Growing Peppers Indoors – Guidelines & Tips

Growing peppers indoors is becoming increasingly popular for home gardeners. Whether you want to grow jalapeños, bell peppers, poblanos, banana peppers, or habaneros, you can easily do so with minimal time, effort, and space. Not only are peppers a tasty addition to any meal, but you can also save money from not needing to purchase them from the grocery store.

Setting Up Your Pepper Plant

• Choose a location to grow your pepper plant. An area with full sun exposure is ideal, and if indoors, it should be placed near a south, east, or west-facing windowsill.
• Select quality growing materials. You can use light planting soil or potting mix, container, and peat pellets or plugs for the seeds.
• Choose the type of pepper that you’d like to grow. All peppers share the same basic growth needs, so the choice mainly comes down to what type of pepper you like to eat.
• Once you’ve determined which type of pepper to grow, it’s time to acquire the seeds. You can find pepper seeds at most garden stores.

Growing The Peppers

• Put the potting soil in your container.
• Moisten the potting soil with a few teaspoons of water.
• Put the peat pellet, plug, or seed in the potting soil. Make sure to place it among the soil.
• Lightly cover the seed or pellet with the remaining soil.
• Spray the top of the soil with water to help the seed or pellet stay moist until it germinates.
• Place the container near the windowsill for adequate sunlight exposure.
• Check on the seed daily to make sure the soil stays moist. If not, lightly spray with some water.
• After approximately three weeks, the pepper seedlings will start to appear. Water them as needed and move to a larger pot when the plant has grown larger.

Caring For The Peppers

• Provide the pepper plants with adequate sunlight throughout the day. If your home does not get enough natural light, you can use a grow-light.
• Keep the soil damp, but not soaking wet. Peppers do not tolerate waterlogged soil, so make sure the soil drains well.
• Fertilize the pepper plants every two weeks with a liquid fertilizer. This will help promote healthy growth and larger, tastier peppers.
• Be sure to rotate the pot occasionally. This will help the pepper plants receive equal amounts of sun and prevent them from becoming leggy.
• Check for pests or insects that could be attacking the pepper plants. If you see any, take immediate action by spraying insecticidal soap or neem oil onto the plant.

Harvesting The Peppers

• The peppers will mature within two to three months after being planted, depending on the variety.
• Check the peppers regularly for discoloration. As the pepper matures, it will turn from green to yellow, red, orange, and then brown.
• When ready, you can harvest the peppers by cutting them from the stem with scissors. Make sure to wear gloves if you’re harvesting hot peppers.

By following these guidelines and tips, you can easily grow peppers indoors. Not only will growing peppers be an enjoyable process, but you’ll also be rewarded with delicious, home-grown peppers that you can proudly add to every meal.