (18 °C) tend to stall.

Choose a spot in full sun that gets at least six hours of direct sun a day. Use well-drained loamy or sandy loam soil and aim for a pH between 6.0 and 6.5. Space plants 18 to 24 inches (46 to 61 cm) apart in the row.

03 · Care

Caring for pimento pepper

Watering. Keep the soil uniformly moist during fruiting and do not let it dry out between waterings. ISU suggests about an inch (2.5 cm) of water per week. Other recommendations give 1 to 2 inches (2.5 to 5 cm) per week, applied deeply and infrequently.

Feeding. Peppers need moderate amounts of fertilizer, so base your plan on a soil test. A lot of leaves with few flowers or fruit can mean too much nitrogen.

Support and heat. Stems can be brittle, so support plants with cages or short trellises. Very hot weather, especially evenings above 75 °F (24 °C), can slow or stop fruit production.

At a glance

How pimento pepper compares with other vegetables

Worked out from the growing facts of the 79 seeds in Vegetables on SeedBattle.

Pimento Pepper
Each of the other vegetables
Their average

See all vegetables

Days to maturityTakes longer than average
100–120 days from sowing
Average for vegetables: 62 days, from 17 other seeds
Germination temperatureWarmer than average
27–32 °C81–90 °F
Average for vegetables: 22 °C72 °F, from 38 other seeds
Sowing depthDeeper than average
1.5 cm½ in
Average for vegetables: 1 cm½ in, from 58 other seeds
Spacing between plantsWider than average
46–61 cm1½–2 ft
Average for vegetables: 34 cm13 in, from 43 other seeds
HeightShorter than average
0.5–1 m1½–3½ ft
Average for vegetables: 94 cm3 ft, from 57 other seeds

04 · Problems

Common pimento pepper problems

Blossom end rot. This fruit rot is caused by a calcium shortage in the plant, and uneven watering makes it more likely. Keeping the soil uniformly moist helps prevent it.

Diseases. Bacterial wilt and bacterial leaf spot are the two most troublesome diseases of peppers in home gardens. Avoid planting peppers, tomatoes, eggplant or potatoes in the same spot more often than once every three years.

Insects. Aphids, thrips and caterpillars can be a problem. In small gardens, caterpillars can be picked off by hand.

05 · Harvest

Harvesting pimento pepper

Pick sweet peppers when they reach full size and the walls are firm. Fully colored peppers are sweeter than green ones. Cut the stems rather than pulling, since the branches break easily.

06 · Storage

Storing pimento pepper

Store peppers in the refrigerator at 45 to 50 °F (7 to 10 °C) and 80 to 90 percent humidity for two to three weeks.

Pimento Pepper questions

How long do pimento pepper seeds take to germinate?

No source gives a number of days. Pepper seeds germinate very slowly in cool soil, so warm soil helps, and one seed grower suggests 80 to 90 °F (27 to 32 °C) where possible.