Why Timing Is So Essential When It Comes To Planting Peppers

The joy of wandering into your backyard to pick fresh herbs, juicy tomatoes, or salad greens on-demand holds a certain undeniable appeal. Many of us crave a deeper connection to our food, wouldn't mind saving a bit on those skyrocketing grocery bill, or simply long for the farm-to-table freshness of foods that haven't been transported thousands of miles. For novice or experienced gardeners, one of the best crops to try planting are peppers. Forgiving and straightforward to grow, and perfect for adding to salads or homemade salsas, spicing up a margarita, or stuffing and roasting, they thrive even in a pot, and require little more than some good quality soil, sunlight, and water. 

But before you run to the plant store, consider your timing. Plant too early or too late and peppers won't have the warm soil temperature needed to grow and thrive. Even a late spring frost can zap young pepper's flowers, dooming your chance of an actual harvest. So, patience and timing is everything. 

Learning the planting schedules for your particular climate is key for any aspiring gardener, since peppers (and all plants) need to be planted at totally different times if you're planting in say Florida versus Colorado, where seasons have very different timelines. Begin by Googling to learn your plant hardiness zone — regions of the country the USDA designates based on average annual minimum winter temperatures. Then, find zone-specific planting schedules online or from your local county extension office, with suggested planting dates for both hot and sweet peppers. 

While there's no exact "right" date to plant peppers, as this depends on your location, they are still warm weather crops. This means that they'll thrive in a summer garden alongside tomatoes, cucumbers, melons, many herbs, and flowers. The optimal planting date also depends on the route you're taking — starting peppers from seed, or grabbing plants from the nursery. 

Regardless of how you source your plants, fledgling pepper plants still need to be planted in warm soil when outdoor temps are on average 70-80 degrees Fahrenheit during the day, well after the danger of frost has passed. If starting from seed though, you'll need to plan much farther ahead to have seedlings ready to be planted on time (don't skip this step — it's a common rookie gardening mistake). As a general rule of thumb, plan to start seedlings at least 8-10 weeks before your last frost date, after which they can be safely put into the ground.

Starting plants from seed can be highly cost effective approach for those with serious growing ambitions, but not necessarily the simplest route for those just starting out. Starting a garden from seed requires no small amount of forethought, patience, and extra gear like grow lights and heating mats in many instances. For those just starting to flex their green thumb, you might opt for the easier route of picking up ready-to-plant peppers at your local plant nursery, when the temps are right.