How to Grow Peppers: A Complete Guide
If you’ve never tasted a garden-grown pepper, you’re in for a treat. Garden fresh peppers—whether sweet or spicy—are bursting with flavor in a way store-bought ones rarely achieve. They’re also incredibly versatile. From crunchy bell peppers in a salad to spicy jalapeños in your favorite dip, there’s a pepper for everyone. Growing peppers at home lets you enjoy these vibrant fruits at their peak flavor while adding variety and color to your garden.
Article Index:
- Choosing Pepper Varieties for Your Garden
- Starting Peppers: Seeds or Transplants?
- Planting Peppers: Soil, Sunlight, and Spacing
- Caring for Your Pepper Plants: Watering, Feeding, and Supporting
- Dealing with Blossoms and Pollination Challenges
- Pest and Disease Management for Peppers
- Harvesting Peppers: Timing and Techniques
- Saving Seeds from Your Pepper Plants
- Storing, Preserving, and Enjoying Your Harvest
Choosing Pepper Varieties for Your Garden
Peppers come in a dazzling array of shapes, sizes, and flavors, so picking the right varieties for your garden is half the fun.
- If you prefer sweet peppers, try bell varieties like ‘California Wonder’ or mini bell peppers for snacking.
- If you love heat, explore jalapeños, serranos, or even super-hot options like habaneros and Carolina Reapers.
- Poblano peppers are great for stuffing, while shishito peppers are perfect for frying. Learn how to grow poblano peppers in this guide.
Think about how you’ll use your peppers in the kitchen and pick varieties that match your taste and cooking style. Learn more about different types of peppers in this guide.
Starting Peppers: Seeds or Transplants?
Peppers thrive in warm weather and need a long growing season to perform their best. If you’re starting from seed, sow them indoors 6–8 weeks before the last spring frost date and then plant those transplants outside about two weeks after your last frost date. Purchasing transplants is a great shortcut if you don’t want to start seeds indoors.
Harden off your seedlings by gradually exposing them to outdoor conditions about ten days before planting. This step is crucial in hot climates like Arizona, where young plants can be easily stressed by sudden heat or intense sunlight.
For those in the low desert of Arizona, peppers are one of the easiest crops to grow well. Plant pepper transplants outside from mid-February through April, and there is a second planting window from late July through September. Peppers often live year-round in the low desert. Learn more about the seasonal pruning that keeps them healthy in this guide.
Planting Peppers: Soil, Sunlight, and Spacing
Healthy peppers start with healthy soil. Choose a well-draining soil enriched with compost to provide the nutrients your plants need. Learn more about the best soil for raised beds in this guide. Peppers prefer slightly acidic to neutral soil with a pH between 6.2 and 7.0. Plant them deeply, burying the stem so the bottom leaves are just above the soil line. This encourages a stronger root system and sturdier plants.
Give your peppers plenty of sunlight—6–8 hours a day is ideal. Space plants about 18–24 inches (45-60 cm) apart or one per square foot in a square-foot garden.
If you’re short on garden space, peppers do well in containers, raised beds, or grow bags. Choose pots at least 12 inches deep for container growing to accommodate their root systems. Learn more about container gardening in this guide.
Caring for Your Pepper Plants: Watering, Feeding, and Supporting
Peppers are thirsty plants but don’t like soggy roots. Aim for consistent moisture by watering deeply and regularly, especially during hot weather. A drip irrigation system keeps the soil evenly moist without overwatering. I use these garden grids to water my garden effectively and efficiently. Peppers love them.
Feed your peppers with a balanced fertilizer during their early growth phase. Once they start flowering, switch to a fertilizer higher in potassium and phosphorus to support fruit development. Pull back any mulch, apply the fertilizer, and replace the mulch to keep the nutrients in place.
As your peppers grow, provide support with cages, stakes, or small trellises. Their brittle branches can snap under the weight of heavy fruit, so a little extra help goes a long way.
Dealing with Blossoms and Pollination Challenges
For the first few weeks after planting, remove blossoms to help the plant focus on establishing strong roots and foliage. Once the plant is growing well, allow flowers to develop into fruit.
In hot climates, extreme temperatures can interfere with pollination. When daytime temperatures rise above 90°F or dip below 60°F, pollen can lose its viability. To encourage better fruit set during heat waves, provide afternoon shade or use shade cloth to reduce plant stress. Learn more about how to add shade in this guide.
Pest and Disease Management for Peppers
Peppers are resilient, but they’re not immune to pests and diseases. Aphids and spider mites are common culprits. Combat them with organic pest control methods from this guide, or attract beneficial insects such as ladybugs and lacewings. Learn how to attract beneficial insects to your garden here.
Diseases like blossom end rot, caused by inconsistent watering, or bacterial leaf spot can also appear. Prevent these issues by watering consistently, maintaining good air circulation, and avoiding overhead watering.
Harvesting Peppers: Timing and Techniques
The best part of growing peppers is the harvest. Peppers can be picked at almost any stage, depending on your preference. Green peppers are less sweet but crisp, while fully ripened peppers develop more flavor and nutrients. Use scissors or pruning shears to harvest peppers, leaving a small piece of stem attached to prolong their shelf life.
Regular harvesting encourages your plants to keep producing. Don’t leave peppers on the vine too long, as they may become soft or shriveled. If frost is forecast, pick all remaining peppers or protect the plants with frost cloth. Learn how to protect plants from frost here.
Saving Seeds from Your Pepper Plants
If you’ve grown a pepper variety you love, save its seeds for next season. Allow a few peppers to ripen on the plant fully, then harvest and remove the seeds. Dry them completely in a cool, shaded area before storing them in an airtight container. Keep them in a cool, dry place, and they’ll remain viable for several years. Learn more about saving seeds in this guide.
Storing, Preserving, and Enjoying Your Harvest
Freshly harvested peppers can be stored on the counter for a day or two or in the fridge for up to two weeks. For longer storage, freeze, dehydrate, freeze-dry, or pickle them. Roasted peppers freeze well and are a delicious addition to soups, stews, or pizzas. If you love spicy flavors, try making your own hot sauce or pepper jelly.
There’s no shortage of ways to enjoy peppers, from stuffing poblanos to tossing sweet peppers into a stir-fry. And if you’re looking for a crowd-pleasing appetizer, you can’t go wrong with bacon-wrapped jalapeño poppers or pomegranate jalapeño cream cheese dip.
Growing peppers is rewarding, from the first seedling to the final, flavorful harvest. With the proper care, your garden will be bursting with colorful, delicious peppers in no time. So grab your gloves, plant some seeds, and start growing your perfect pepper crop!
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/