Growing Chilli peppers, also Hot peppers

Capsicum sp. : Solanaceae / the nightshade family

Jan F M A M J J A S O N Dec
    S                  
        T T            
        P P            

(Best months for growing Chilli peppers in USA - Zone 5a regions)

  • S = Plant undercover in seed trays
  • T = Plant out (transplant) seedlings
  • P = Sow seed
  • Grow in seed trays, and plant out in 4-6 weeks. Sow seed at a depth approximately three times the diameter of the seed. Best planted at soil temperatures between 18°C and 35°C. (Show °F/in)
  • Space plants: 40 - 50 cm apart
  • Harvest in 9-11 weeks. Wear gloves to pick 'hot' chillies.
  • Compatible with (can grow beside): Best grown in a separate bed as chillies need plenty of light and air circulation.

Your comments and tips

27 Sep 21, Peter Goodchild (Australia - temperate climate)
I want to grow some Biquinho Peppers. Can you suggest where I can buy some plants and/or seeds please and what is the optimum planting month. Tks and Rgds Peter
28 Sep 21, (Australia - tropical climate)
Boondie seeds sells them but are out of stock. Contact them and see when they might have them back in stock. Or try others on the internet.
27 Aug 21, Marie Blonde Jennings Paul (USA - Zone 13b climate)
Last year I had a great crop of Scotch bonnet peppers from a plant that was given to me and I saved some of the seeds. How do I start making seedlings and when do I start planting them for this year?
01 Sep 21, (USA - Zone 13b climate)
Go by the planting guide here when to plant and read the planting instructions.
04 Jul 21, Prakash Chandra (New Zealand - sub-tropical climate)
To get many fruit from chili plant you need to plant a new plant every year. Last years plant have excessive leaves and very less good sized fruit. In tropical climate chili plant produce fruits up to three or four years.
05 Aug 22, Anthony (New Zealand - sub-tropical climate)
I agree .best to plant a new one each year, fruit is bigger. Ive done lots of growing experiments with chillies in Auckland i had a jalapeno plant kept for 4 years in a pot which was babied the whole of its life .. only occasionally did it produce several good size fruit the smaller fruit i used in making sauce`s or cooking Another factor i found is dont grow different varieties close to one another as they can cross pollinate, If you are collecting seeds from the fruit for the next season. You may get smaller fruit
29 May 21, Tammy (USA - Zone 7b climate)
Have you considered the Carolina reaper? You may have to order plants but it is a very hot pepper..supposedly hotter than ghost
14 May 21, Trevor (South Africa - Summer rainfall climate)
Can I transplant a chilli plant after a few months of growth? Approx 6 inches high. It is in a crowded box
02 Mar 21, George Hupp (USA - Zone 10b climate)
I live in San Pedro in zone 10b. My vegetables include, tomatoes, snap peas, green beans (not pole), radishes, green onions and cucumbers. Except for tomatoes and jalapeño, serano and pan lamp are grown by seed. I am attempting to grow exotic hot peppers of many varieties. What hot peppers grow well here from store bought plants (very limited ) and seeds? Not interested in bells. Jalapeño, habanero, shishto, ghost, pequins and chiltepins are my main focus. Thanks for any advice and suggestions.
04 Mar 21, colleen (USA - Zone 10b climate)
Any hot pepper you want to grow will do fine in San Pedro assuming you're not RIGHT on the beach as the fog and salty air could pose a challenge. But since you're able to grow all those other veggies you mentioned, you should be fine. I love hot peppers too and find the selection at nurseries disappointing. Seed catalogs and seed swaps are the way to go. I like Baker Creek because they have free shipping no matter how small the order, though sometimes they're out of stock a lot. My favorites to grow are shishito, which isn't hot but is VERY productive, scorpion, cajun belle, kimchi, and Chinese 5 color. The biggest thing I wish I knew when I started growing hot peppers in SoCal is that they NEED shade cloth during the hottest months, or else the plants will get sun scorched and the flowers won't set fruit. If the plants are in
Showing 21 - 30 of 427 comments

Ask a question or post a comment or advice about Chilli peppers

Please provide your email address if you are hoping for a reply


All comments are reviewed before displaying on the site, so your posting will not appear immediately

Gardenate App

Put Gardenate in your pocket. Get our app for iPhone, iPad or Android to add your own plants and record your plantings and harvests

Planting Reminders

Join 60,000+ gardeners who already use Gardenate and subscribe to the free Gardenate planting reminders email newsletter.


Home | Vegetables and herbs to plant | Climate zones | About Gardenate | Contact us | Privacy Policy

This planting guide is a general reference intended for home gardeners. We recommend that you take into account your local conditions in making planting decisions. Gardenate is not a farming or commercial advisory service. For specific advice, please contact your local plant suppliers, gardening groups, or agricultural department. The information on this site is presented in good faith, but we take no responsibility as to the accuracy of the information provided.
We cannot help if you are overrun by giant slugs.