How to Grow Peppers Indoors for Crunchy, Delicious Produce Year-Round

From cool bell peppers to spicy jalapeños, peppers are a delight to grow and have a wide range of culinary uses. Peppers require a lot of sunshine and warm temperatures in order to thrive, but that doesn't mean you can't grow them indoors. Here, our gardening experts provide tips for successfully growing peppers in containers inside for a delicious harvest year-round.

When to Plant Peppers

When planting peppers outside, starting seeds indoors about eight weeks before the last frost date in the spring is ideal. Even if you plan on growing your peppers in containers and keeping them exclusively indoors, sticking to this general time frame has advantages. "It is best to start the peppers in late winter to early spring to follow their natural annual growth cycles," says podcast host and author Kathy Jentz.

When the seedlings have one to two sets of true leaves, you can repot them in larger containers. This timing also allows you to place your pepper plants out on the porch or balcony when they're growing fruit if you'd like.

How to Care for Peppers

Peppers are relatively low-maintenance, but they need plenty of sunlight and warm temperatures in order to flourish.

Light

Peppers are native to the tropical climate of Central America, so they need a lot of light to grow properly—more than you're likely to achieve indoors with window light alone. "Grow lights are necessary to raise peppers indoors," says Jentz, who recommends exposing your peppers to grow lights for a minimum of 12 hours a day. "You will need to keep the lights just a few inches higher than the plants and raise the lights up slowly as the plants grow," she says.

Temperature

Indoor pepper plants need warm ambient temperatures, so you may need to adjust your home's thermostat accordingly or use a heating mat. "For peppers to grow indoors, they need to be kept at temperatures between 70 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit and around 70 degrees Fahrenheit at night," says Jentz.

Water

Peppers grown in containers tend to dry out faster than peppers grown outdoors in garden beds. While it's important not to overwater your pepper plants, check them often to be sure they aren't drying out. A good rule of thumb is to water when the top inch of soil feels dry. Overwatering peppers is a hazard, says landscape designer and author Jan Johnsen. "They like to dry out between waterings," she says.

Soil

Peppers require well-draining, light, and loamy soil rich in organic material. Because they have a high nutrient demand, you'll need to fertilize your pepper plants regularly once they're established.

How to Harvest Peppers

Pepper plants will tell you when to harvest them. "Good signs of readiness for harvesting peppers is that they look glossy and have reached their mature size and deep color," says Johnsen. "Ripe peppers can be harvested with a gentle pull or snip off the stem."

Different pepper varieties mature at different rates, but your seed packet will indicate the number of days to maturity for the variety you're growing. Most varieties require over 100 days from seed to maturity (or 70 to 90 days from transplant). "The best time to harvest peppers depends on the variety and the level of ripeness you prefer," says Johnsen. "Most peppers, such as bell peppers, start green and can be harvested at this immature stage. As they ripen, they change color—typically to red, yellow, and orange." Bell peppers get sweeter when they mature, while hot peppers get spicier. 

Types of Peppers to Grow Indoors

There is a wide variety of peppers to choose from, ranging from sweet to hot. Here, we're suggesting a few types experts say are ideal for growing in containers indoors.

• Dragonfly pepper: A hybrid sweet pepper that can be grown in a container, this variety was an All-America Selections winner in 2022.
• Shishito pepper: This spicy pepper has a compact form that makes it suitable for growing in containers indoors.
• Fish pepper: If you want some spice, consider growing fish peppers. This medium-hot heirloom variety can thrive in containers.

Common Mistakes When Growing Peppers Indoors

To ensure your pepper plants thrive indoors, keep these common pitfalls at top of mind.

Not Fertilizing Peppers

One of the most common mistakes people make when growing peppers is not giving the plants enough fertilizer for them to set flowers and fruit. "Once the plants have reached their mature size, give them liquid organic fertilizer every 2 to 4 weeks," says Jentz.

Neglecting Pollination

Growing peppers indoors means your plant won't have access to butterflies, bees, or hummingbirds for pollination, so you'll have to handle this job yourself. "Since they are indoors and no pollinators will likely be able to get to them, you will need to hand-pollinate the flowers for them to set fruit," says Jentz.

Lack of Sunlgiht

This point bears repeating. "The biggest mistake people make when starting pepper plants indoors is not providing enough light," says Johnsen. "Peppers love long periods of strong light. They need at least 12 to 16 hours of strong light per day to thrive. If they don’t receive enough strong light, they become weak and leggy. You need to use full spectrum LED grow lights and set them close to the plants for strong, healthy growth."

Not Harvesting Enough

During peak growth, plan on picking your peppers often in order to keep production up. Don't just wait around for a single pepper to keep getting bigger. "Regular harvesting will induce plants to produce more fruit," says Johnsen.