The month you want to plant pepper seeds in really depends on where you're growing! In the West in growing zones 5-6, we like to start pepper seeds in January through March. In most climates, January is a great time for germinating hot pepper seeds, but you may want to start as early as November or as late as February depending on the last frost date in your area.
So how do you know when it's the best time to plant pepper seeds? Ideally you want to plant them indoors about 6-8+ weeks before your transplanting date, after all chance of frost has passed, and it has warmed up consistently to 50˚ F or higher at night. You can start them even earlier, but just keep in mind that you'll want to transplant them up into larger pots to accommodate the root growth – you don't want to have root bound peppers.
Starting Late?
Running behind on getting your pepper seeds started? Grow some of the fastest growing peppers which will be ready to harvest in under 75-80 days – which are perfect for late sowers, as well as for short season gardeners.
Keep the seeds warm at about 80-90˚ F for the fastest and most successful germination. Find more of our top 12 tips for growing peppers from seed »
Happy growing!
