Growing Peppers Indoors – Guidelines & Tips
Growing peppers indoors can be a fun and rewarding experience, especially when you’re able to enjoy the fruits of your labor after! Growing peppers indoors isn’t all that different from growing them outdoors, but there are some bonus tips you will want to consider in order to optimize your success.
1. Choose the Right Pepper Variety
The first step in growing peppers indoors is to pick the right variety for your space. While there are many different varieties of pepper plants, some are better suited for growing indoors than others. These “short season” varieties are typically more bushy and upright plants that don’t require as much horizontal space making them perfect for growing in smaller indoor spaces or containers.
2. Provide the Right Light and Temperature
Similar to a plant that’s grown outside, peppers require plenty of light in order to thrive indoors. You can either provide this naturally through south or west-facing windows or you can supplement with a plant light or grow light for those dimmer areas. You’ll also want to provide a consistent temperature for your pepper plants. An average temperature between 70-85°F is ideal for peppers.
3. Water Consistently
It’s important to give your pepper plants a consistent and regular watering schedule. Peppers require consistently moist soil in order to stay healthy and growing. Over-watering or under-watering could cause issues with your peppers’ growth. A great way to avoid this is to use self-watering planters to ensure your peppers are getting the correct amount of water.
4. Fertilize Regularly
Fertilizing your pepper plants even more important when growing indoors as plants need additional nutrients that aren’t naturally available in indoor growing environments. In general, fertilize your pepper plants every four to six weeks with a balanced fertilizer to give your plants the nutrients they need to thrive and continue producing fruit.
5. Protect Your Peppers From Pests
Unfortunately, pests can also be a problem when growing peppers indoors. Some pests you may find in your pepper plants include aphids, whiteflies, or spider mites. Combat these issues by spraying a natural pesticide such as neem oil to ensure your pepper plants stay healthy.
Conclusion
Growing peppers indoors is possible and can be a fun and rewarding experience! Remember to choose the right pepper variety for your space, provide plenty of light and a stable temperature, water consistently, and fertilize regularly to keep your plants healthy and producing fruit. Lastly, be sure to watch out for pests and take the necessary steps to protect your plants.
