How to Grow Peppers From Seed

Peppers love heat and hate frost, so timing is everything. Start seeds indoors 6 to 8 weeks before your average last frost. Move plants outside only after all danger of frost has passed, the soil is at least 65F, and nighttime temperatures stay reliably above 55F. In cold-winter regions that means late spring; in hot, long-season climates like the Gulf Coast and Southwest you can also grow a fall crop, and gardeners in frost-free zones 9 to 12 can keep plants going as short-lived perennials.

Sow seeds a quarter inch deep in a warm, moist seed-starting mix and keep them at 70 to 85F, using a heat mat if you have one, until they sprout in 1 to 3 weeks. Give seedlings 14 to 16 hours of bright light and a half-strength feed once true leaves appear. About 6 to 8 weeks later, after hardening the plants off over a week, transplant them into full sun 18 to 24 inches apart, setting each an inch deeper than it grew in the pot and adding a handful of bone meal or crushed eggshell to the hole to help prevent blossom-end rot.

Peppers reward steady, even care. Give them full sun, water deeply at the base whenever the top inch of soil dries, and mulch to hold moisture and warmth. Feed with a balanced or 5-10-10 fertilizer at transplant and again once flowering begins, since too much nitrogen gives you leaves instead of fruit. Stake or cage plants early, as a heavy crop can topple or snap branches, and in extreme heat give a little afternoon shade to keep the blossoms from dropping.

Peppers grow well alongside plants that deter their pests, feed pollinators, or share their love of heat. Basil, onions, carrots, and spinach are all classic neighbors. These three are especially easy to add in one click:

Peppers can be picked as soon as they reach full size and feel firm, usually while still green, but their flavor grows sweeter and their vitamin content higher if you let them ripen to red, orange, or yellow on the plant. Cut fruit off with scissors or a knife rather than pulling, which can tear the stems. Picking regularly encourages the plant to keep producing right up until frost.

From crisp sweet bells to blazing habaneros, peppers are one of the most versatile crops in the garden. Eat sweet types raw in salads and sandwiches, roast or stuff them, or freeze them for winter. Hot peppers bring heat to salsas, sauces, and stir-fries, and dry beautifully for chili flakes and powder. Both are rich in vitamins A, C, and B6, and a single plant can feed a kitchen for months.

• Blossom drop: flowers fall without setting fruit, usually from heat over 90F, cold nights, or dry soil. Keep watering even and wait for milder temperatures.
• Blossom-end rot: a sunken brown patch on the fruit's base from uneven water and low calcium. Water consistently, mulch, and add bone meal or crushed eggshell at planting.
• Slow germination: pepper seeds need warmth. Keep the mix at 75 to 85F on a heat mat and expect 1 to 3 weeks.
• Aphids: rinse them off with a strong spray of water and invite ladybugs and hoverflies with nearby flowers.
• Sunscald: pale, papery patches on fruit exposed to harsh sun. Keep plants leafy and give light afternoon shade during heat waves.