How to Grow Peppers – Growing Peppers
Ever tried a fully-ripened, garden-grown pepper? If you think you don’t like peppers, tasting one just might change your mind. Peppers come in all sizes, shapes, and colors and range from sweet to fiery hot. Learn how to grow peppers and plant a few varieties to spice up your garden.
7 Tips for How to Grow Peppers
Tip #1 for How to Grow Peppers:
Start seeds indoors or buy transplants
Pepper plants require a long, warm growing season. Start pepper seeds indoors 6 – 8 weeks before your last spring frost. Plant outside two weeks after your last frost date. Pepper seeds are available at Seedsnow.com.
In the low desert of Arizona, start seeds indoors in late December or early February and again May – July. Begin hardening off transplants about 10 days before planting in late February – April. Plant a second round of peppers from July 15 – September if desired.
Tip #2 for How to Grow Peppers:
Plant peppers correctly
Pepper plants do best in well-draining soil amended with compost. Plant peppers deeply, so bottom leaves on stem are just above the soil to promote root development.
When square foot gardening, plant 1 pepper per 1-2 squares. Otherwise, plant peppers 18-24 inches apart.
Peppers grow well in containers, raised beds, grow bags, and in the ground.
Plant peppers in an area that receives at least 6-8 hours of sunlight each day.
During the hottest times of the summer in Arizona, you may need to provide shade for pepper plants.
Tip #3 for How to Grow Peppers:
Provide support for growing peppers and mulch well
Pepper plants are brittle and need support as they grow; a wire cage or trellis works well for this purpose.
Pepper plants require well-draining soil, but also plenty of water, especially in the hottest times of the year.
A thick layer of mulch around plants helps retain moisture and cools the soil a bit for the growing peppers.
Tip #4 for How to Grow Peppers:
Pay attention to the blossoms
Remove blossoms for the first couple of weeks to direct energy to growing the plant. Once the plant is growing well and has more flowers, it is an excellent time to provide compost or organic fertilizer. Pull back mulch, spread fertilizer, and replace the mulch.
Keep in mind that with temperatures above 90°F and below 60°F, pollination may not occur because pollen in blossoms is not viable.
Tip #5 for How to Grow Peppers:
Harvest correctly and at the right time
To harvest peppers without breaking brittle branches, cut off with pruning shears, leaving about an inch of stem to prolong storage life.
Peppers can be harvested at any stage of development depending on your taste preference with that particular pepper. Peppers left to mature on the vine will normally turn from green – to yellow – to orange – and then red. As color changes, the flavor and vitamins increase as well.
Pick peppers often to encourage production. Peppers left too long on the plant will be soft and shriveled looking, and should be removed from the plant.
Peppers are frost-sensitive; harvest fruits before frost. If frost is expected, cover plants to protect from frost. In Arizona, it is possible for pepper plants to over-winter if weather is mild.
Tip #6 for How to Grow Peppers:
Be careful when handling peppers
Peppers contain capsaicin, an oily compound that produces heat. The hotter the pepper, the more capsaicin the peppers contain. Use gloves when handling hot peppers; do not touch eyes or nose as capsaicin can burn skin.
If a burn occurs, soak in milk or wash hands with dish soap in cool water.
Tip #7 for How to Grow Peppers:
Enjoy the harvest!
Harvested peppers can be stored on the counter for a day or two.
Peppers stored in these Rubbermaid Freshworks containers will keep for weeks in the fridge.
There are as many different ways to enjoy and prepare peppers as there are varieties of peppers. Peppers are delicious eaten fresh, roasted, or stuffed. Preserve extras by freeze-drying, drying, freezing, or pickling.
Looking for a great way to use your freshly-harvested jalapeños? This Pomegranate Jalapeño Cream Cheese Dip is a family favorite.
Peppers come in all sizes, shapes, and colors, ranging from sweet to fiery hot. In this article, learn how to grow peppers and plant a few varieties to spice up your garden.
Knowing how and when to prune peppers in mild-winter climates is essential to keeping them healthy and productive for many years. Learn how in this blog post.
If you enjoyed this post about how to grow peppers, please share it:
These are beautiful. Thank you for sharing. What are the purple peppers. I have never seen peppers of that color.
Thank you
Thank you. These are purple peppers, I got the starts at Home Depot.
What does the purple peppers taste like??????
The purple peppers taste very similar to a green pepper. Not as sweet as a red or orange pepper. Unfortunately they lose their bright color when cooked, so I like to use them fresh.
I would to say thank you for the information
From
Bernadette
You are more than welcome! I’m so glad it was useful.
What about growing in the UK?
Good question. I’m not sure. I would check with a local growing club, etc. to see what specific tips there are for growing peppers in the UK. Peppers do best with a long, warm, sunny growing season. Definitely start seeds indoors to give them a head start.
thank you.how long does seed can able to germinate?
The average seed life for pepper seeds is two years. Pepper seeds can take up to 10-20 days to germinate.
Thanks for your sharing, it’s really helpful!
I transplanted several pepper starts in this July, but the leaves start curling up and seems it stop growing. Is it because still too hot in AZ?
Yes, this has been a hot summer. Keep it alive. Once temps begin to dip down, give gangly branches a little prune. Give it some fertilizer and a good drink. Often our best pepper production time is in late fall.
it helps me a lot
Great! So glad it’s helpful.
Question, do you overwinter your peppers? If so do you prune and protect in ground or do you dig them up? My pepper plants are so healthy and heavy producing this fall (despite the crazy summer) that I’m considering trying to keep them for next summer.
