Growing Peppers Indoors – Guidelines & Tips
Growing peppers indoors can be a rewarding experience. Not only are peppers a great addition to salads, stir-frys, and salsas, but they’re also a great way to add a bit of bright color to any room in your home. With a bit of patience and some helpful tips and guidelines, you can have tasty peppers growing indoors in no time.
Choosing the Right Pepper Variety
When it comes to growing peppers indoors, not all varieties are created equal. Choose a variety that is suited to growing in containers, such as bell varieties, Anaheims, jalapeños, serranos, cayennes, and habaneros. Since pepper plants will continue to grow in the same container for a while, you also want to select one that is medium to small in size.
Setting Up the Environment
It’s important to create an environment that pepper plants will thrive in. Pepper plants are warm season crops, so they need plenty of direct sunlight. Place the plants near a south-facing window to ensure they are getting as much direct sunlight as possible.
Pepper plants need warm soil and a consistent temperature range of between 65 and 80 degrees F. To keep your peppers as healthy as possible, make sure to place them in a space with good air circulation and humidity levels above 70 percent.
Planting Peppers Indoors
After selecting a spot for your pepper plant, it’s time to start planting. Choose a container that is at least 12 inches deep and wide, with adequate drainage holes. Fill the container with potting soil that is best suited for your pepper varieties. When planting, make sure the top of the roots are level with the top of the soil.
Caring for Peppers
Water your pepper plants regularly to ensure the soil stays moist but not waterlogged. A good indicator of when to water is when the top of the soil starts to feel dry. When the peppers begin to form, water every two to three days, but avoid over-watering.
Fertilize the pepper plants with an organic fertilizer every three weeks. Over-fertilizing your peppers will make them produce fewer peppers.
Harvesting Peppers
Once your peppers have started to form, you can begin harvesting. Different pepper varieties have different maturity lengths, so you’ll need to do some research to find out when yours are ready to be picked.
When harvesting, be sure to use sharp pruning shears, as they will help reduce the chance of infecting your peppers with bacteria. Cut the stem of the pepper just above the pepper itself, never below the pepper.
Conclusion
Growing peppers indoors should be a rewarding experience and a great way to bring color and flavor to any room in your home. With the right variety, location, and care, you should be the proud owner of many peppers in no time. Of course, don’t forget to have fun and enjoy the process along the way.
