12 Tips for Growing Peppers Indoors

Growing peppers indoors is a bit more complicated than growing peppers in a vegetable garden, but it is doable. Pepper plants are native to Central and South America and thrive in hot, sunny, and humid environments. To keep pepper plants indoors, you must imitate their natural growing conditions as closely as possible. With a few simple supplies and these pepper-growing tips, you can master the art of indoor gardening and cultivate the tastiest mild and hot peppers even in the middle of winter.

1. Choose compact pepper varieties.

Most pepper varieties can be grown indoors, but some types of peppers are better suited for indoor growing than others. Bell peppers, for example, tolerate indoor environments, but they don’t fruit as prolifically as some smaller chili plants. Plus, their large fruit may need staking. Ghost peppers grow into massive plants that can stretch over 5 feet wide. While you can try these pepper types indoors, you may have better luck with compact plants.

If you are open to trying different pepper varieties in your indoor garden, some of the easiest types of peppers to grow inside include:

• Thai chili
• Scotch bonnet
• Jalapeño
• Shishito
• Serrano
  
• Banana
• Habanero
• Pequin
• Chiltepin
• Ornamental peppers

2. Pick the right containers.

Pepper plants need plenty of room to grow, which is easy to accomplish when you plant peppers in a large vegetable patch. Indoor peppers need to be grown in large pots or containers that can accommodate their vigorous root systems. For best results, individual pepper plants should be kept in pots or grow bags that are at least 12 inches in diameter, although larger pots are even better. Ensure the growing containers have plenty of drainage holes to prevent soggy roots.

3. Use a quality potting mix.

If you’re bringing an outdoor pepper plant inside for the winter, it can be tempting to pot up the plant in garden soil, but this is not recommended. When used in containers, standard garden soil compacts and can inhibit root growth and cause other problems. To avoid this, plant the peppers in a quality potting mix intended for indoor use.

4. Understand different growing techniques.

Indoor peppers can be grown from seeds, stem cuttings, or nursery starts, or you can bring in mature pepper plants from your garden in autumn to shield them from the cold. However, before you plant a pepper plant indoors, research the different growing techniques to ensure that you use them correctly.

For example, if you’re growing peppers from seed, the seeds germinate faster with a humidity dome and a heating mat, but seeds become stunted if you plant them too thickly together. On the other hand, outdoor peppers should be slowly acclimated to indoor living by moving plants into a shady spot in your yard for several days before you bring them indoors. This prevents transplant shock and helps outdoor peppers adjust to your home.

5. Add a grow light.

You may be tempted to try growing peppers on a sunny windowsill, but most windows don’t receive enough bright light to support the growth of peppers. Even if you have a brightly lit window, the amount of natural light is significantly reduced in winter, and pepper plants may not fruit without supplemental light from a grow light. For optimal fruiting, keep pepper plants under an LED grow light with an automatic timer to ensure the light is turned on for 12 to 16 hours daily.

6. Water the right way.

Indoor peppers don’t need as much water as outdoor pepper plants, but they still need to be watered regularly. Indoor peppers should be watered about once a week, although peppers may need even less water during winter. For best results, water potted pepper plants only when the top 1 to 2 inches of soil feels dry to the touch, and allow the soil to dry out a bit in between waterings.

7. Keep pepper plants warm.

Peppers are tropical plants that thrive in warm weather and grow beautifully at standard room temperatures. However, extreme temperatures can cause peppers to drop flowers and not grow properly. To avoid this, locate indoor peppers away from drafty windows, heating vents, and A/C units.

8. Boost indoor humidity.

Most peppers prefer higher-than-average humidity levels, but some pepper varieties are more finicky about humidity than others. Capsicum annuum peppers, for instance, can tolerate moderate humidity levels, while Capsicum chinense peppers need high humidity to grow well. Depending on the types of peppers you’re growing, you may need to place the plants near a humidifier to boost the humidity levels and prevent crispy leaves.

9. Fertilize regularly.

Planting peppers in a rich potting mix is always a good start, but peppers are heavy-feeding plants that usually need supplemental fertilizer throughout the growing season to grow and fruit abundantly. Liquid fertilizers are usually the best choice for potted pepper plants, because these fertilizers are less likely to build up in containers.

When fertilizing indoor peppers, consult the instructions on the fertilizer packaging to determine how often to apply your specific fertilizers. Diluted, liquid, organic fertilizers, like fish emulsion, should typically be applied to peppers every 2 to 4 weeks during the growing season, but different fertilizer varieties might need to be applied more sparingly.

10. Watch for pests.

Plant pests are less likely to be a problem on indoor pepper plants, but they can still crop up occasionally—especially if you’re bringing outdoor pepper plants inside for the winter. To avoid pepper pests, check outdoor plants and nursery starts for any signs of insect activity before you bring them inside. Even if you don’t see any signs of pests, you might still want to treat the plants with an organic insecticidal soap or neem oil spray to be safe.

11. Hand-pollinate pepper plants.

One important thing to remember about indoor pepper plants is that they must be hand-pollinated to fruit well. While peppers are self-pollinating, they still rely on insect activity or wind to boost pollination rates when they grow outdoors. Indoors, peppers can be hand-pollinated with a cotton swab or clean makeup brush, or you can pollinate them by gently shaking the plants every day or two while they are in flower.

12. Harvest often.

When grown from seed, most peppers take about 70 to 85 days to fruit, although some hot pepper plants take longer to grow. When the exciting day arrives and your indoor peppers start fruiting, harvest the peppers as often as you can. Frequent harvesting encourages pepper plants to produce more fruit and provides your kitchen with the freshest peppers to use in your favorite recipes.