Growing peppers indoors – Do you want to grow your peppers at home and don’t know where to start? Don’t worry. It’s easier than you might think.
More and more people decide to grow their own greens, herbs and vegetables. A lot of celebs like Jenifer Aniston, Shakira, and Julia Roberts have organic gardens in their homes. Even Michelle Obama created an organic garden at the White House when she arrived in 2009!
Peppers are one of the most common crops in indoor gardens and one of the easiest to grow. So, if you are starting your garden, this plant is an excellent option for you to try.
Stop looking for tutorials, and let’s get started! We will tell you everything you need to know about growing peppers indoors… with the top tips for success!
Basics you should know about plant peppers:
- This plant is native to Central and South America. Specifically, from Peru and Bolivia. It has 6000 years of cultivation history!
- Peppers have essential nutrients for the functioning of our bodies, such as thiamine and manganese, vitamins C and B6.
- They are relatives of tomatoes and eggplant (aubergines).
- It is an herbaceous plant; it’s not a tree or a bush. This makes it easier to have indoors, especially if you only have a pot for planting.
- This plant grows between 30 – 40 inches tall, and you’ll be surprised by the length of its roots!
- Did you know that the pepper plant has beautiful flowers? Yes! The flowers are white, and the leaves are whole with pointed ends.
- These flowers have between about 5 or 7 petals. The flowers open, wither, and when the flower should fall, the fruit (pepper) begins to grow.
- The main stem grows straight, and from a certain height, it produces 2 or 3 branches.
- Each branch produces one or two leaves and ends in a flower.
- In general, the number of days for fruit production ranges from 70 to 85 days from the moment you plant it on the soil. So you can have peppers pretty fast!
Types of peppers
Peppers can be sweet or hot. This characteristic does not depend on its color but the amount of capsaicin, a substance found inside. If they have little capsaicin, the peppers will be sweet. If they have a lot of capsaicin, they will be hot.
Did you know that there are more than 20 species of peppers? Each one with its varieties. What are the variances of peppers? Peppers can be of various colors, sizes, and shapes. Colors can be red, green, yellow, black, or orange. Most grow to 2 or 4 inches, but there are also small bell peppers of that are only 1 inch in size!
Easiest Peppers to Grow Indoors
Bell pepper is the most common of the sweet type, it is also the easiest pepper to grow. The Chile pepper is the most common of the spicy peppers. Discover how to start growing these specific peppers indoors here.
Some other peppers varieties that we suggest growing indoors are:
- Jalapeño
- Habaneros
- Thai peppers
- Orange Blaze Mini Pepper
Cayenne Peppers are also easy to grow, they are the best grown in cold climates.
Are you intrigued by the many different types of peppers out there? You can learn more about this topic by visiting this link.
Growing Peppers Indoors Year Round
The pepper adapts to many types of soil, but it should be well-draining. The temperatures should be between 68-75 ° F during the day and 60 to 64 F at night. Below 59 F, its growth is affected.
As long as you can maintain these conditions, it is possible to grow pepper indoors all year round.
Growing Peppers from Seed
One of the advantages of starting your garden with pepper plants is that you can grow your peppers using the seed inside any pepper in your kitchen! It is a cheap and practical way to grow peppers at home!
Just let the seeds dry in the sun for a few days, and they will be ready to plant.
What soil should I use?
Make sure your soil has good drainage. You can place stones at the bottom of the pot, so the water will not stagnate in the soil. For better growth, fill the pot about 80% with mixed soil that is rich in organic matter – you can add manure, compost, or enrich it with worm castings.
Plant the seeds in a small pot or tub and lightly cover with soil rich in organic matter. Only cover them a little bit, you don’t need to plant them deep.
Once they’ve germinated, you must wait around 40 to 60 days from sowing to until transplanting it into a larger pot. Transplant the pepper to a bigger pot when the seedlings have developed at least 4 or 5 leaves (4 to 5 inches high) before the roots begin to surround the pot’s interior. We recommend that the pot be at least 11 inches (4 gallons). When you place the plant, set it in the middle of the pot and cover it with soil right to the to the base of the stem.
When the plants are around 8 inches tall, use sticks for support and guidance. Tie sticks to the stems that are fruiting. It will help the plant to carry its weight.
After the plant has its 4th branching, you can harvest red or yellow peppers in around 4 months, or in 3 months you can harvest green peppers.
How to water pepper plants?
