We often get this question from gardeners, especially those with raised beds:
“How deep do Hatch Chile roots grow?”
A:
For the best harvests and healthy plants, we like to plant green chile plants in deep beds, we recommend 18-24" of soil depth.
Many larger chile plants, such as the Legacy Big Jim, grow to a height of 30" so having a deep root system helps them stay strong to hold up those huge green chile pods.
How deep can pepper plants' roots grow?
Typically most larger pepper plants roots are 18 to 24 inches deep. But, if they have more room they can take it – for example, Bell pepper taproots can grow to 3 feet or more in depth. So plant Hatch chile plants in a deep growing bed or a very large container, which will always be your best bet in terms of harvest size and plant health. We have found that the Hatch chile varieties do best when growing in the ground so they can grow deep root systems.
Learn about what peppers do well in containers »
Happy growing!
