Pepper ripening problem - Ask Extension
Hi
I have tried growing sweet and hot peppers in my garden but often times the fruit remains green and doesn’t ripen fully. Is this a nutrient def...
Knowledgebase
Pepper ripening problem #923572
Asked January 13, 2026, 11:31 AM EST
Hi
I have tried growing sweet and hot peppers in my garden but often times the fruit remains green and doesn’t ripen fully. Is this a nutrient deficiency or something else? Its not due to obvious plant disease or insect problem. Thx
Montgomery County Maryland
Expert Response
Hi- that can be frustrating. Here are some of the factors that can delay/inhibit ripening:
Insufficient light/plant crowding; environmental stressors like high temperatures and drought; varietal characteristics (long days to harvest or naturally slow to ripen), and low fertility (although if plants are growing well this is probably not an issue. You may want to look for faster-maturing varieties. Reducing the total number of fruits on the plant could also hasten ripening.
Peppers generally don't change color and ripen after harvest, although hot peppers will soften and ripen some if picked at a fully mature green stage.
Many gardeners and farmers in MD are finding that pepper fruiting is inhibited mid-summer due to high day and evening temps, with the bulk of the harvest coming in Sept. and Oct.
Jon
Insufficient light/plant crowding; environmental stressors like high temperatures and drought; varietal characteristics (long days to harvest or naturally slow to ripen), and low fertility (although if plants are growing well this is probably not an issue. You may want to look for faster-maturing varieties. Reducing the total number of fruits on the plant could also hasten ripening.
Peppers generally don't change color and ripen after harvest, although hot peppers will soften and ripen some if picked at a fully mature green stage.
Many gardeners and farmers in MD are finding that pepper fruiting is inhibited mid-summer due to high day and evening temps, with the bulk of the harvest coming in Sept. and Oct.
Jon
