Growing peppers is a challenging garden project, as these plants have a long growing season and they require plenty of warmth, fertilizer, and attentive care. However, in the right growing conditions, you can produce a plethora of pepper varieties, from sweet mild green peppers to more zesty habenero peppers. If you want to grow peppers, you should live in USDA zone four or below, or you should have access to a greenhouse. While you can grow peppers in your house, it can be quite difficult; a greenhouse provides ample light and warmth for the purpose of growing peppers and other warm weather vegetables.
Peppers require well drained soil which is amended with plenty of compost and mulch. They do not like to overheat, but they do appreciate warm weather. Peppers are also susceptible to agricultural pests. In addition, they require plenty of light, although they do not like to be directly exposed to sunlight for prolonged periods of time.
The first step in growing peppers is growing seedlings. Most people like to grow pepper seedlings indoors to ensure that they start out life as robust plants. If you start seedlings inside, grow them in a greenhouse or in a very warm area of your house with good air circulation and lots of bright light. You can also purchase seedlings. In either case, seedlings should be planted around three weeks after the last frost, and you should acclimate them by keeping them outdoors in pots for a few days before planting them.
Plant peppers with plenty of space in a sheltered area of the garden with lots of light and a gentle breeze. Peppers often do best in raised beds, which drain well. You may want to consider covering the soil with mulch to keep the roots cool, and use fish emulsion or a slow-release fertilizer to keep the peppers well fed. Water in the morning, and try to avoid splashing the leaves. If you spot signs of pests, wash the pepper plants gently with a mild soap and water solution. It can take a few months for peppers to flower and set fruit, so don't get impatient!
If you want to grow peppers indoors, you need to find an area of your house which is bright, but not in direct sunlight; many people use grow lamps to grow peppers indoors, since these lights are specially designed to provide plants with the light they need to do well. You will also need to ensure that this area is warm and that it has good air circulation to keep the plants healthy. Small pepper varieties do best indoors, and they will need to be grown in large pots. Small pots can cause the peppers to become rootbound, in which case they will not flower or set fruit.
Indoors, peppers are very susceptible to pests, and curious pets can cause damage as well. You may want to consider washing the plants with a mild soap solution weekly, and you should ideally keep peppers in hanging pots to facilitate total drainage. Mix mulch or compost into the soil you use to grow peppers indoors, and make sure that they are well fertilized. In the right conditions, peppers can weather out the winter indoors, and they will produce fruit even in the darkest months.
