Growing Peppers from Seed to Harvest – The Ultimate Guide

1. Choose Pepper Varieties To Grow

You can grow any type of chile that you want when you start seeds at home. By now, you might be wondering, What kind of peppers should I grow?

There is an unlimited number of pepper seeds you can buy. The following chart has examples of popular chile varieties in different categories.

Fastest Growing Peppers	Bell pepper, Early Jalapeno, Anaheim pepper
Easiest Peppers To Grow	Cayenne pepper, Jalapeno pepper, Serrano pepper
Sweet Peppers	Corno di Toro pepper, Mini Sweet pepper plants, Sweet Banana pepper
Mild Peppers	Aleppo pepper, Espelette pepper, Poblano pepper
Hot Peppers	Carolina Reaper pepper, Ghost pepper, Habanero pepper

» Related: 113 Types of Pepper Plants That Will Make You Want to Grow Today

Another thing to look at is heat. The Jalapeno Scoville rating, for example, makes this a medium spicy pepper, but you can choose to grow a different Jalapeno variety that’s milder or hotter.

And, Can you use seeds from a fresh pepper to plant? Yep, but the pepper’s seed type (e.g., heirloom or hybrid) and origin determine what to expect when you grow out your seeds. Use mature peppers for the best chance at harvesting viable seeds.

2. Get Your Growing Supplies

Here’s what you’ll need to start pepper seeds indoors and continue growing them outside in pots.

• Seed Starter Kit + Plant Hat Mat (see notes)
• Seed-starting mix
• Plant labels  
• T5 fluorescent or LED grow light (see notes)
• Worm castings or Fish emulsion fertilizer
• 3 to 4-inch containers for transplanting
• Potting mix
• 5-gallon container (or larger pot) for outside
• Neem oil (optional)

» Related: See All Our Recommended Pepper Growing Supplies

Seed Starter Kit: The Jump Start seed starter kit comes with everything you need to start seeds indoors: grow tray, seedling insert, lid and (essential) plant heat mat. If you already have some of these items, you won’t need an all-in-one product. Listed below are the individual growing supplies so that you can just get what you need.

Grow Light: LED and T5 fluorescent grow lights both work well for indoor gardening. You might choose an LED because it’s more energy efficient, while a T5 can be cheaper.

3. Know When To Start Pepper Seeds

Pepper plants need a long, warm growing season. They can’t live in freezing temperatures and you can lose them in a frost. That’s why it’s important to start seeds at the right time.

To get your ideal planting date, find your area’s last expected frost date and then count back 8 to 10 weeks to know when to start pepper seeds. You can use the tool below to get this information automatically.

Pepper Seed Starting Calculator

Enter your zip code or city and state to get your last expected date of frost and the best dates for starting pepper seeds.

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

4. Plant Your Seeds

In this section, we’re starting our pepper seeds indoors. Your pepper seedlings are going to be inside for the next 8 to 12 weeks.

• Soaking Your Seeds
• Preventing Gnats
• Planting in a Seed-Starting Mix 
• How Often To Water Pepper Seeds
• How Long Does It Take Pepper Seeds to Germinate?

Soaking Your Seeds

Soaking pepper seeds before planting softens the seed shell and makes it easier for the roots to push through. You don’t have to do this, but my seeds always sprout better this way.

1. Brew a weak cup of chamomile tea and wait for the liquid to cool down to room temperature. (Chamomile is beneficial because it has anti-fungal properties.) Alternatively, you can just pour warm water in a glass. 
2. Drop the seeds you intend to plant in the cup of tea or water. 
3. Leave the seeds to soak for 24 to 48 hours.

Preventing Gnats

Fungus gnat eggs are usually present in the material (grow media) where you start your plants. If you don’t want tiny black flies all over your home, these steps will help get rid of them.

1. Make an organic pesticide solution. 
2. Spray the inside of your trays and containers. 
3. Repeat this spray process every 3 to 4 days over a 10-day period. 

Planting In A Seed-Starting Mix                 

You have lots of choices when it comes to the growing media you use to plant your seeds. A seed-starting mix is a reliable way to get seeds started.

Supplies Needed:

• Seed starter kit with plant heat mat
• Seed-starting mix
• Plant labels                 

1. Moisten the seed-starting mix so that it’s wet but not soggy. (If you squeeze the wet mix in your hand, it shouldn’t be dripping.)
2. Add the mix to the cells of the seedling tray. The cells should be 75% full. 
3. Add your plant labels with the pepper names and dates.
4. Make a little indentation in the center of the mix and drop in three seeds. (The seeds shouldn’t be farther than ¼” away from the top.) Cover the seeds with a light layer of mix.
5. Optional: Sprinkle a little cinnamon on top of the mix to help prevent surface mold. (This mold looks like a thin, gray film.)
6. Put the lid on your tray and slide open the vents a little bit to allow for airflow.  Place the tray on top of the plant heat mat. 

How Often To Water Pepper Seeds

The schedule for watering peppers depends on your environment and the type of mix you’re using. You’ll need to water the seed pots when the mix starts getting dry.

The watering frequency is usually every day or every other day. Watch for the top of the mix to turn a lighter color, which lets you know it’s getting dry.

For reference, I usually water pepper seed pots every 3 days. It usually takes about 15 minutes for the water to reach the top of the mix.

How Long Does It Take Pepper Seeds To Germinate?

It takes about 7 to 21 days for pepper seeds to sprout, while Capsicum chinense varieties can take 6 weeks or more. When growing peppers from seed, use a plant heat mat to provide the right temperature range (80°F to 90°F or 27°C to 32°C) that these seeds need for germination.

