Cayenne Pepper Plant: A 7 Step Visual Guide to Growing Cayennes in Pots

There are so many questions about growing a Cayenne pepper plant it makes things confusing. And what’s with Cayenne peppers taking forever to ripen? Here are all my growing notes from over the years so you can use them to get a big haul of chilies! 🌶 These seven steps cover everything you need to know and then some.

Like growing Jalapenos, I think of Cayenne peppers as a gateway into gardening. It’s a popular variety that makes seasonings like Cayenne pepper powder, dry rubs, and hot sauce — these can all come from your homegrown chillies!

Fortunately, the Cayenne pepper plant is an easier variety to grow. Cayenne seeds don’t take as long to germinate, they grow well in containers, and you can usually get 10 to 30 ripe pods at a time.

So let’s go into the backstory of this pepper and how to grow Cayenne pepper plants in pots during each plant stage.

CAYENNE PEPPER FACTS:

Common Varieties:	Long Slim Cayenne pepper, Purple Cayenne, Dragon Cayenne, Golden Cayenne, Ring-O-Fire Cayenne
Capsicum Species:	Capsicum annuum
Scoville Heat Units (SHU):	30,000 to 50,000 SHU
Days To Harvest:	70 to 100 days after transplant
Size:	4 to 5 inch (10 to 13 cm) long pods; up to ~4 feet (~1.2 m) tall plants
Flavor:	hot, earthy, peppery
Culinary Uses:	Cayenne powder, hot sauce, pepper flakes, sauces, Mexican cuisine

About Cayenne Peppers

Like many chillies, the Cayenne pepper originated in South America specifically in French Guiana [source]. Today, Cayenne peppers are typically dehydrated and ground into chili powder to give color and heat to food.

You might wonder what the differences are between red pepper and Cayenne pepper – are they the same thing? 

Red pepper (usually in powder form) contains hot red chillies like Cayenne. But these powders have the potential to include other varieties too.

As for planting, Cayenne pepper plants grow well in garden zones 4 to 11. Timing is very important (more on that later).

And here’s an interesting fact: the Cayenne pepper is part of the same plant species – Capsicum annuum – as the Bell pepper. Quite a heat difference!

Cayenne Pepper Varieties

Part of the fun in growing peppers is that you get to pick the variety you want. Here are different types of Cayenne peppers that come in many colors and heat levels.

• Purple Cayenne Pepper (seeds): This rare variety has the typical heat of a Cayenne and turns a dark purple color before maturing to bright red. You can eat purple Cayennes or use them as an ornamental plant.
• Long Thin Cayenne Pepper (seeds): Here’s a thinner Cayenne heirloom variety with average heat that matures to red. Ideal for making pepper powders and flakes.
• Golden Cayenne Pepper (seeds): Ripening from pale green to golden yellow and finally red, this variety has a smoother skin, smoky flavor, and average heat. Perfect for using fresh in Cajun and Creole dishes or dehydrating.
• Dragon Cayenne Pepper (seeds): This cross between the Thai pepper (50,000 to 100,000 SHUs) and Cayenne is a hot hybrid variety that produces shorter red peppers. A great addition to Asian or Mexican dishes!
• Sweet Cayenne Pepper (seeds): This hybrid variety matures to a crimson red and has all the Cayenne flavors with zero heat. Enjoy these sweet peppers in salads, or grind them into non-spicy chili powder.

When To Plant Cayenne Peppers

When starting Cayenne seeds, pick a date at least eight to 10 weeks before your last expected frost. This schedule gives seeds time to germinate, and pepper plants can grow in the ideal warmer temperature and sunlight.

» Related – When to Plant Peppers: 11 Best Garden Zones for Chiles (+ Seed Planting Calculator) 

Growing Cayenne Pepper Plants In 7 Steps

Growing Cayenne peppers takes around five to six months (starting from seeds). Here’s what to do during each plant stage, from starting seeds indoors to transplanting seedlings outside.

Caring For Cayenne Pepper Plants

As your pepper plants grow outdoors, you’ll likely have questions about ongoing care. Watering, sun, plant issues (and more) – these answers are below.

Watering

It’s best to leave pepper plants on the dry side and follow a watering schedule based on your growing environment. For potted plants, you can watch for wilting leaves, stick your finger in the top 2 inches of soil to feel for moisture or pick up your container after watering to get a sense of the weight.

To water – assuming you don’t use soaker hoses or drip irrigation – you can run a hose over the root zone until water comes out the bottom of the pots. Start watering peppers one day a week (evenings or early morning), and adjust this frequency as needed.

Fertilizing

Chili peppers grow well with fertilizer that contains the primary macronutrients – nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium (NPK) – as well as secondary nutrients that produce healthy plants. Macronutrients power different plant stages — nitrogen supports leafy growth, phosphorus helps with flowers and fruit, and potassium helps plants fight disease [source].

