Sweet peppers need warmth at every stage: nights above 12°C before they can go outside, and steady temperatures above 15°C to grow well. A Scottish summer rarely gives them that outdoors, so here peppers are a greenhouse or polytunnel crop, and the best variety is the one that makes the most of your space under glass.
Quick answer
Redskin is the best all-round pick: compact at 45cm and sized for a container. Mohawk for the smallest space, Corno di Toro Rosso for big fruit if you have the room, Bianca for disease resistance, Topepo Rosso for stuffing, and Jolly Giallo for yellow peppers.
Space under glass
With peppers under glass, bench space is what limits you. Most varieties need 38–45cm each, while compact ones such as Redskin and Mohawk can go in at 30cm, which fits noticeably more plants on a bench or in a run of growing bags. Our pepper growing guide covers sowing, feeding and harvesting.
The varieties
Four of these hold the RHS Award of Garden Merit (AGMThe RHS's Award of Garden Merit: a UK-wide trials award for reliable performance, not a Scotland-specific recommendation. Full definition →), a UK-wide award rather than a Scottish one: Redskin, Mohawk, Corno di Toro Rosso and Topepo Rosso. The RHS also recommends Jolly Giallo and Bianca. None has been trialled in Scotland.
| Variety | Fruit | Height | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Redskin | Blocky, about 8cm, green ripening red | 45cm | An all-round compact choice |
| Mohawk | Bell-shaped, 9–10cm, dark green ripening yellow or orange | 50cm, dwarf, semi-trailing | A single patio pot |
| Corno di Toro Rosso | Tapering, up to 25cm, thin skin | 60cm | Big fruit, if you have bench space |
| Bianca | Large bell, cream ripening scarlet | 60cm | Disease resistance; a sunny greenhouse |
| Topepo Rosso | Round pimento type, 7–8cm, blood red | 60cm | Stuffing |
| Jolly Giallo | Square, 12cm, golden yellow | 50cm | Yellow peppers |
| Gypsy | Conical, pale green ripening red | 50cm | An early crop, under glass |
Redskin
Redskin is compact at about 45cm, with blocky fruit around 8cm that ripens from green to red. It suits a single container or growing bag, which makes it the easiest all-round choice.
Mohawk
Mohawk is a true dwarf with a semi-trailing habit, made for a patio pot, a windowsill or one corner of a greenhouse.
Corno di Toro Rosso
Corno di Toro Rosso grows long, tapering, thin-skinned fruit up to 25cm on a 60cm plant. It needs bench space and cane support as it grows.
Bianca
Bianca resists tobacco mosaic virus, and its dense foliage shields the fruit from sunscald, a real problem for peppers ripening in a sunny greenhouse. Its large bell fruit ripens from cream to scarlet. It can be troubled by cutworms, flea beetles and bacterial spot.
Topepo Rosso
Topepo Rosso is an Italian heirloom with round, pimento-type fruit and very thick, crisp flesh, the one for stuffing. Pinch it out at about 20cm rather than the usual 30cm.
Jolly Giallo
Jolly Giallo is the yellow one: square, fleshy, golden fruit about 12cm, cropping from July to October.
Gypsy
Gypsy crops early, which helps in a short season. It's also rated a little hardier than the others: H2, down to about 1°C, against their H1CThe RHS's H1a–H7 scale for how much cold a plant can survive outdoors, H1a being tender indoor-only and H7 hardy anywhere in the UK. Full definition →, 5–10°C. It still needs warm conditions to do well, so don't expect that early crop outdoors or in a cold greenhouse.
Pests and problems
Aphids and glasshouse whitefly gather on shoot tips and under leaves. Red spider mite and grey mould are the other greenhouse problems to watch for, and blossom end rot comes from irregular watering rather than a pest.
Common questions
What's the best pepper variety for a small Scottish greenhouse?
Mohawk if you're down to a single pot or a windowsill: it's a true dwarf for patio containers. Redskin once you have a little more room: it stays compact at about 45cm and suits a container or growing bag.
Is there a yellow sweet pepper worth growing in Scotland?
Jolly Giallo: square, golden-yellow fruit about 12cm across, cropping from July to October under glass.
Which pepper copes best with a cool Scottish summer?
None is bred for cold. Gypsy crops early, which helps in a short season, and is rated a little hardier than the rest, but it still needs warm conditions to do well.
Sources
Show the 9 sources
- Peppers: Grow Your Own: Recommended varieties and AGM status, nights above 12°C and best growth above 15°C, spacing 38–45cm or 30cm for compact types, pinching at 30cm, common problems
- Capsicum annuum 'Redskin': Height, fruit, AGM, hardiness
- Capsicum annuum 'Mohawk': Dwarf, semi-trailing habit, fruit colour
- Capsicum annuum 'Corno di Toro Rosso': Fruit size, cane support
- Capsicum annuum 'Bianca': Tobacco mosaic virus resistance, foliage shielding fruit from sunscald, pests and diseases
- Capsicum annuum 'Topepo Rosso': Round pimento fruit, thick flesh for stuffing, pinching at 20cm
- Capsicum annuum 'Jolly Giallo': Square yellow fruit, July–October harvest
- Capsicum annuum 'Gypsy': Early cropping but needs warm conditions, H2 hardiness
- How to Grow Peppers: Gypsy; Mohawk, Redskin and Corno di Toro Rosso descriptions; Mohawk ripening to orange