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

Post a comment or question Display Newest first | Oldest first, Show comments for USA | for all countries
14 Mar 22, TLANGELANI MAGAMANA (South Africa - Summer rainfall climate)
when is the right time to plant habanero in Tzaneen area
Reply or Post a new comment
10 Feb 22, Thomas Perry (USA - Zone 8b climate)
Can I bottom water superhot peppers, (reapers, ghosts, scorpions) through grow bags? Will doing this cause my 7 gallon grow bags to rot out? Will the water even reach my plants in a container this size? Thank you for your help!
Reply or Post a new comment
19 Mar 22, Elder (USA - Zone 7b climate)
Absolutely, the purpose of the grow bag is to weep the moisture from the ground. If you have the bags on a different surface than bare soil/(non-permeable) you're not using them the way they were intended to be used. You could actually use a bathroom scale and weigh the bag filled with soil/ and planting before watering. Get them all around the same weight, remember or record. Totally saturate the bags, wait until all water dissipates from around them/ excess water drains out and weigh them again, record. You will know exactly how much moisture/medium they hold (8lb/1gal). Over the course of the next days/weeks depending on your conditions, if you go so far as to monitor the weight via the scale or just pick them up to see how heavy they feel you will learn when they (??)
Reply or Post a new comment
10 Jan 22, Keith (Australia - temperate climate)
I am currently growing Carolina reaper plants. I also have ordered Scotch bonnet Ghost and chili x seeds. I live in warmer climes most of the year in Queensland.
Reply or Post a new comment
06 Nov 21, marco (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
i live on the gold coast my chillies are flowering now and have chillies .my chilli plants self seeded around august .i pickle my chillies .easy to do and has not got the zing as a fresh one ,yet nice to taste .
Reply or Post a new comment
10 Nov 21, (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
You chop up your chilli or quick blend and fill jar with olive oil.
Reply or Post a new comment
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
Reply or Post a new comment
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.
Reply or Post a new comment
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?
Reply or Post a new comment
01 Sep 21, (USA - Zone 13b climate)
Go by the planting guide here when to plant and read the planting instructions.
Reply or Post a new comment
Showing 21 - 30 of 434 comments
See comments for all plants

I don't mean to be rude, but would like to clarify a few things that have been said here, and give a bit of information. The Bhut Jolokia is supposed to be ~1.5 million Scoville units in heat and is realistically about 1 million, compared to a Habanero, which is usually ~300,000 Scoville units. The habanero is too hot for most, and the Bhut Jolokia is only for the diehard Chilliheads. Scotch Bonnets, Habaneros, and Bhut Jolokias are all Capsicum Chinense, whereas the standard chillies (pointy-ended ones) are Capsicum Annuum, and are usually alot more mild. Sweet Bell Peppers (Capsicums) are C. Annuum, and can cross-pollinate with other Chillies. Kate - Chillies are usually fairly slow-growing plants compared to things like Tomatoes etc. Right now, it may be too cold for them to be in full swing. The flowers are self-fertile, so will pollinate themselves, but you need to help them along by sticking pollen to the Pistil using a cotton bud or similar. Swirling your finger around gently inside the flower works too. When the fruit is pollinated, the flower will go brown, and drop off, and the fruit should start growing. Flowers browning and dropping could also be due to a poor feeding regime. On most (all?) fertiliser bottles you will see a NPK number set. N=Nitrogen, P=Potassium, K=Phosphorus. General vegetative growth (leaves/stems) is encouraged by high-N analysis fertilisers, and flowering is encouraged by high P/K analysis fertilisers. At this time of year, I have my chillies inside on shelves in front of a large west-facing window. Usually, I find that if the overnight low temperature drops below about 5 degrees C then they will stop growing/flowering. I would try and be patient with your Capsicums and Chillies. As they are already established, you should get a good head start this season. Good luck!

- Buzz Killington

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.