If you grow peppers inside, you can eat fresh peppers from your own garden even when it’s cold outside. If you set up and take care of your pepper plants properly, you can get more than one harvest each year from compact, high-yield varieties.
When choosing pepper varieties for indoor growing, prioritize compact, highly productive plants that don’t require a ton of space. Mini bell peppers, hot peppers like jalapeños and Thai chilis, and colorful ornamental peppers tend to thrive indoors. Avoid large, sprawling plants like full-size bell peppers.
Here are 10 of the best peppers to grow indoors for a continuous harvest:
1. Mini Sweet Peppers
Mini bell peppers are more compact and easier to grow than full-size bells. They are very productive, yielding dozens of crunchy, sweet fruits in a range of colors like red, orange, yellow and chocolate. Mini bells only grow 10-12 inches tall, making them a great choice for indoor containers and small spaces.
2. Cayenne Peppers
Cayenne peppers are moderately hot at around 30,000-50,000 Scoville heat units. The plants stay compact at 12-24 inches tall Cayennes produce slender, curved fruits that ripen from green to red They are very prolific, easy to grow, and add just the right amount of heat to dishes.
3. Jalapeño Peppers
A classic for dishes like nachos and chili, jalapeños have a nice balance of heat and flavor. The plants stay under 3 feet tall and produce heavily. Jalapeños are self-pollinating so they don’t require special care when grown indoors. Let them ripen to red for a sweeter flavor.
4. Serrano Peppers
Similar to jalapeños but packing more heat, serranos have a bright, citrusy flavor that adds punch to salsas, sauces and stir-fries. The plants reach 2-3 feet tall and yield dozens of small, tapered fruits. Allow serranos to ripen from green to red for the sweetest flavor.
5. Shishito Peppers
Trendy shishito peppers are perfect for indoor growing. The plants stay under 2 feet tall and yield prolifically. Harvest shishitos when they are 2-3 inches long. One out of every ten shishitos will be spicy, while the others will be mild. Grill or sauté them whole for a fun appetizer.
6. Ornamental Peppers
Ornamental peppers like ‘Black Pearl’ and ‘Explosive Ember’ add beauty with their colorful foliage and fruits. Plus, most ornamentals can be eaten when fully ripe. Their compact size, productivity, and low maintenance make them ideal for indoor containers.
7. Bird’s Eye Chili
Bird’s eye chilis, also called Thai chilis, are fun to grow indoors because they are small and very hot. Their small size doesn’t match the intense heat they give off—50,000 to 100,000 Scoville units Let the fruits ripen from green to bright red. Don’t put too many bird’s eye chilies in sauces, curries, or stir fries.
8. Pequin Peppers
Tiny but fiery, pequin peppers register a whopping 140,000-185,000 Scoville units. Their compact, bushy plants produce dozens of rounded, red fruits Pequins are perfect for container gardening and add intense heat to hot sauces, salsas and spice blends
9. Poblano Peppers
Poblanos are used to make chili rellenos and chile verde. They are mildly spicy and slightly sweet. Their stocky plants grow to be two to three feet tall and produce heart-shaped peppers that are eight inches long. Poblanos ripen from dark green to reddish-brown.
10. Aji Charapita
A unique pepper native to Peru, Aji Charapita offers extreme heat in a tiny package. Their petite fruits pack nearly 300,000 Scoville units! The compact plants work beautifully indoors. Use the thin-skinned peppers whole or mashed into fiery sauces.
Tips for Growing Peppers Indoors
To get the most out of your indoor peppers, follow these tips:
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Use at least a 5-10 gallon container per plant. This provides ample room for root growth.
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Place plants under LED grow lights and run them 12-16 hours per day. Full spectrum lights work best.
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Use a quick-draining potting mix made for indoor plants. Pre-moistened soil helps prevent issues.
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Water when the top inch of soil is dry. Overwatering leads to root rot and other problems.
