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From sweet, crisp peppers in rainbow shades to habañeros hot enough to bring tears to your eyes, all peppers share a preference for a long, warm growing season. Set out plants a week or two after your last frost, when the weather is settled and warm. While cool weather reigns, keep seedlings indoors at night, and move them to a protected sunny spot outdoors during the day.
By growing an assortment of varieties of peppers, you can have mild, meaty peppers for salads or stir-fries, slightly spicy peppers for fresh salsas, and hot peppers for bold jolts of flavor. Under hot summer conditions, varieties that bear huge fruits may shed their blossoms, but small, thin-walled peppers often keep going strong. Small-fruited peppers also ripen faster, which is important in cool climates where summers are short. Get help picking which peppers to grow with our Pepper Chooser, then be sure to look for the Bonnie Plants® logo when you go to the store, so you know you're getting strong, vigorous young pepper plants that will thrive in your garden.
As peppers change from green to yellow, orange, or red, both their vitamin content and flavour improve dramatically. People who think they don't like peppers often change their minds once they have tasted fully ripened, garden-grown peppers. For many hot peppers, the ripest fruits (the ones that have turned red) pack the most heat.
Quick Answers About Growing Peppers
- When should I plant peppers? Set pepper plant seedlings out after the last spring frost, when the weather is settled and warm.
- How much sun do pepper plants need? Pepper plants need at least 6-8 hours of sunlight per day.
- How far apart should I plant peppers? Plant peppers 18 to 24 inches apart in a sunny, well-drained spot.
- How often should I water peppers? Water regularly throughout the season and aim for a total of 1-2 inches per week (more when it's hotter).
- When should I harvest peppers? Harvest peppers with shears or a knife, and be sure to pick all peppers before the first fall frost comes.
Quick Guide to Growing Peppers
- Set pepper plant seedlings out after the last spring frost. They grow well in raised beds, containers, and in-ground gardens.
- Plant them 18 to 24 inches apart in a sunny, well-drained spot. Pepper plants need at least 6-8 hours of sunlight per day.
- Mix compost or other organic matter into the soil when planting.
- Water immediately after planting, then regularly throughout the season. Aim for a total of 1-2 inches per week (more when it's hotter).
- Mix a continuous-release fertilizer into the soil at planting and replenish as directed during the growing season.
- Spread mulch (such as chopped leaves or straw) around the plants to help keep the soil cool and moist.
- Support each pepper plant with a stake or small tomato cage, to help bear the weight of the fruit once it begins to produce.
- Harvest peppers with shears or a knife, then store in the fridge. Be sure to pick all peppers before the first fall frost comes.
Soil, Planting, and Care
Growing peppers is easy in any sunny, well-drained spot, and they are good candidates for roomy containers, too. Peppers have a naturally upright growth habit, so they often benefit from staking, which keeps brittle branches from breaking when they become heavy with fruit. Colorful peppers also make great additions to beds planted with flowers and other edible ornamentals, where they can easily serve as specimen plants. In beds or rows, the best spacing for most pepper plants is 18 to 24 inches apart (check the tag for exceptions). Peppers grow best in a soil with a pH between 6.2 and 7.0, although they can tolerate slightly alkaline conditions near 7.5. For in-ground gardens, mix several inches of compost or aged compost-enriched Miracle-Gro Organic™ Garden Soil in with the top layer of existing soil. A generous amount of organic matter helps the soil retain moisture, and moist soil is crucial for good pepper production.
Planting in a container or raised bed requires different, lighter soil. When planting in pots, fill them with a fluffy, premium quality potting mix like Miracle-Gro Organic™ Outdoor Potting Mix, which contains nutrient-rich compost. In raised beds, try Miracle-Gro Organic™ Raised Bed & Garden Soil, which provides excellent drainage and an ideal environment for root growth. Wherever you plant, be sure to put a few inches of mulch down around each pepper plant to help keep the soil cool and moist.
For bigger harvests, planting in great soil is a good start, but you'll also want to feed plants with a continuous-release fertilizer like Miracle-Gro Organic™ Planting Tablets regularly throughout the growing season (see label directions for timing). Simply pull back the mulch, scatter fertilizer around the base of each plant, and replace the mulch before watering well. Or, use a water soluble fertilizer like Miracle-Gro Organic™ Liquid Plant Food every week or two during the season to keep plants well fed.
Troubleshooting
Happily for pepper-loving gardeners, peppers have few serious pest problems. What's more, most common pepper diseases can be prevented by growing resistant varieties. Be on the lookout, though: Plants that look frail and stringy may be infected with viruses, which are spread by aphids and other small insects. Chronically thirsty peppers may be troubled by root-knot nematodes.
One other potential problem is a late cold spell in spring; be sure to cover plants if a frost is predicted in your area. (Find out your last frost date here.)
One last note about color: Many new gardeners begin to wonder at some point if their peppers will ever turn the color shown on the plant tag. If the mature color of the pepper variety you planted is red, orange, yellow, or purple, be patient. Fruit often takes a while to change from green to its final color, but the flavor will be worth the wait!
