The Best Pepper Plants to Grow In Your Vegetable Garden
Inside: Discover the best pepper plants to grow in your garden, from sweet to hot varieties, with tips on care, climate, and maximizing your harvest.
Peppers are a fantastic addition to any vegetable garden, offering a variety of flavors, colors, and heat levels to suit any palate. Whether you're growing sweet peppers for fresh snacking or hot peppers for a spicy kick, choosing the best pepper plants for your space and climate is key to a successful harvest.
This post may contain affiliate links, see my disclosure policy for more information.
The Best Pepper Plants to Grow In Your Vegetable Garden
I can grow peppers. From the sweet varieties to the hot ones, I have very few struggles with these plants. Pests tend to try my patience but I overcome them each time. The hottest peppers that I grow are habanero peppers and I try to only grow one to two plants. I use them to make our red pepper jelly, and blueberry jam a little spicier.
Now, I always grow my peppers in my greenhouse where I well-drained soil and high temperatures, both of which peppers love. So I get a lot of peppers to preserve. I can usually my seedlings moved out to the greenhouse at the end of May or early June, and have them producing still even when cold weather hits here at the end of September.
Get updates & freebies delivered to your inbox!
Choosing the Best Pepper Plants for Your Garden
Peppers thrive in warm weather and require full sun to produce a bountiful harvest. Whether you have a large garden or little space, there are pepper varieties suitable for your needs. Below are some of the best peppers to consider growing:
Sweet Peppers
If you love mild, flavorful peppers, sweet peppers are an excellent choice. These varieties are versatile and great for fresh eating, roasting, or stuffing.
- Green Peppers (Sweet Bell Peppers): A garden staple, bell peppers start green and can ripen to red, yellow, or orange depending on the variety. They require early spring planting and consistent soil moisture.
- California Wonder: a classic bell pepper that starts out dark green and turns red when ripened on the plant
- Anaheim peppers: Large, thick-walled peppers that are ideal for stuffing or frying
- Shishito peppers: Also known as groundcherry pepper and lion head pepper, this slender pepper has a fresh peppery flavor with a slight sweetness
Medium Spicy Peppers
For those who prefer a balance between mild and spicy, medium heat peppers offer just the right amount of kick.
- Poblano Peppers: These peppers have a mild heat and are great for roasting and stuffing. When dried, they are known as ancho peppers.
- Serrano Peppers: A step up from jalapeños, serranos have a crisp texture and are excellent in salsas and sauces.
- Hungarian Wax Peppers: These peppers range from mild to medium heat and are commonly used for pickling or frying.
Hot Peppers
For those who enjoy some spice, growing hot peppers can be a rewarding experience. These peppers can range from mild to extremely hot.
- Cayenne Peppers: Ideal for drying and making spice blends, cayenne peppers are prolific producers and thrive in full sun conditions.
- Jalapeno Peppers: A popular choice for salsas and stuffed pepper recipes, jalapeño peppers grow well in containers and garden beds alike.
- Habanero Peppers: If you're looking for intense heat, habaneros are a great option. They require a longer growing season and benefit from rich organic material in the soil.
- Ghost Peppers: The ghost pepper, also known as bhüt jolokia is an interspecific hybrid chili pepper cultivated in Northeast India. The ghost pepper measures around 1,041,427 Scoville Heat Units (SHU) on the Scoville scale.
Essential Growing Tips for Pepper Plants
Start in Early Spring
To ensure a healthy and productive season, start pepper seeds indoors in late winter, about 6-8 weeks before the last frost date under a grow light, peat pots are great for this. Transplant them outdoors when night temperatures remain above 55°F.
Make sure to check for your local last frost date to have the best results in your garden. I have lost all my plants before to a late frost, it hurts to have to then go buy all your replacements from a garden center.
Provide Warm Weather Conditions
Pepper plants thrive in temperatures between 70-85°F. If you live in a cooler climate, consider using black mulch or row covers to keep the soil warm. Peppers love the soil temperature to be between 70°F and 85°F (21°C and 29°C) for optimal growth and fruit production.
Maintain Proper Soil Moisture
Peppers prefer well-draining soil that retains moisture without becoming waterlogged. Adding organic material, such as compost, can help retain moisture while improving soil fertility. If you are growing in raised beds or large pots make sure that they are well-draining, but also maintain moist soil.
Manage Weed Control
Weeds compete for nutrients and water, so keeping the area around your pepper plants free from weeds is essential. Mulching with straw or wood chips helps suppress weeds and retain soil moisture.
Grow in Little Space
If you have limited garden space, try growing peppers in containers or vertical gardens. Many types of peppers adapt well to pots and small raised beds. Peppers don't like to be crowded, plus crowding them makes it harder to harvest, and easier for pests to take over.
Harvest in Late Summer
Most pepper plants begin producing fruit in midsummer, with peak harvests occurring in late summer. Regular harvesting encourages continued production and prevents overripe fruits from weighing down plants. This encourages high yields, and more food for you to preserve with, or to enjoy fresh.
Grow Your Own Peppers for a Flavorful Harvest
Whether you're growing sweet peppers for a fresh crunch or hot peppers for spicy dishes, selecting the best pepper plants for your garden ensures a successful and rewarding experience. With proper care, full sun, and attention to soil moisture, you can enjoy a flavorful harvest from your own backyard. Start planning your pepper garden today and enjoy a variety of pepper varieties throughout the season!
One of my favorite things to do in the winter is flip through seed catalogs, picking out a few new things to try each year. This year I think one of those things will be Chocolate peppers!
Frequently Asked Questions About Growing Pepper Plants
What is the secret to growing peppers? Optimal Growing Conditions: sunlight, soil, watering
How many days does it take for a pepper plant to grow? Peppers have a long growing season (60 to 90 days), so most home gardeners buy starter pepper plants at the garden nursery rather than grow them from seed.
Should all pepper plants be topped? Some growers believe in topping their pepper plants each season for better plant health and fruit production. Others, however, say that topping isn't necessary and can actually lead to decreased pepper yields, depending on a number of different factors.
Want More?
10 Tips to Make Peppers Grow Faster and Produce More
15 Tips to Help Stunted Pepper Plants Recover
10 Tips For Starting An Organic Garden for Beginners
