Growing Peppers: A Complete Guide to Successful Cultivation
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Ever wonder why some gardeners seem to have no trouble growing peppers while others do? Whether green bell peppers, sweet peppers, or hot peppers, pepper plants are easy to grow when you know the common pepper-growing mistakes to watch out for.
In this complete growing guide, I cover everything you need to know about growing peppers. This guide applies whether you grow in raised garden beds, in-ground, or container gardens.
Let's explore the world of pepper plants and learn how to make them thrive!
Why I Love Growing Peppers
I love growing peppers for their taste and heat. We eat them in all kinds of dishes. I can visit my local farmers market (aka my garden) and get great produce whenever I walk out of my house.
My goal is to help you grow amazing produce right at home, too! Instead of slaving away year after year, you can have an Autopilot Garden by breaking down traditional thinking and implementing systems that save time, hassle, weeding, water, and space.
That is why I’ve created growing guides to eliminate the guesswork, including:
Choosing a Pepper Variety
Here are some pepper varieties (a few popular varieties and some uncommon ones) that I like to grow in our garden:
Variety |
Uses |
I love these for everything from fresh eating to stuffed cooked peppers and fajitas. |
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The highly prized Italian grilling pepper has an amazing, rich flavor, perfect for grilling, roasting, and frying. |
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These peppers are HOT and popular for canning, pickling, and making relish. |
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I absolutely love these green peppers. They are a good drying pepper with a smokey, sweet flavor and great for mole. |
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This is a very rare pepper from Central America that I love. Use it dried, fresh, stuffed, and in salsas. |
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These make wonderful dried chilis. They are mild enough to eat fresh or used in salsas, salads, and many Mexican dishes. |
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This is a Habanero without the heat! Try it roasted, fresh, and in salsa. |
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Try this pepper for Indian dishes. It is a citrusy hot pepper with a fruity pineapple flavor and one of my favorites! |
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One of the hottest heirloom peppers in the world, this pepper can be used in Mexican and Indian cuisine, but be careful - it is dangerously HOT! |
When to Plant Peppers
Start pepper seeds indoors using a quality potting mix about four weeks before your last frost date. This Seed Starting Guide will help you give your pepper plants a good head start on their growing season.
If you don’t know your area’s average last frost date, The Farmer’s Almanac has a useful calculator that allows you to find the last and first frost dates by zip code.
Pro-Tip: Always start your pepper seeds indoors (or in a greenhouse) or buy them from a nursery. It is a huge mistake to try to start peppers in-ground. You will lose valuable time from your growing season. Using a heat mat will encourage germination, and grow lights will promote growth while indoors.
Start hardening off seedlings 7-10 days before you want the plants to go out into the garden. Then, you can transplant outdoors when there is no longer a chance of frost and the soil temperature is warm enough.
Pro-Tip: A common mistake gardeners make is transplanting pepper seedlings when the soil isn’t warm enough, causing transplant shock. Peppers are tropical plants. Wait until the soil temperature is at least 55°F to 65°F before transplanting.
Growing Peppers Step-by-Step
Peppers are not difficult to grow, but some small things can go wrong. Following these step-by-step instructions will help ensure a successful harvest later on:
Amend the Soil - For peppers, I use a compost blend consisting mostly of compost, with sand and topsoil mixed in. This creates a loose, airy, fluffy soil mix ideal for peppers.
Check Soil pH Levels - It is a good idea to perform a soil test before planting. The best acidity for peppers is approximately 6.0 to 6.5.
Sunlight Requirements - Choose a planting location with 5-8 hours of direct, full sun. Do not plant them in an area of filtered sunlight. Make sure the peppers get strong, full sun for those hours. Pro-Tip: Surprisingly, peppers can get too much sunlight. Too much sun will cause peppers to start dropping flowers and dropped flowers will ultimately lead to less fruit harvested. For this reason, don’t go over the recommended 8 hours of daily sunlight when growing peppers.
Plant Spacing - I space my pepper plants 1 ½ feet apart. A strong, thriving pepper plant will take up every inch of a 1 ½ square foot area, so I never plant them any closer than that. If they aren’t crowded, the roots will grow out and take up all the available nutrients and water, creating a healthier, bigger plant for you.
Planting Depth - Pepper seeds should be planted ¼-½ inch deep, and transplant pepper seedlings at the soil level. If you bury them too deep, the plant will be stunted and produce less. Pro-Tip: A common gardening myth says you should plant peppers like tomatoes. Even though they are in the Solanaceae family, burying peppers deeply like tomatoes is a mistake. It will hamper their growth.
Watering - Water in your peppers after transplanting them. Then, let your peppers dry out between watering cycles. I water peppers in my greenhouse once a week. You may need to adjust that schedule for peppers planted outside. Watering more often may be necessary in a hot, arid climate. Or you might not need to water your peppers at all if you receive frequent rainfall. Pro-Tip: Don’t overwater your pepper plants! Keeping them on the same watering schedule as the rest of your garden is not a good idea. They don’t like to be too wet. Root rot and blossom end rot can be caused by overwatering.
Fertilizing Peppers
Peppers need a well-balanced all-purpose fertilizer that doesn’t favor any one nutrient. An all-natural, organic 5-5-5 or 7-7-7 fertilizer should work well.
When transplanting your pepper plants, apply the fertilizer of your choice. I have the best results when using Trifecta+.
If the fertilizer is too high in nitrogen, it will cause more growth than fruiting. When a pepper plant has too much nitrogen, it becomes dark green instead of a lighter lime green.
Likewise, if the fertilizer contains too much phosphorus, it will cause a small plant with lots of fruit. The small plant may not be able to sustain the amount of fruit on it.
Too much potassium will also make the leaves darker, preventing the plant from producing flowers. Trifecta+ delivers the optimal balance of nutrients for pepper plants.
Pruning Pepper Plants
Pruning pepper plants is fine, and I recommend it under the right circumstances. Pruning lowers the plant's center of gravity, making it less likely that it will snap off, and it causes the plant to start bushing out like tomatoes.
You may be wondering why I don’t prune my pepper plants. The decision to prune or not to prune depends on the length of your growing season.
When you eliminate the top growing stem, the plant takes a while to produce side shoots. Those side shoots take time to grow out before they can produce fruit, which costs you valuable time if you have a shorter growing season.
Pruning your pepper plants is not necessary but a good idea if you have a long enough growing season.
Harvesting Peppers
You can harvest peppers in their green immature state or wait until they have turned red, yellow, or orange.
Peppers are very fragile, and I never recommend harvesting them with your hands because the branches are susceptible to snapping. Don’t pull or tug the peppers off. Get some pruners or snips and clip the fruit off.
Once picked, peppers are sensitive to chilling injury and should not be stored below 50°F. Use peppers fresh, dried whole or crushed, and frozen.
Here's to a season full of flavor (and heat!) with a bountiful harvest. Grow bigger!
FAQ
What are the best conditions for growing peppers indoors?
It's not ideal to grow bell peppers indoors. A greenhouse may be a great option. Bell peppers love warmth, and they need 5-8 hours of sunlight daily. Use a loose soil full of organic matter to help them grow.
How often should I water my pepper plants?
Let your peppers dry out between watering cycles. They do not like soggy roots and don't like to be too wet.
How much space do I need between my pepper plants?
Space plants 1 ½ feet apart. This gives them plenty of room to grow.
How many peppers will one plant yield?
This varies depending on the variety and the plant's health. Reading seed packets should give you a general idea of plant yield.
How long does it take to grow your own peppers?
Peppers usually have a date to maturity of 60 to 90 days, depending on the variety.
