Chili Pepper
beginner difficulty · hardiness zones 4–11
- Methods
- hydroponic · traditional
- Planting window
- May–June
- Greenhouse
- Not required
- Compact variant
- Available
Covers other hot pepper varieties not listed separately, such as Thai bird's eye or ghost pepper. All grow the same basic way and differ mainly in heat level. Jalapeño, serrano, habanero, poblano, Hungarian wax, and banana pepper each have their own entry in this guide.
Production planning estimate
Plan around lb per 32 sq ft bed
No yard, or no dirt garden to work with? This one can also be grown hydroponically, often in far less space, right on a porch, balcony, or windowsill.
A starting estimate is 20 lb per 32 sq ft bed. That means one garden bed is a reasonable first unit to plan for, then adjust for your climate, practices, and household demand.
Space guideline
32 sq ft per garden bed
Starting plan
— garden beds
Planning note: Heat increases with more sun and less water. Stress the plant slightly for spicier peppers.