How to Grow Peppers
Peppers are incredibly versatile and used in food in almost every culture. Originating in South America, they made their way to Spain and then throughout the world. They can be hot, fruity, mild, and so much more. There’s a wide spectrum in flavor between a Thai chili and a roasted red pepper. That’s what makes peppers so special. Plus, they are easy to grow at home! All you need is sun and a little space. Peppers do great in pots, so they are a great choice for urban gardening. Try growing a few varieties and making some homemade hot sauce to preserve their wonderful flavor throughout the year. Here we’ve got an overview of everything you need to know. Ok, let’s get into how to grow peppers yourself!
Soil
Peppers like rich, well draining, slightly acidic soil with a PH between 6 and 7. Their soil needs are simple and will require the same as most of your other garden vegetables. Amend with rich compost to keep nutrients high and drainage good. We love what The Spruce recommends, which is growing your peppers along with multiple companion plants, including basil which can help keep the soil warm and moist, which peppers love.
Water
Peppers like moisture! They don’t like to be overwatered, but making sure your peppers never dry out is important. Keeping a consistently moist environment for them will help with their growth and fruiting. Remembering to keep them watered should be easy, as many of your garden veg require good moist soil to grow and taste their best. We recommend writing yourself a watering schedule, or setting a timer for every morning to go check how your soil feels.
Try to water your peppers and whole garden in the morning, as this gives your plants the water they need before the heat of the day and also allows your plants and soil to dry just enough to not be too wet overnight, which can happen if you water in the evening. Evening watering can promote fungal growth and rot. Also make sure to water your peppers at the base of the plant to discourage disease.
Light
For peppers, light is HUGE. Full sun is a non negotiable. Pick an area of your lawn that has full sun. This means direct sun for 6-12 hours. They also love heat. Here in the midwest, it can get pretty warm, but in certain spots, it never quite has the consistent heat needed for peppers to truly do their best, as they have a long growing season.
If this is similar to where you live, we recommend growing your peppers in a greenhouse or polytunnel. You can even create miniature tunnels for your raised beds. This will keep your peppers surrounded by more concentrated heat and help them grow and fruit well. It’s especially good for peppers to be covered early in the season to kickstart their production, as they take a while to grow. Just make sure there’s adequate airflow.
Planting
Peppers can take months to grow, from seedling, to flower, to fruit. So while planting from seed outdoors is technically an option, it’s definitely not worth it. We highly recommend starting your peppers indoors about 6-8 weeks before you average last frost, or buying starts from your favorite greenhouse. If you’re unsure of what’s best for you, check out our post on starter plants vs. seeds to help you choose.
When it comes time to plant outdoors, plant your peppers about 18 inches apart. Dig a hole the size of your transplant pot, put a small handful of fertilizer in the bottom, place in your pepper plant, cover with soil and slightly press down to make sure it’s secure. Give your peppers a good watering and you’re done!
Planting Peppers in Pots
Did you know that peppers do great in pots? This makes peppers a great option for urban and small space gardeners. Plant your peppers in a pot 12 inches or more in diameter and treat the same as if they were in the ground. You may have to be more vigilant about watering as plants in pots tend to dry out faster than plants in the ground.
Fertilizing
We’ve said it once and we’ll say it again, we love Fox Farm’s Happy Frog Vegetable fertilizer for almost all our plants in our garden, and it’s perfect for peppers. Fertilize throughout the season, but make sure to not over fertilize as it can harm your plants. This means not all at once. Follow the package’s instructions on frequency for best results. Keep in mind, high nitrogen fertilizers can make for thick leafy foliage, so using this early in the season to boost stem strength and leaf growth is important. When your peppers start to blossom, more potassium and phosphorus is important to make sure you get a good harvest.
Common Pests and Issues
Insects
- Cutworms
- Aphids
- Hornworms
Cutworms
Cutworms are a moth larva that loves fresh seedlings and can really take out your peppers. They feed on roots and tender areas of the plant. They can even eat through the whole stem at the base of your plant. Old Farmers Almanac recommends making a tin foil or cardboard collar, like a fence to place around your young plants to keep the Cutworms from getting to them.
Aphids
Aphids are nasty little insects that produce so quickly, they can totally take over your peppers. Aphids can be born already pregnant. Crazy! We’ve got a couple natural sprays and ways to keep aphids at bay in your garden.
- Garlic Spray
We love homemade garlic spray because of how natural it is! We think using plants to protect other plants is really cool. Garlic has sulfur compounds including allicin that are toxic to the aphids and can mess with their sense of smell and confuse them. To make garlic spray at home, chop some garlic, one clove for every cup of water you use and cover it in boiling water. Let cool, then pour it into a spray bottle, add a little dish soap and give it a shake. Spray on affected areas of your plants every few days till you see improvements.
- Soap Spray + Essential Oils
Soapy spray can help with aphids, because when the aphids are sprayed down, it will suffocate and kill them. To make the spray, add some natural dish soap to water along with a few drops of some essential oil of choice. You can use peppermint, clove, thyme, or rosemary. To use, spray all over the aphids and leave for a few hours before rinsing off with water. Continue until the aphids are gone.
- Companion planting
Plant French Marigold, Borage, Yarrow and any pollinator friendly flower and herb around your garden to attract the aphids natural predators. This can keep them under control.
Hornworms
- Pick Them Off
Hornworms are large green caterpillars with white stripes that grow up to four inches in length. They are most commonly found on tomatoes, but they can be pepper pests too. Because of their size, you can generally just pick them off, but you have to be vigilant and check your pepper plants often to make sure they are safe.
- Companion Planting
Another way you can add an extra line of defense is by companion planting. You can plant Basil, French marigold, and Dill around your peppers to keep them away from your plants. One of the hornworm’s enemies is a braconid wasp which is a small parasitic wasp that lays eggs on the hornworm and kills it. To attract these small beneficial wasps to your garden, plant small flowering plants like yarrow and chamomile.
Disease
- Bacterial Leaf Spot
- Sunscald
Bacterial Leaf Spot
Bacterial leaf spot is a common disease that can affect your peppers. There are a couple things you can do to prevent bacterial leaf spot and also to treat it. One of the best things you can do is to make sure you’re bottom watering your pepper plants. Top watering can spread disease and create an environment for growth.
Also, making sure your plants are strong and well fertilized can help simply because strong plants can fight the disease. If you do have an infected plant, make sure you cleanly and carefully remove infected leaves. Pepper Geek recommends using a natural copper fungicide spray on your plants in the morning or evening to keep the disease at bay
Sunscald
When your pepper plants are first planted and young, they can benefit from a little shade in the midday sun to help protect them from scorching. As they grow, if your pepper plants have nice thick foliage, the leaves should protect your peppers from scalding.
Peppers are so fun to grow, and it’s a great way to get your hands on some hard to find peppers that aren’t normally stocked in your supermarket. Happy growing!
