Growing Chili Peppers in Containers: A Guide for Success
Boost your small, sunlit spaces into productive chili farms! Discover our top picks for chili varieties suited for Growing in Pots, whether you enjoy heat or prefer mild flavors.
Chili peppers can thrive in container gardens, offering a rewarding growing experience for gardeners with limited space. Here are some recommended varieties and tips for growing chili peppers successfully in pots.
Suitable Varieties for Container Gardens
- Hungarian Hot Wax: This productive variety ripens quickly and can reach between 2,000 and 10,000 Scoville units. Chilies are best picked when yellow and immature, but the heat increases as they turn orange or red [1].
- Jalapeño: Known for its moderate heat, jalapeños are easy to grow in containers and can thrive in hot conditions [3][4].
- Cayenne: These super-producers are ideal for drying to make red pepper flakes. They are also heat-tolerant, which is beneficial for container gardens [5][3].
- Habanero: Compact and heat-tolerant, habaneros are suitable for warmer climates [3][4].
- Thai Hot Chili Peppers: These peppers provide a super spicy kick and are decorative, making them great for patio gardens [5].
Tips for Growing in Containers
- Light: Ensure your pepper plants receive six to eight hours of direct sunlight each day [1].
- Soil: Use a well-draining potting mix to avoid waterlogged soil [2].
- Support: Provide support for plants that grow taller or produce heavy fruit [3].
- Feeding chili plants in pots with a liquid tomato fertilizer every few weeks will help plants to develop and ripen fruits.
- 10-gallon grow bags made of sturdy, breathable, BPA-free felt fabric can be used to grow many plants, including chilies.
- Not all jalapeno varieties have the same heat level.
- Cayenne peppers can be picked when green for a milder flavor or let mature and redden before harvesting.
- Overwintering pepper plants can be done by bringing container-grown plants indoors and putting them in front of a bright south-facing window to survive through the colder months.
Where to Buy Seeds and Plants
- Numex Twilight seeds are available at True Leaf Market. These peppers reach 24 inches in height and have a heat level of 30,000 to 50,000 Scoville heat units.
- Padron, Hungarian Hot Wax, and jalapeno pepper seeds can be purchased at True Leaf Market, Burpee, respectively.
- Organic long, slim cayenne pepper seeds are available at Ferry Morse.
- The Red Savina habanero seeds can be found at Amazon and can top 500,000 Scoville units.
Recommended Tools
- Garden snips are ideal for cutting ripe chili peppers from the plant during summer.
- A tomato cage, such as this pack of four square tomato cages at Walmart, offers a simple solution to keep cayenne pepper plants upright.
Chili peppers can grow happily in containers with the right care and conditions. By choosing the right varieties and following these tips, you can enjoy a bountiful harvest of spicy peppers in your container garden.
- A home-and-garden enthusiast might find delight in growing chili peppers in raised beds filled with well-draining potting mix and suitable varieties like jalapeño, cayenne, or Thai Hot Chili Peppers.
- With the right care, such as providing six to eight hours of direct sunlight, adequate support, regular liquid tomato fertilizer, and a cozy spot in front of a bright south-facing window during the colder months, one can cultivate an impressive home-gardening lifestyle, complete with a bountiful harvest of chili peppers.