Harvest and Storage
Use pruning shears or a sharp knife to cut peppers from the plants, leaving a short stub of stem attached. Pulling peppers by hand can cause entire branches to break off. Rinse harvested peppers with water, pat them dry, and then store them in your refrigerator. Too many fruits to eat fresh? Extras can be dried, frozen, or pickled.
When temperatures begin to fall toward frost, many pepper plants are still producing fruit. It's not uncommon for them to still hold numerous green fruits when the first freeze kills the plants. When you know a frost is in the forecast, harvest all of the peppers. The largers ones will be good for eating, but very immature peppers often taste bitter. It is better to compost them than to serve them for dinner.
Harvested peppers that have just begun to change colour will often continue to ripen when kept in a warm room indoors for up to 3 days. If they haven't yet begun to change colour, but are full size (or nearly so), you can eat them green. In any case, signs of softening or shriveling, and promptly refrigerate those fruits. Then, be sure to use them first.
Handling Hot Peppers
Capsaicin, the oily compound that produces the heat in a hot pepper, is primarily concentrated in the veins, ribs, and seeds. Sensitivity to it varies. Use caution until you know how you'll react. If pepper juice gets in your eyes or nose, flush immediately with cold water. When the fire is in your mouth, drink milk or eat yogurt to counteract the burn. Burning hands means that capsaicin has penetrated skin or lodged under fingernails. Dipping hands into a 5-to-1 solution of water and bleach turns capsaicin into a salt that you can rinse away. Wash hands well after that with plenty of soap, rinse, dry, and apply moisturizer.
Do not re-use wash cloths or towels that may have capsaicin on them; launder them to avoid spreading the chemical. After working with hot peppers, wash cutting surfaces, prep tools, and knives carefully before using them to prepare other food.
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FAQs
What makes a chili pepper hot?
Chili peppers are hot because they contain capsaicin. Capsaicin is an oil found mainly in the seeds and inner membranes of the pepper.
Pepper heat is measured using Scoville Heat Units (SHU). The higher the Scoville number, the hotter the pepper. For example, jalapeños typically rate around 5,000 SHU, while habaneros can exceed 300,000 SHU.
Which peppers are best for stuffing?
Large, mild peppers with thick walls are best for stuffing. These peppers hold their shape and provide plenty of room for fillings.
Popular choices include “The Big Early,” which grows very large, and “New Mexico Big Jim,” a classic option for chile rellenos. For poppers, look for oversized jalapeños such as “Mammoth.”
Should I remove flowers from young bell pepper plants?
Removing early flowers can help young pepper plants grow stronger. Pinching off blooms may encourage branching before the plant sets fruit.
Be careful when removing buds, as they often form near the growing tips. If your plants are healthy, well-watered, and planted in fertile soil, they will usually produce well even without removing flowers.
Are tall, leggy pepper plants okay, and should I stake them?
Tall pepper plants are normal, but staking is recommended. Stakes help prevent breakage from wind and heavy fruit.
If you are transplanting peppers and notice tightly wound roots, gently loosen them before planting. This helps plants establish more quickly.
Can I plant hot peppers next to sweet peppers?
Yes, hot and sweet peppers can be planted near each other. Peppers do not cross-pollinate in a way that affects the flavor of the fruit in the same season.
Your sweet peppers will not become hot. Follow spacing recommendations on plant tags, generally planting peppers 18 to 24 inches apart.
Can I grow peppers in containers?
Peppers grow well in containers if the pots are large enough. Each plant needs at least a 5-gallon container.
A clay pot with a 16- to 18-inch diameter works well. Use quality potting soil and ensure good drainage for healthy root growth.
How deep should I plant pepper plants?
Plant peppers at the same depth they were growing in their container. Unlike tomatoes, peppers do not benefit from deep planting.
If plants are grown in peat pots, follow instructions carefully to avoid restricting root growth. Proper planting depth helps peppers establish quickly.
How often should I fertilize bell pepper plants?
Pepper plants benefit from regular feeding during the growing season. If no fertilizer was added at planting, apply a timed-release or organic fertilizer.
Pull back mulch, apply fertilizer around the plant, replace the mulch, and water thoroughly. You can also use a liquid vegetable plant food every one to two weeks.
How often should I water bell pepper plants?
Peppers should be watered when the top inch of soil feels slightly moist. Consistent moisture is key to healthy growth.
Sandy soils dry faster than clay or amended garden soil. Adjust watering based on rainfall and temperature, and avoid overwatering to prevent root problems.
Why is my pepper plant dropping flowers?
Hot weather commonly causes pepper plants to drop flowers. Temperatures in the 90s can temporarily stop fruit production.
Once nights cool later in summer, healthy plants usually resume blooming and setting fruit. Keep plants well-watered and be patient.
How do I know when peppers are ready to harvest?
Peppers are ready to harvest based on size and desired color. Most peppers start green and change color as they mature.
Use hand shears to cut peppers from the plant rather than pulling them. When harvesting hot peppers, wear gloves to protect your skin from capsaicin.