Some gardeners use a fertilizer with an even NPK rating throughout the growing season. In my experience, it’s better to have fertilizers higher in the nutrient that your plants need at the time.

» Read More: Fertilizer for Pepper Plants (Includes Printable Fertilizing Schedule)

I like FoxFarm’s trio of fertilizers that support each plant stage (cuts out the guesswork). Another favorite is Neptune’s Harvest, but you’ll need to add secondary nutrients like calcium and magnesium (Cal-Mag) for the best pepper plant growth.

Fertilizer Recommendations:

Pruning

During the growing season, you can prune the lower leaves and branches (the ones sitting on the soil) to help maximize airflow and keep them away from pests like slugs and snails.

If you want your Cayennes peppers to come back every year (they can!), you’ll do a more severe pruning when you start overwintering pepper plants. This process involves cutting back branches, leaves, and picking any remaining peppers at the end of the season.

Temperature

Pepper plants love warmer daytime temperatures between 70° to 85°F (21° to 29°C). When it gets to over 90°F (32°C), you can expect plants to stop growing and start dropping flowers.

Pollination

Cayenne plants (like other peppers) are self-pollinating with insects and wind, helping this process along.

Cross-pollination can occur if you grow other pepper varieties nearby. This means you can potentially grow hybrids if you save seeds from Cayenne plants that aren’t isolated.

Pests

Aphids, hornworms, spider mites, and leaf miners are some pests that go after pepper plants. Use insecticidal soap for soft-bodied insects and Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) for larger pests like hornworms and moths.

Speaking of hornworms (pictured), check your plants regularly so you can hand pick them off. These pests can eat a huge amount in a short period of time!

What else? Water! Spray pepper leaves (tops and bottoms) in the evenings to help knock off the bugs.  

And depending on the pest, you may need other remedies besides the ones mentioned. That’s why I created The Chile Plant Hospital as a quick reference on what to do when common pests, diseases, and other problems happen.

Other Issues

Here are two common questions (with answers) about Cayenne pepper plants.

• Cayenne Peppers Not Turning Red: Cayennes can take up to 100 days to grow harvestable pods after planting outside. More specifically, it can take a month or more for Cayenne peppers to ripen red after the fruit starts to form (depending on the weather). 
• Cayenne Peppers Flowering But No Fruit: Pepper fruit is less likely to form when day temperatures are higher than 85°F (29°C) and lower than 60°F (16°C) at night. Inadequate pollination can also be the problem: give your plants a gentle shake, or rub your finger in the middle of the flowers to help spread pollen.

Harvesting Cayenne Peppers

Cayenne peppers are ready to pick about 70 to 100 days after planting outside when they’re a few inches long and red.

So: Is it ok to pick green Cayenne peppers? 

Yes, you can harvest Cayenne peppers that aren’t ripe, but they’ll be milder and slightly bitter with a more vegetable-like taste. You can also leave green Cayennes in a warm, indoor spot to see if they turn red after a few days.

» Read More: When to Pick Cayenne Peppers

Using Cayenne Peppers

With your fresh chillies in hand, here’s what to do with Cayenne peppers and how to store them.

Uses
Fresh Cayenne peppers are delicious for making hot sauce and in foods like fajitas, stir frys, salsas, and chili. And the thin walls of these peppers make them perfect for drying and grinding into red pepper flakes and powders – add them to dry rubs, seasoning meats, soups, curries, and anywhere else you’d like a fiery kick.

Storage
Besides drying your peppers, you can store Cayenne peppers in the refrigerator for up to two weeks or freeze them for up to eight months.

Cayenne Pepper Benefits

The Cayenne pepper plant produces chilies that are a great source of antioxidants — they are particularly rich in vitamins A, B6, E, and C [source]. Overall, Cayenne pepper health benefits include improving circulation, lowering cholesterol, helping digestion, and being a potential anti-cancer agent.

Like most peppers, Cayennes have capsaicin (what makes peppers hot), which helps with problems like inflammation and pain management when applied topically. Here’s something else: a capsaicin-rich diet has the potential to aid in cognitive disabilities like Alzheimer’s disease. 

Cayenne Pepper Plant FAQs

Wrapping Up

I hope you enjoy growing Cayenne pepper plants. Remember, it can take up to 100 days to start harvesting Cayenne peppers after planting them outdoors – the wait is worth it! 

If you enjoyed this tutorial, check out our ultimate guide to growing peppers for more in-depth instruction on growing all kinds of chilies.

Related Posts:

• When to Pick Peppers (& How) + 2 Ways to Store Your Chillies
• Habanero Pepper 101: Here’s What You Want to Know (+ Easy Habanero Salsa Recipe)
• Pequin Pepper (Chile Pequín): A Tiny Red Pepper That’s Big on Heat
• 11 Cayenne Pepper Substitute Options You Can Use In a Pinch