Growing peppers can be a rewarding experience filled with ups and downs but in this post, I hope to help create mostly ups! Whether you are looking to grow sweet peppers or hot ones, this post is sure to help.
Growing peppers from seed is one of the most rewarding things I have done. I grew so much last year that I had enough to use in salsa, fresh eating and preserving. I want the same for you! Let’s dive in to growing peppers.
This post is all about how to grow peppers
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How many pepper plants do you need to grow?
The average yield of a pepper plant will be 5-10 bell peppers and 20-50 hot peppers. Keep this in mind when you are planning out how many to grow.
Of course, this will depend on what your goals are and that is the first step to calculating how many pepper plants to grow. There are many things you can do with peppers. Here are a few:
- Make homemade salsa. This is the best salsa I have ever had!For this salsa recipe, we will need one bell pepper plant and one jalapeño plant.
- Fresh eating- Grow as many as your heart desires! I use my vacuum sealer to freeze the extra to have during the year!
- Pickled jalapeños- These are so so amazing from scratch and if you haven’t tried them before you should! I would grow 1 or 2 jalapeño plants to pickle or turn into cowboy candy.
- Make your own paprika powder- using a dehydrator. I also keep some peppers whole and use them throughout the year. I find it helpful to have a few methods of food preservation handy! If you do not have one, I would highly recommend this excalibur dehydrator.
The first thing to know about growing peppers
Peppers have a notoriously long germination period (the time it takes for the seed to sprout and poke through the surface of the soil) so keeping that front of mind is key. I have had peppers take up to 3 weeks to sprout and I was sure they were dead but then one day, there they were.
All that to say… Don’t give up on peppers too easily.
The second thing to consider
Techinically this is not a fact as the germination rates on these packages are all similar, but I have anecdotally found that the hotter the pepper, the lower the germination rate. Don’t ask me why this is, but the germination rate of a bell pepper is so much better than that of a hot pepper.
Keeping this in mind, let’s move onto the next section.
How you can increase germination success
Pepper seeds love warmth and humidity to sprout. You can vastly improve germination by using a couple of techniques and tools.
- Pepper seeds do not need light to germination but as I mentioned above, they will need warmth. You can buy a heat mat to place under your peppers such as this one but I have not found a heat mat to be necessary. You can place your seeds in a warm place such as on top of your fridge or under grow lights such as these. Grow lights are my preferred method as you will need them for the next few steps.
- You can use a humidity dome on top of your seeds to lock in moisture and warmth. Alternatively, plastic wrap would also work if you do not have the means to buy a humidity dome. I have successfully sprouted peppers with no dome, it just takes a little longer.
What materials do you ACTUALLY need to start pepper seeds?
As I mentioned above, peppers need warmth and moisture to sprout but when they do sprout, they will require light. Unfortunately, this is one area where you can’t scrimp and scrounge. If you use a window or non adjustable lights, the peppers can become laggy which means the stem is too long and weak in an attempt to find light.
This doesn’t lend itself to strong pepper plants so investing in some grow lights is where it is at. I love these ones as the chain is adjustable and you are able to raise the lights as your plants grow.
You will also need a seed starting tray that can hold water as bottom watering tends to allow plants to develop a strong root system which is exactly what we want. I love these trays. They are so sturdy and have lasted me well!
Finally, you will need some sort of seed starting mix. You can make your own but I believe, especially as a beginner, buying a mix is the best method. That way you do not get overwhelmed. This is the mix I use and I have had great success with it.
One more thing of note. To make your pepper plants extra strong, I recommend placing a fan on them at least a few hours a day so they can get used to blowing in the wind before they go outside.
Great! Your pepper plants have sprouted! Lets talk companion plants
- If you have never heard of companion planting, basically the premise is to grow your plants with other plants that will compliment the flavour, improve yields or decrease pests. Peppers have a few companion plants so let’s go over them.
- Basil- The strong smell repels aphids, spider mites and flies and can enhance the pepper flavour.
- Marigolds- Can repel nematodes and attract beneficial pollinators
- Lettuce- Can provide a living mulch to lock in moisture beneath the peppers and in turn, the peppers provide shade.
- Carrots- Similar to the lettuce, carrots will provide living mulch and aerate the soil around the roots of the pepper plants, leading to more nutrients being available.
- Onions- The strong smell can deter pests.
- Zinnias- Attract beneficial pollinators to the garden and provide a beautiful bouquet of cut flowers!
- Parsley- Can repel pests and possibly improve the flavour of your peppers.
Now that we know what plants to grow with peppers, here are a few you should avoid.
- Brassicas such as broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage as they all require a lot of nutrients from the soil. This can lead to stunted pepper plants with low yield.
- Fennel- Honestly, fennel goes with almost nothing so if you plant to grow it, plant it away from your garden lol
- Nightshades such as potato or eggpant- These plants can attract potato and flea beetles and require similar nutrients from peppers, leading to a stunted growth pattern.
How to plant peppers in the garden
Peppers do amazing in raised beds such as these but they are also great container plants. I have grow bags that I use for pepper plants and they have never steered me wrong!
If you are growing peppers in a raised bed, use the companion planting principles above to plan out your bed. Peppers like well drained soil with a lot of light so think about that when planning where to put your plants.
When you go to plant them in the garden, you can consider adding 2 tbsp of epsom salts to the base of the plant. The epsom salt will add magnesium and sulfur, increasing yield and preventing blossom end root.
Finish up by adding mulch around the base using wood chips or straw. Make sure you know where you are getting the wood chips or straw from as they can have weeds or herbicides that can kill your plants accidentally.
You can also consider adding lettuce or carrots around the base of your plants if you prefer a living mulch!
Now it is time to harvest and start your preservation. I hope you enjoyed this guide! If you liked this post you will love…