Yes, peppers seem to overwinter here pretty well. I cover them with burlap if we have a freeze. I’ve had pepper plants live for several years.
@Angela Judd, did it continue to produce for that many years as well?
Thank you for always sharing such good information. I have several varieties of pepper and tomato plants that are still producing quite a lot this winter, but the plants themselves are not looking so hot. They appear overgrown and are going in all directions. Would you recommended pruning them back and allowing them to kind of refresh prior to spring? I would of course prefer to keep them going, instead of starting new plants, as this is their 1st year in the ground. If so, how far back should I prune?
For your peppers, wait until danger of frost is past (usually mid to late February) and then give them a good pruning. Look for new growth on the stems and cut just above it. Give it a good dose of compost, a little organic fertilizer, and a good drink after pruning. For the tomatoes if they are diseased I would replant (in a different location) after danger of frost is passed. If they are just a little haggard but overall healthy, you can prune them back the same way you did the peppers, feeding them afterwards.
I need to move a purple bell pepper plant. It has grown completely wonky in and among slatted metal so it needs to be “cut up” and started from the branches if possible. How and when do I do this in Phoenix for the best result? It is 3-4′ in height and 3′ in width.
That’s a big plant. After danger of frost has passed if you want to cut it back much smaller that would be the best thing. I wouldn’t move it. You could try rooting one of the branches, but I believe that branch would need to be actively growing.
Hi Angela,
I started my pepper plants indoors in late December. They’ve only produced the first set of adult leaves (4 leaves total). I am keeping them under a grow light and hope they will have a boost soon. Do you think they’re stunted? Just wondering if I should get some transplants.
Thanks for your help! I look forward to your tomato class on the 13th.
That does seem pretty small. Have you tried feeding them with a diluted liquid organic fertilizer? If it were me I would probably do both, keep going with the seedlings and buy a transplant or two just to be sure. Glad you can come to the class, I’m looking forward to it!
Do you have a liquid organic fertilizer recommendation?
I like several. This one is good because it is a seaweed and fish blend. https://amzn.to/3jzbCIM
I planted several vegetables in October, and the vegetables that survived were bell peppers, grape tomatoes and spinach. I was pleasantly surprised that after I harvested the peppers the plants were full of bugs, I cut off the leaves and noticed there was new leaves , two weeks later the plants have new buds. I planted spinach again two weeks ago and they’re all coming up as well, the grape tomatoes are still producing. I am so excited with my little garden and thank you for your sound and useful advice. This is my first time I have planted a garden and I feel fortunate to have grown some vegetables since I live in South Arizona with extreme high temperatures. Thanks again.
Wonderful. Thanks for sharing your success. Best of luck to you in the future.
I’ve got a jalapeno plant that seems to be constantly dehydrated. 🙁 Do they need to be given more shade than the “full sun” instructions it came with would suggest?
Utter newbie to this. Thank you for the supremely helpful website!!
The type of soil you have makes a difference as well. Some soil will retain water better than others. https://growinginthegarden.com/best-soil-for-raised-bed-vegetable-gardening/
You can give them some shade and that may help as well. https://growinginthegarden.com/how-to-create-shade-in-the-garden/
Am in Ghana, what’s the best season for me to plant my pepper
Plant peppers when soil temperatures are 75 – 85°F (23 – 29°C)
@Angela Judd, Where I live in Canada, the soil never gets that hot. Even in July and August, it’s 60-65F on average (only gets hotter when the sun shines on it in the afternoon). But my peppers still produce well – I’ve had plants produce 2-4 lbs on their first year. So I say 60F+ is fine, even high 50s should be ok.
Not that it’ll ever get that cold in Ghana though… soil temps there are probably 80F+ year round. Ghana’s climate is hotter and drier than ideal. So I would transplant the peppers in May-early June, so that they can establish themselves during the wet season (May-June), and that way by the time the weather gets drier, they’ll have a better root system for accessing water, and they can flower and set fruit during the “cool season” (Jul-Sep, days in the low-mid 80s, nights in the low-mid 70s). But you can probably plant them any time of year, even during the hot & dry season (days in the low 90s, nights in the high 70s, 1″ rain/month) as long as you have irrigation.
I will grow malagueta peppers this season
Wonderful!
I cannot get enough of your articles. They are so helpful. I’m from the Midwest and have been struggling. With your information I have hope now for a better garden. I can only grow in containers because I have a small yard. Thank you for sharing your knowledge.
So glad the articles have been helpful! Best of luck to you with your garden!
I have had jalapeno plants for 2 full seasons in AZ and both crops have been wonderful. Should I leave them and try to get another crop or start with new plants for this spring? If I leave them should I prune them back and if so when? Thank you so much for all you share it is my go to for AZ gardening!
Hi Lindsay – If they are still healthy I think you could get one more season out of them. I would wait a couple weeks to make sure we are past frost and then give them a good trim.
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Hopefully this is my last question for a while. 🙂 I’m planning on growing peppers in a container & see that you mention that parsley can be added as a companion plant. I wasn’t sure if that applies to container gardening since it seems like peppers like more water than parsley? Again, muchisimas gracias for your help!
Hi Eva, they con be grown in the same container.
@Angela Judd, thanks so much for you help. Happy planting!
I will like to know if I can use sawdust for mulching or not for my pepper and tomatoes plants? Thank you.
I haven’t used sawdust before – but many people do. Here is a blog post with more information: https://growinginthegarden.com/mulching-your-garden-what-to-use-how-to-use-it/