About This Variety
King of the North is an open-pollinated heirloom bell pepper dating back to 1934. It's one of the earliest and most cold-tolerant bell peppers available, making it ideal for short-season northern gardens like West Michigan. Fruits mature from green to a deep red in 57–68 days. Thick-walled, blocky peppers with classic bell flavor — reliable even when summers are cool or short.
How to Save Seeds
- Let peppers ripen FULLY on the plant — past the eating stage, until they wrinkle slightly. Full red color and some softening means the seeds are mature.
- Cut open the ripe pepper and scrape the seeds onto a plate or paper towel. No fermentation is needed (unlike tomatoes).
- Spread seeds in a single layer on a plate or screen. Dry for 1–2 weeks in a warm spot out of direct sunlight.
- Once completely dry, store seeds in a labeled envelope. Include the variety name and the year harvested.
Tip: This variety is specifically adapted for short northern seasons — it's worth preserving these genetics. Cold-tolerant, early-maturing bell peppers are uncommon and valuable for Zone 5b gardens.
Cross-Pollination
All common garden peppers — jalapenos, bells, Anaheims, paprikas — belong to the same species: Capsicum annuum. They can and do cross-pollinate, primarily via bees and other insects. The fruit you harvest this year won't be affected (the mother plant's genetics determine the fruit), but the seeds inside may carry crossed genetics that show up next generation.
Warning — Drew's Garden: You have 5+ pepper varieties (all C. annuum) growing in the same garden. Expect 5–15% cross-pollination from bee activity. The good news: 85–95% of saved seed will still come true to variety.
Your options for maintaining purity:
| Method | Effort | Purity |
|---|
| Accept the gamble | None | 85–95% true |
| Isolate one priority variety at 150+ ft | Moderate | ~98%+ |
| Bag / hand-pollinate flowers | High | ~100% |