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Fertilize every 1-2 weeks with a balanced liquid fertilizer to encourage growth.
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Monitor for pests like fungus gnats, aphids and spider mites. Catch problems early.
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Prune plants as needed to control size and increase airflow. Pinch off growing tips when young.
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Pollinate flowers by gently shaking plants daily. No bees means you must do it manually!
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Raise lights as plants grow taller. Keep an eye out for leaf scorch.
With the right pepper variety and care, you can grow pans of peppers indoors for harvest year-round. Pay close attention to lighting, temperature, watering and nutrients for the best results.
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Growing Conditions for Indoor Peppers
The basic growing conditions for indoor peppers are more or less the same regardless of which type of pepper you have chosen to grow, as most peppers do have very similar if not identical needs.
When growing in soil-based or soil-like growing medium, regular watering to keep the soil consistently moist and ensuring adequate air circulation are essential practices to promote healthy growth and disease prevention. Aim to keep conditions moist but not waterlogged at all times.
Position your plants in a spot that receives a minimum of 6-8 hours of direct sunlight daily, or alternatively, use full spectrum LED grow lights for 12-16 hours each day.
Aim for a PPFD of around 200-300 µmol/m²/s during the seedling stage, 400-600 µmol/m²/s during vegetative growth, and 600-800 µmol/m²/s while the plants are flowering and producing fruits.
Like other plants grown indoors, peppers can sometimes encounter problems with pests. Some common pests of peppers indoors include aphids, whiteflies, scale insects, fungus gnats, thrips, spider mites and mealybugs. Pest problems, as mentioned above, are less likely to occur in hydroponic or aquaponic cultivation, especially in a more highly controlled indoors environment.
Types of Peppers Suitable for Indoor Growing
A wide variety of peppers (Capsicum ssp.) can be grown indoors, including:
- Bell peppers and sweet peppers (mini bell peppers work best for growing indoors)
- Banana peppers/ wax peppers
- Cherry peppers/ Lipstick peppers
- Cayenne peppers
- Jalapeños
- Birds eye chili/ Thai chili
- Paprika peppers
- Chiltepin/ Indian peppers
- New Mexico Chilis
- Pimiento/ Pimentos
- Habanero peppers (Capsicum chinense)
- Tabasco/ piri piri etc. (Capsicum frutescens)
- Rocoto peppers (Capsicum pubescens)
- Aji peppers (Capsicum baccatum)
Some will be easier than others to grow indoors but you can grow any of the peppers that can be grown outside indoors as well, as long as you use the right methods and set up to provide the conditions they need.
The best peppers for indoors growing are generally considered to be those that grow into smaller and more compact plants, and those with smaller fruits which mature reasonably quickly. Larger plants, larger fruited plants, and those peppers with a long time-to-harvest will typically be more challenging (though not impossible) to grow indoors.
Some of the best peppers for beginners to grow indoors are mini bell peppers, jalapeños, cayenne peppers, cherry peppers, and banana peppers. They can be planted in pots with the right potting mix, or they can be grown in a hydroponic or aquaponic system.
My Pepper Growing Secrets For Huge Harvests
FAQ
What are the best pepper varieties to grow indoors?
If you are open to trying different pepper varieties in your indoor garden, some of the easiest types of peppers to grow inside include:Thai chili. Scotch bonnet. Jalapeño. Shishito. Serrano. Banana. Habanero. Pequin.
Do peppers grow well indoors?
Growing peppers indoors can increase yields and reduce problems with pests and diseases. It can allow you to grow more quickly, especially when growing in hydroponic systems, and you will have more control over the environmental conditions that you would do when growing outside.
What should not be planted next to peppers?
Nightshades: While tomatoes can be good companion plants for peppers, other nightshades such as potatoes and eggplants are not.
Are peppers best grown in pots?
Growing sweet peppers in pots and containers at home is a great way to grow a good crop of fresh peppers to enjoy. Mar 25, 2025.