Growing Peppers Indoors – Guidelines & Tips

Growing peppers indoors can be a great way to create a unique indoor garden and enjoy freshly-picked peppers all year long. But growing peppers indoors comes with its own set of challenges. Here are some tips and guidelines to help you have success with your peppers.

Choose the Best Variety

When choosing peppers for indoor gardening, you’ll need to be aware of the different varieties available. You’ll want to pay attention to how much space the pepper plants will need and their heat tolerance, as that will determine the best environment to provide them. Some varieties like bell peppers need more space than others, and smaller peppers like hot peppers are more heat tolerant.

Provide the Right Sunlight

To encourage the growth of your pepper plants, they’ll need plenty of bright, direct sunlight. If you’re growing your peppers indoors, you’ll need to provide this through artificial light. Investing in fluorescent lighting can provide the necessary light for your plants. Place the lights no more than six inches away from the plant and keep them on for 16 hours a day.

Keep Them Warm

Peppers thrive in warmer climates. When growing peppers indoors, you’ll want to simulate the same environment to help encourage growth. You can buy heating pads and thermostats to help make sure that your plants get the right amount of heat. Place the peppers in an area that gets about 70-80°F during the day and 64-70°F at night.

Water and Fertilize Regularly

Water is an essential part of keeping your peppers healthy. Make sure to water your plants on a regular basis, about once a week. You can test the moisture levels in the soil since overwatering can lead to root rot. You should also fertilize your plants around every two weeks to give them the nutrients they need to thrive.

Harvesting

You can tell when peppers are ready to be harvested by checking the color, size and firmness of the fruit. Firm peppers can be picked from the plant once they’ve fully grown. If the pepper is turning yellow or a lighter green, it’s ripe and ready to be picked.

With the right guidelines, growing peppers indoors can be an enjoyable experience. Follow these tips and you’ll be well on your way to creating a unique indoor garden.