- Hybrid F1
- No heat
- 73 days to maturity (from transplant)
- 0 SHU
- Green
Big Bertha
Hybrid F1 no heat pepper from United States. Standard sweet bell flavour in an unusually large pod, thick-walled and good for stuffing. Ready in about 73 days from transplant.
Single source · Updated Sep 19, 2026 · Values marked like this (estimated) are estimates.
At a glance
- Heat
- No heat 0 SHU
- Pod
- Ribbed 6–10 oz (180–280 g) (estimated)
Exceptionally long blocky bell, often 150 mm or more, with three or four lobes, with thick walls.
- Species
- Capsicum annuum
- Days to harvest
- 73 days from transplant · Midseason
- Plant height
- 1½–2 ft (46–61 cm) Compact
- Spacing
- 18 × 24 in (46 × 61 cm)
- Sunlight
- Full sun
- Position
- Handles open positions
- Growing sites
- Greenhouse · Open ground · Container
- Container growing
- Balcony friendly min. 6 gal (25 L) pot (estimated)
- Difficulty
- Easy-moderate (estimated) 2/5
- Skin
-
- Green
- Red
Heat
Scoville heat units
No heat
Big Bertha Scoville heat units: 0 SHU
No heat at all, the band California Wonder and Jimmy Nardello sit in. Sweet enough to eat raw by the handful, and it includes Habanada, a habanero with the heat bred out.
Flavor
“Standard sweet bell flavour in an unusually large pod, thick-walled and good for stuffing.”
Growing calendar
73 days from transplant Midseason
Timing shown for temperate climates; sow indoors 7–9 (estimated) weeks before your last frost date. Look up your last frost date by ZIP code →
Disease resistance
- T Tobacco mosaic virus
Uses & tags
- Stuffing
- Fresh & salads
- Roasting
- Slicing
- High yield
- Market favorite
- Beginner friendly
- Gift worthy
Origin
Big Bertha is the hybrid bred for size: an elongated blocky bell that routinely runs half as long again as a California Wonder, which made it a fixture of American seed catalogues from the 1970s on. True Leaf Market lists it at 73 days from transplant with no heat and tobacco mosaic virus resistance. The trade-off for the size is that the plant needs support — a loaded Big Bertha will lean, and fruit that touches soil rots.
Sources
Where to buy seeds
Prices rechecked dailyLinks may earn us a commission at no cost to you. Prices checked Oct 16, 2026.
All photos
Questions
How do you grow a Big Bertha plant?
A Big Bertha plant grows 1½–2 ft (46–61 cm) tall. Space plants 18 in (46 cm) apart in rows 24 in (61 cm) apart. Start seed indoors 7–9 weeks before your last frost (estimated); it germinates in 7–14 days. It needs full sun.
How long does Big Bertha take to mature?
Big Bertha is ready in about 73 days from transplant.
How hot is Big Bertha?
Big Bertha sits in the no heat range, about 0–0 Scoville heat units. Figures vary between seed sellers, so treat them as a band rather than a measurement.
Can Big Bertha be grown in a container?
Yes — Big Bertha grows well in a container of at least 25 L (6 gal).
Is Big Bertha resistant to disease?
Big Bertha carries documented resistance to Tobacco mosaic virus.
