Tips for Growing Chili Peppers Indoors

Chili peppers, like herbs, come in many varieties and are both fun and attractive to have in your garden. Aside from being a pleasant addition to your landscape, they give you the opportunity to really spice up your cooking. Not everybody can handle the temperature of peppers, but for those with strong stomachs who enjoy added spice, chili peppers are a must. Chili peppers don’t have very deep roots, so they are perfect for planting in small containers or in window boxes. They can also be brought inside when the weather starts to turn. Provided they get the right amount of nutrients and sunlight, many of them will grow indoors.

Start Outdoors

Most likely you will start your peppers outdoors when the weather is warm during the summer. If you have a small container, planting peppers is easy because you can bring them indoors as the autumn sets in. The same is true for window box peppers. Peppers grown indoors will produce continually under the right conditions, so if the plant will tolerate it, it is a good idea. When starting outdoors, plant the chili pepper starts in organic potting soil. Use containers small enough to be brought comfortably into the home. If you are using window boxes, make sure they are detachable and will sit securely on in interior window sill.

When to Bring the Plants Inside

Around Labor Day bring the chili peppers indoors. Never let them get exposed to any sort of frost, for they are warm weather plants. That is one of the reasons they will thrive inside. Gardeners have found the best types of chili peppers to bring indoors are Asian varieties and others with small fruit. The Black Pearl, different types of Habanero and Tricolor peppers seem to work best. Jalapenos are not well suited for indoor growth. When you bring them inside, wash the leaves in a fresh water rinse every two or three weeks and use a compost-based fertilizer to assist with growth. If you succeed, the chili pepper plants will produce throughout the fall and winter. Be sure, however, to have them near the sunniest window so they receive plenty of light and warmth.

If you do not have access to a sunny spot, an indoor fluorescent light will serve a similar purpose, although you may notice a spike in your electric bill.

Dry and Decorate

If the chili pepper plants produce the desired result, you might be overwhelmed with fruit. It is recommended that you dry out the peppers before you use them (unless you have an iron constitution). Drying chili peppers can make for an attractive display that you can hang in your kitchen. If you have an assortment of colored peppers to work with, hang and dry them in different combinations to create a vibrant effect. Once they are dry, you are free to chop them up and pulverize them for use in your cooking.

Growing chili peppers indoors is a great way to keep the warm weather plants alive for three to five years on average. During that time–provided you take care of the plants–you will always have chili peppers with which to decorate and use in your culinary creations.