Keep the soil moist, especially once the fruits are showing. There is no need to leave the soil soggy. Just moisten it and let it dry out before watering it again.
The ideal is a drip irrigation system, this ensures that the plant does not lack for water but prevents flooding it.
For optimal humidity, water your pepper with a frequency of every 1 or 2 days.
Indoor temperature for growing peppers?
This plant likes to live in a temperature between 68 and 77 F, so if you expose it to extreme temperatures, too hot or too cold will destroy your plant.
Protect it by sheltering it where high or low temperatures do not damage it. You may have to prepare an indoor greenhouse type area, but only until the frosts pass.
Growing Peppers Indoor – Light Cycle
Good lighting makes a big difference when growing plants. Adequate lighting is essential for growing peppers.
You have to place them where they get direct sunlight, at least six to eight hours a day. If you are planning to use indoor grow lights, it is perfectly possible. Leave them on for about 12 hrs each day, and your peppers will grow just fine. If you want to know more about how plants are affected by light Click here.
Growing Peppers Indoors – Pollination
If you notice that the plant has flowers but still no fruit, give the plant a light shake. Luckily this plant is self-pollinating, so a few simple touches are enough to activate the pollination process.
When is the best time to grow peppers?
Peppers are very sensitive to cold, so the best time to plant peppers is in spring. The essential thing you should know is that for optimal success you should plant them after the winter and early spring frosts have passed. In the northern hemisphere, the most recommended time is in March.
If you have no other option than to grow them in winter, don’t think it’s impossible, just adjust your strategy! Simple as that. Make sure you set up a warm area with plenty of light to start off the seeds during the wintertime.
How long will a pepper plant produce, indoors?
When properly maintained, a pepper plant can live up to five years! But some of them, like the Chili pepper can live between 1.5-3 years.
The top tips for success when growing peppers indoors.
Tips to make them germinate faster.
Do you want your pepper plants to germinate quickly? You planted your pepper several days ago, and not even a hint of green has appeared? Try these techniques:
- Soak the seeds before sowing them. It will make the seed softer, and it will open more easily. You would be helping nature to do its thing with less effort.
- Another way to get them to germinate quickly is by using a paper towel or coffee filter to wrap them in. Once you got them covered with the paper, spray it with water, make sure to moisten it well, and place it in a Ziploc bag. Place the bag in a warm place that is between 77 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit. Now, you must spray your seed a little every day. You have to be consistent for it to work!
- You can also try to freeze them! Place the seed in the freezer for no more than two days. When you take it out, put them inside a small folded and well-moistened towel and cover the towel with a dark container and follow the same technique described above.
Tips for best crops and storing
If you want green peppers, you should cut them when they reach their full size, shape, and firmness.
If you want the yellow or red, leave them on the stems for as long as possible, about three to five weeks.
When harvesting, use a sharp knife or scissors to cut the pepper. Cut leaving an inch of the stalk so that other peppers can grow back. It will encourage the plant to produce more and more fruit!
To store peppers properly, refrigerate them in plastic bags. They usually last up to 10 days in the fridge. You can also freeze them, which is the most practical way to store them.
You can also dry the peppers for storage: You only need to wash them, core, and steam for ten minutes. Dry them in the oven at 140 ° F or the lowest possible temperature, and done! You can keep them dry in air-tight jars.
If you want more tips to store the peppers, we recommend that you enter this link. You will find a lot of information that you will surely like and will be very helpful.
Tips for maintenance of peppers
The secret to keeping pepper plants healthy is to prune them regularly. When the pepper has grown it is the correct time for pruning. You should prune the tiny shoots that appear between the stem and the leaves.
Check your plant weekly for sprouts or dry parts, which you should also remove. Watering is also a big part of pepper maintenance. You want to make sure that the soil gets entirely moistened each time you water it.
So there you have it, growing peppers is the one of the best ways to start creating your indoor vegetable garden. This plant has the advantage of requiring little maintenance. In addition to being varied and practical, they are also delicious! They have vital nutrients for our health, and you can cook them in so many different ways.
I hope you’ve have learned more about how to grow peppers indoors, and you end up creating a beautiful garden of your own. Remember, you don’t have to depend on having large spaces for creating and preparing a healthy life. You can always easily grow many foods yourself at home.
If you have any comments or suggestions then please reach out here. If you enjoyed reading this article you may also like to learn about how to grow your own lavender plants as detailed in one of our previous posts.
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