Growing Peppers Indoors – Guidelines & Tips

Growing peppers indoors is an easy and rewarding way to enjoy a bountiful harvest of spicy bell peppers and chilies all year round. By establishing the right environmental conditions for your pepper plants, you can enjoy an abundant harvest of fresh peppers with some simple guidelines and tips.

Choose the Right Variety

When choosing pepper varieties to grow indoors, it’s important to select a shorter season variety that is bred to grow well in contained areas. Bell peppers are ideal candidates for indoor pepper growing, as many short season varieties produce fruits within 60 to 70 days. Examples of varieties well-suited for indoor growing include:

• California Wonder − This is an early maturing bell pepper that produces large, thick-walled peppers.
• Yolo Wonder − This is an early maturing bell pepper with sweet, dark-green peppers turning to a bright red at maturity.
• Cherry Stuffer − This is an unusually sweet, light-green pepper with thicker-than-usual walls.
• Jalapeno − This is a hot pepper with a mature fruit size of 2-3 inches long.
• Habanero − This is a very hot pepper that matures at around 3-4 inches long.

Select the Right Container and Soil

It’s important to choose a container with adequate drainage holes for water to escape so that the soil doesn’t become saturated. Choose a container that is at least 8-10 inches deep and 12-13 inches wide, so the pepper plant has enough space to stretch its roots. For the soil, select a potting soil specifically formulated for tomatoes and peppers, since this soil contains essential nutrients for pepper plants.

Water and Fertilizer

Peppers appreciate a consistently moist soil, but be careful not to let the soil become soggy or flooded. Use a spray bottle to keep the soil moist or water lightly with a watering can. For fertilizing, use a high-phosphorous fertilizer like a 12-12-12 mix, but don’t fertilize until after you’ve seen fruit set on the peppers.

Proper Lighting

In order to grow peppers indoors successfully, they need ample light. You can either place the pepper plants near a bright window that receives at least 6 hours of direct sunlight per day, or invest in a full-spectrum, fluorescent grow lamp. If using a grow lamp, make sure to place the lamp around 4-6 inches above the pepper plants and keep the lights on for 16-18 hours a day.

Temperature and Humidity

It’s essential to maintain moderate temperatures for pepper plants to grow properly. The ideal temperature range for pepper plants is between 68-80°F. Also, pepper plants require higher humidity than most other plants; for optimal growth, keep the humidity level around 70%. You can increase humidity by setting the containers near a humidifier, misting the plants regularly, or grouping the containers together.

Harvesting

Chili peppers are ready to be harvested once they attain their mature color, ranging from green to red or yellow depending on the variety. Bell peppers should be harvested when they reach their full size, but before they become soft. To collect the peppers, use sharp garden scissors or pruning shears to cut the peppers off the plant.

By following these simple guidelines and tips, you can easily grow a healthy, abundant crop of peppers inside your home!