This is an in-depth look at Location Selection for Growing Peppers.  This is part of the How to Grow Peppers Series.

Whether pepper plants where started from seed indoors or purchased from a garden shop the plants will eventually need to be transplanted.  Transplanting pepper plants will allow the plant to reach its full potential in size as well as production.

When to Transplant

Pepper plants should be transplanted as soon as the weather will allow.  Because pepper plants do not do well with cold temperatures (anything bellow 40 degrees can easily kill pepper plants), care should be taken to avoid all chances of cold nights.  In general, the best practice is to wait 3-5 weeks after the last expected frost.  This will ensure that all danger of cold nights has passed.

Decision: Container or In-ground

Pepper plants can do well either in a container of appropriate size, and there are pro’s and con’s to either approach.

In Ground

  • Pros
  • Lower maintenance (The soil will naturally maintain more moisture and has a much higher capacity for nutrients)
  • No fear of plant tipping over
  • No root binding issues
  • Cons
  • More difficult to protect from cold
  • Location is semi-permanent (plants can be dug up and transplanted, but this will always affect growth and production)

Container

  • Prod
  • Mobile
  • Easy to protect from the cold (can be moved indoors)
  • Cons
  • Can lead to root binding
  • If container is to small it can become unstable.

If selecting a container, for most pepper plants a container the size of a 5-gallon bucket or lager will work perfectly.

Hardening Pepper Plants Off

Before pepper plants are ready to be moved out doors permanently they should be hardened off.  The hardening off process gets the plants acclimated to direct sun and wind conditions.

How to Harden Off a Pepper Plant

  • Place pepper plant outside in direct sun for 2 hours every day for 3 days
  • Bring the plant back inside after 2 hours
  • Increase amount of time in direct sun by 2 hours every 3 days
  • Continue this process until the plant has spent 3 days in direct sun for 8 hours a day
  • The plant is now ready to be moved out doors permanently.

Transplant Technique

Once a location has been selected and the pepper plant has been hardened off it is time to transplant it to its new permanent location.  Pepper plants can be highly stressed out by transplantation, but following these steps will help ensure the least stress as possible.

  • Transplant the pepper plant late in the day to avoid the stress of direct sun immediately after transplant
  • Dig a hole that is large enough for the entire root system to fit comfortably
  • Remove the pepper plant from its current container
  • Gently place the pepper plants roots in the hole
  • Fill in any gaps with high quality soil
  • Cover the entire root system with about one inch of soil
  • Thoroughly water in the plant

Quick Tips

  • Container can be brought inside on cold days, extending the life of a pepper plant for many years
  • To help reduce the stress of being transplanted, shade cloth can be placed above a recent transplant and remain there until all signs of stress are gone.
  • If a pepper plant sags after being transplanted, stake it with bamboo to keep it upright and out of the soil