Growing peppers for the table is easy and fun. It gives you more options in food preparation, too. You can start with seeds or seedlings.

Each year I plant a small kitchen garden with herbs and veggies. I look forward to harvesting the produce throughout spring, across summer and into early fall. The cast of characters may change a bit from year-to-year — you know, a new variety of radish or a cleverly named heirloom tomato. But there are a few mainstays I just can’t do without. Basil and tomatoes, for example, for my fresh Caprese salads, cucumbers for snacking, and mint for teas and cocktail hour. Most necessary, of course, are the peppers.

They are downright fun to have on hand because they are so versatile. Think stuffed peppers or peppers for pizzas and fajitas. Peppers are a key ingredient in homemade salsas. Easy to grow, peppers are chock full of nutritious health benefits. Peppers are a flavorful addition to a wide variety of meals. They can range from sweet to spicy to downright hot!

Where to Grow Peppers for the Table

Choosing the best spot in the garden for your peppers is the first, and arguably, the most important step. Soil should be rich, well-drained, and in a sunny spot. I prefer to plant my peppers where they will get 6-8 hours of direct sun per day. Peppers prefer a loamy soil. That just means soil that is roughly equal parts silt, sand and clay. If you don’t happen to come by the ideal growing medium naturally, you can amend the soil with compost or other organic matter.

Avoid working in too much nitrogen. That can result in fast-growing leafy plants that don’t produce the large healthy fruit you’re after. Peppers are members of the nightshade family of plants which includes tomatoes, eggplants and potatoes. Make sure the spot you select wasn’t used to grow any other members of the “family” in the past couple of seasons. Otherwise you risk introducing your plants to disease.

Growing Peppers from Seeds

If you are starting your peppers from seeds, plant indoors 8-10 weeks before your area’s last frost date. Peppers have a fairly long growing season, 60-90 days. By starting indoors with grow lights or in a sunny windowsill you’ll give your peppers a good head-start. You may ask, “Why start peppers from seeds at all?” Well, for one thing, starting your plants from seeds is economical. Also, the variety of plants available as seeds is much greater than the few types of seedlings on offer at your local nursery or garden center.