When to Plant Peppers
Start peppers indoors 8 to 10 weeks before your last frost, then plant them out 2 to 4 weeks after your last frost.
Peppers at a glance
- Start indoors
- 8 to 10 weeks before your last frost
- Plant out
- 2 to 4 weeks after your last frost
- Time to harvest
- 60 to 90 days from planting out
- Harvest lasts
- about 14 weeks
- Spacing
- 1 plant per square foot
- Frost
- Tender: frost kills it
Growing peppers
Peppers like the same warm, sunny spot as tomatoes but grow more slowly, which is why they are started indoors a little earlier. Keep the soil evenly moist while they flower and set fruit, and feed lightly: too much nitrogen gives leafy plants with few peppers. A dark mulch warms the soil in cooler areas.
Dates by hardiness zone
Typical dates for each zone; your ZIP code gives your own.
| Zone | Start indoors | Plant out | Harvest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 3a | Mar 19 – Apr 2 | Jun 11–25 | Aug 10 – Sep 14Pick a fast variety. |
| Zone 3b | Mar 8–22 | May 31 – Jun 14 | Jul 30 – Sep 25 |
| Zone 4a | Mar 3–17 | May 26 – Jun 9 | Jul 25 – Sep 28 |
| Zone 4b | Feb 27 – Mar 13 | May 22 – Jun 5 | Jul 21 – Oct 1 |
| Zone 5a | Feb 22 – Mar 8 | May 17–31 | Jul 16 – Oct 5 |
| Zone 5b | Feb 20 – Mar 6 | May 15–29 | Jul 14 – Oct 10 |
| Zone 6a | Feb 18 – Mar 4 | May 13–27 | Jul 12 – Oct 16 |
| Zone 6b | Feb 12–26 | May 7–21 | Jul 6 – Oct 12 |
| Zone 7a | Feb 5–19 | Apr 30 – May 14 | Jun 29 – Oct 5 |
| Zone 7b | Jan 25 – Feb 8 | Apr 19 – May 3 | Jun 18 – Sep 24 |
| Zone 8a | Jan 18 – Feb 1 | Apr 12–26 | Jun 11 – Sep 17 |
| Zone 8b | Jan 6–20 | Mar 31 – Apr 14 | May 30 – Sep 5 |
| Zone 9a | Dec 22 – Jan 5 | Mar 16–30 | May 15 – Aug 21 |
| Zone 9b | Nov 23 – Dec 7 | Feb 15 – Mar 1 | Apr 16 – Jul 23 |
| Zone 10a | Nov 23 – Dec 7Nights are still cool before mid-February, so this starts a little later. | Feb 15 – Mar 1 | Apr 16 – Jul 23 |
| Zones 10b–11b | Frost is rare here, so peppers can go in from late winter, and again in late summer for a fall crop. | ||
Questions about peppers
Why are my peppers still green?
Most peppers start green and turn red, yellow or orange only after several more weeks on the plant. Green ones are fine to eat; leave a few on if you want sweeter, colored fruit.
Do pepper plants need support?
A short stake or small cage helps. A plant heavy with fruit can snap in wind or a downpour, and the stems are more brittle than they look.
