How to grow peppers indoors

There are two main ways that you can grow peppers indoors. The first is by starting a plant from seed, and the second is by bringing your existing plants indoors at the end of your normal outdoor growing season. Starting your peppers indoors from seeds is fairly simple and can be done at any time of year.

Most of us must start our own plants indoors about 8-10 weeks before transplanting, which should be done 2-3 weeks after the expected last frost. Most pepper seeds sprout in about a week at a temperature of 70-80 degrees F., but germination can be spotty depending on variety.

With a little pepper winter care indoors, you can keep your pepper plants alive through the winter frost. If your peppers are in the garden, vs in containers, you will have to dig them up, plant them in a container and bring them indoors.

Bell peppers need full sun to grow and ripen properly, so keep them in a sunny spot in your vegetable garden—unless you live in a climate susceptible to extremely high heat and intense sunlight, in which case shade cloth or nearby plants can be used to manage temperatures.

Discolored Leaves.

If you are overwatering your pepper plants, their leaves will look yellow. Luckily, overwatered pepper plants look yellow and limp, while under-watered plants look yellow, brittle, and dry; so it is easy to tell whether yellow leaves are a sign of overwatering or under-watering.

They grow well in raised beds, containers, and in-ground gardens. Plant them 18 to 24 inches apart in a sunny, well-drained spot. Pepper plants need at least 6-8 hours of sunlight per day. Mix compost or other organic matter into the soil when planting.

Growing Peppers in Containers

You can grow peppers in any type of container as long as it’s big enough and has good drainage. You can drill holes if your container doesn’t already have them. Cover drainage holes with mesh to keep soil in and pests out.

Vegetables that fruit from a blossom, such as cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, and squash are the least tolerant of shady areas. Plant these in full sun areas that receive the most direct sunlight per day. Leafy vegetables, such as chard, spinach and salad greens, are the most tolerant vegetables that grow in shade.

While peppers prefer plenty of direct sunshine, the plants may still be grown in partial shade. However, growing in full-shade is not recommended for peppers. Attempting this will lead to smaller plants and poor yields. Without any direct sunlight, water will not be used nearly as quickly by the plant.

On average, the bell pepper yield per plant is five to 10 peppers; however, some varieties will produce a few more or less.

Peppers grow in all types of soils but do best in heavier, well-drained soils. Plant them in areas that receive at least 6 hours of sunlight each day.

These shrubs grow best in partial or full shade, with a little direct morning sun and a lot of indirect light, such as the filtered light found under a high-canopied leafy tree. Many varieties of hydrangea love this type of location.