🫑 How to Grow Peppers from Seed
With 9,000 years of cultivation history behind them, it is no wonder that there are a myriad of pepper varieties available to the home gardener — in a multitude of colours. All pepper varieties can trace their origins back to a single wild species native to Central and South America.
- Sow Indoors Mid-February to late March
- Transplant Outdoors Late May to early June (after hardening off)
- Seed Depth 6 mm deep
- Germination Temp 21°C
- Plant Spacing 30 cm to 45 cm apart
- Row Spacing 60 cm to 90 cm apart
- Sun Requirement Full Sun ☀️
🧭 Step-by-Step Culture Guide
1. 🌱 Sowing Indoors
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Timing: Start peppers indoors from mid-February to late March. They require a long indoor head start.
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Sowing: Using a clean, soilless growing mix, sow the seeds 6 mm deep.
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Temperature: Keep the growing medium warm at a steady temperature of 21°C to enhance and speed up germination.
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Seedling Care: Once sprouted, grow the seedlings under bright light at temperatures of 16°C to 21°C to produce solid, stocky plants that will not become leggy.
2. 🏡 Transplanting Outdoors
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Hardening Off: Gradually acclimatize the seedlings to outdoor conditions over a week or two in late spring.
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Timing: Set the plants out in the garden in late May to early June, once all danger of frost has completely passed and the soil is warm.
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Spacing: Select a site with full sun and well-drained soil. Space the plants 30 cm to 45 cm apart in rows spaced 60 cm to 90 cm apart.
3. 💦 Crop Maintenance
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Establishment: To help the young plants establish rapidly, use a water-soluble plant starter fertilizer at the time of transplanting.
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Watering & Weeding: Keep the pepper plants evenly watered throughout the entire season and control competing weeds.
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Feeding: Avoid high-nitrogen fertilizers, which cause lush, dense leaves but very few blossoms or peppers.
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Support: Staking is highly recommended for most varieties to prevent heavy fruit loads or late-summer winds from snapping the brittle branches.
4. 🧺 Harvesting for Peak Flavour
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Patience Wins: Do not be in a rush to harvest your peppers! While many can be eaten green, most varieties reach their peak taste, sweetness, and nutritional quality shortly after they fully turn their final colour (such as red, orange, or yellow).
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Maturity Note: Remember that the number of days to maturity listed on our packets is measured from the date the seedlings are transplanted into the garden, not from the date the seeds are sown.