» Related – Germinating Pepper Seeds: 3 Tricks to Get Them to Sprout

5. What To Do After Germinating Seeds

When you see those green, upside-down “U” shapes, your pepper seeds have germinated — congratulations! This section covers what you need to do to take care of growing seedlings.

• How to Use a Grow Light
• When to Fertilize Pepper Seedlings

How To Use A Grow Light

After your pepper seedlings are standing upright, they need an indoor light source to keep growing indoors. Here’s how to use your light.

Supplies Needed:

• T5 fluorescent or LED

1. Take your seedlings off of the heat mat and out from under the lid.
2. Position your plants under your grow light. Check the manufacturer’s instructions to know how far away the light needs to be from your plants. (A T5, for instance, is usually 6 inches high.)
3. Follow a daily schedule of 16 hours on during the day and 8 hours off at night.

When To Fertilize Pepper Seedlings

Pepper seeds have enough energy to support the cotyledons (embryonic leaves). When seedlings grow the next set of leaves (true leaves), it’s time to start fertilizing peppers.

You can start feeding your pepper seedlings by giving them 1/4 strength fertilizer. Fish emulsion or worm castings are ideal choices because they won’t burn your seedlings.

» Related: How to Care for Pepper Seedlings after Seeds Sprout

6. Transplant Pepper Seedlings 

Transplanting (potting up) is when you transfer your seedling to a bigger pot so the root system has enough room to keep growing. Pepper seedlings are ready for transplanting when they are at least 2 inches tall and have about four leaves. You can transplant pepper seedlings in 3 to 4-inch containers filled with potting mix while they’re growing indoors.

7. Pinch Off Pepper Flowers

Pinching pepper plants — specifically the flower buds and flowers — prunes them to grow stronger roots and produce more chilies. To pinch, hold the pepper flower between two fingers and nip it off. Pinch your plants while they’re indoors and stop after they’ve been in their outdoor containers for at least three weeks.

8. Harden Off Plants

When you harden off pepper seedlings, you give them a safe way to get used to outside elements like the sun and wind. If you don’t toughen them up, peppers can suffer from stunted growth, scorched leaves, snapped limbs and they may even die. 

When To Harden Off Peppers:

• Seedlings are at least 8 weeks old
• Around 4 inches high
• Have a few sets of true leaves

Hardening off pepper plants takes about two weeks (inside and outdoors). The first week, you’ll run a small fan on your indoor seedlings for a set period of time. During the second week, you’ll slowly start leaving your plants outdoors.

Here’s a hardening-off process that explains each step in more detail.

9. Transplant Pepper Plants Outside

Pepper plants can move outside when the following is true:

• Plants are hardened off
• The last threat of frost has passed (ideally, it’s two weeks past this date)
• Nighttime temperatures are regularly above 55°F (13°C)

» Use the Pepper Planting Calculator to get the last expected frost and transplanting dates for your location.

After that, you can transfer pepper plants into pots that are at least a 5-gallon size or larger.

10. Harvest Your Peppers

You can harvest Banana peppers, Jalapenos and other chilies in the immature green stage, when red, or once they’re the mature color for that pepper variety. You’ll also want to look at the pepper’s size. Here are some more tips for understanding how and when to pick peppers. 

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So those are the steps for growing peppers from seed! The following information covers topics that are important for ongoing pepper plant care.

Pepper Plant Care

Here’s what you need to know to take care of your pepper plants in pots.

Soil

The best potting soil for pepper plants has good airflow, drainage, is fertile and it has a neutral pH level between 6.0 to 6.8. When you’re starting pepper seeds, use a seed-starting mix to give your seeds a lightweight environment where they can easily sprout.

For mature peppers, choose a product like Ocean Forest Potting Soil. A potting mix — different from garden soil — is specifically designed for containers to prevent a compressed, soggy environment in the pot.

Water

How often to water pepper plants depends on your growing materials and local weather. For pepper seedlings, you’ll likely bottom-water them every 1 to 3 days. Mature pepper plants may be watered once a week. 

When watering pepper seedlings, check after 10 minutes or so to see if the soil line is darker (fully watered) because you don’t want your plants to get too wet. (It’s very easy to overwater pepper plants!)

As for how to water pepper plants in pots, you can run a hose over the root zone. Stop when you see water coming out of the bottom of the container. 

Fertilizer

Start fertilizing your pepper plants after the seedlings grow their first set of true leaves. Younger seedlings should get a weekly feeding of ¼ strength fertilizer, while potted pepper plants get ½ strength. 

For more on how and when to feed peppers in pots, along with foliar feeding and other bonus amendments, check out this post on the best fertilizer for pepper plants.

Pests & Disease

Monitor your chile plants for diseases and insects like aphids and whiteflies. You can use pepper companion plants like marjoram and thyme to act as a natural deterrent. Prevent major problems by using control methods like giving your plants good airflow, regularly fertilizing, using mulch and blasting the underside of leaves with water in the evenings.

Staking

Some pepper plants grow tall or produce heavy fruits like bell peppers. This causes leaning, which can lead to breakage. You can use plant stakes to give your pepper plants support so that they stay upright in their containers.

Common Problems Growing Peppers Indoors

Pepper seedlings can experience problems when growing. The following chart lists some common issues and their fixes.

Growing Peppers From Seed FAQs

What’s Next?

I hope this guide helps you start growing peppers from seed so you can get as much joy from it as I do. 🌶

Be sure to check out the guides on growing peppers in containers. You’ll learn more about watering, fertilizing and other chile growing essentials. 

P.S. Please share this guide if you like it!