When to Plant Pepper Seeds

Many of our customers ask us "Is now a good time to start pepper seeds?" – and we always say it depends on where you are and what your seed starting setup is like. We typically recommend that pepper seeds be started indoors 8 to 10 weeks before the last average frost date. Depending on where you live, the time to plant peppers and other warm-weather vegetables like tomatoes is usually late May or early June, but can be earlier for warmer regions. We don't transplant pepper seedlings outdoors until the temperatures warm up to consistent nighttime temperatures of 50°F or higher, with no chance of frost. If you do start your seeds indoors, it's also important to harden off seedlings before transplanting.

Find some great secrets and our top 12 tips for growing peppers »

Of course, if you have lots of space in your indoor growing space, peppers can be started and grown any time or even year-round indoors! So really, any time is a good time to start peppers if you have a good indoor grow setup or if you live in an region where you don't have frosts. If you have room indoors, you can also start peppers extra early, making sure to transplant them into larger containers to allow for maximum root growth, and then transplant them outside when the weather has warmed up and all chance of frost has passed. When pepper plants have more robust root systems, they will grow bigger more quickly once transplanted outdoors.

Or if you're lucky enough to live in a frost-free zone, you can grow and plant peppers anytime! Many peppers in the south and in Mexico grow year-round for many years. Learn how long peppers live »

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Grow short season peppers for faster results!

You can also grow our super fast growing peppers and you'll enjoy fresh peppers from your garden much earlier in the season.

That depends on the pepper and the growing conditions. Grow short season peppers for the fastest harvest, some of our peppers like the Chocolate Bell Pepper start harvesting in around 57 days, making it the fastest growing pepper we have. We also have several Jalapeno seeds that are fast growing, such as the Early Jalapeno, which starts to harvest in about 65 days.

So to summarize when to plant pepper seeds – it all really depends on your situation – start them early indoors if you live in a region with frosty winters, 6-8 weeks is standard but you can start them earlier if you have the room to pot them up into larger containers to keep their roots growing until transplanting time. Or, if you live in a warm climate without frosts, you can start pepper seeds anytime! Above all, just plant some pepper seeds!

Learn more about How to Grow Peppers »