10 Hacks to Grow Hot Peppers in the PNW

My wife, Michelle, and I got a real love of tasty, spicy dishes from our living in Singapore and traveling to most countries in Asia – an informal food-tour from places like Tibet to Bhutan. For us, there is nothing better than making salsa from our own ingredients; from the over-wintered garlic and the naturally grown tomatoes or tomatillos and the main ingredient, the variety of hot and sweet peppers we farm. Growing up in California, we just assumed you could grow most anything year round; the short season here in the Pacific Northwest makes it an extreme challenge (which I thrive on haha) to grow the hottest and sweetest peppers. 

This past year was our third season of growing and selling at the Olympia and Tumwater Farmers Market and South Sound Fresh – and we had an absolute banner year for peppers, including being able to successfully grow in volume Ghost Peppers – 1M Skoville (bjut jolokia) and Carolina Reapers (1.5M!). Our other huge winners this year were Habaneros, Purple Jalapenos, Hot Cherry (Caperinos), plus the not-hot Shishitos and for us, the Pepper of the Year award goes to … The Carmens (sweet Italian stuffing/frying peppers). This year, we made optimal use of most every pepper we grew from seed – from selling spring starts, summer and fall produce sales, to winter drying, freezing and seed-saving. 

The following are the Top Ten must-do’s if you want to increase your own chances of successfully growing – definitely not all-inclusive because of Mother Nature and all the other variables that make being a commercial farmer so challenging. (Gosh, as most of you know, we can do everything right for one crop, one year, and with hot peppers being so finicky, when we get them to successfully grow large and beautiful fruits, it’s such a feeling of accomplishment (and deliciousness!)

1. Number One is you have to start early – but not too early.  As we are pursuing organic certification in 2025, we source only organic seeds, and Johnny’s is our preferred choice for vegetables including peppers (while we buy from Keene’s Organic and Peaceful Farm’s Organic for Red Shallots). We start our seeds in 1020 trays (48 cells), on heat-mats, either in a greenhouse or in a dedicated room in the farm-house with heat and grow-lights. TIP – pre-germinate the seeds (and also know which ones are viable) using either the paper-towel, water, or other methods. Last year, I started around mid-February for the peppers (and tomatoes), and transplanting is around mid-May (after the threat of frost is gone and we start reaching 50s at night).  You’re still OK if you get a start even in mid-March if you have the warmth of soil, ambient temps and sun or grow-lights. The hotter the pepper, the more difficult and longer it takes to both germinate, ready for transplanting and reach mature fruit (turning colors for most peppers). This can range from 210-240 days (!), and we were still harvesting some in late November this past year. TIP: We (and others we know), “over-seed” in the trays as seeds are relatively inexpensive and increases your chances of the most viable and healthiest sprouts and seedlings.  Generally, the larger the seed (think cucumber), the fewer the seeds per cell, and opposite for smaller (pepper).  I might hand place 3 in a cell slightly separated and worst case is that I can thin at transplanting. 
2. Hot Peppers Need to Grow in A Hot Place – like a greenhouse, “cold-frame” (a misnomer for a mini-mini hothouse) or a protected area south-facing or in containers. Many delicious peppers can be grown outdoors here such as Jalapenos, Bell Pepper and Shishitos, but again, one of the biggest success factors is a place where the temperature can be above 80 degrees during the day for sustained periods (months).  You can create your own little mini-greenhouse very inexpensively even using bamboo (we have tons if you need!), and clear plastic carp and a little MacGyver (or MacGruber haha). We use floating row covers inside to cover the early 1020s and anything growing in the raised beds in Greenhouse before the temperatures rise enough.  As the summer progresses, we’ll install the shade cover as temperatures can get into the 110s.
3. Soil is Always the Key to growing anything really, and more so for peppers. Most growers seem to have their own ‘recipe’ for starting seeds, and for transplanting into 4” pots and ultimately the raised-beds or field rows. As we are pursuing Organic Certification in 2025, we’ve been buying organic potting soil and compost (if not our own) from a locally-owned farm store (do not buy from the Big Box stores – some of soil appears to be not much better than dirt – and they sell mostly chemical based fertilizer from BigAg). You’ll want to mix it with Perlite or Vermiculite (a natural volcanic offshoot – the white portions in starts) at a consistency that feels right to you. No need to add any fertilizer or other nutrients as the seed contains everything it needs to germinate with the right amount of light, heat, soil, and water.  When we’re transplanting into 4” pots and in beds, we also mix a generous amount of organic compost (either store-bought or home-made to organic standards).  The consistency is a matter of touch and feel; being able to sense how the seedlings can grasp the soil and take root – they need proper drainage from and with the soil.
4. Proper Watering and Drainage are sometimes difficult to gauge – though you can use some digital or analog measuring devices – we tend to be a bit more old-school (as are most farmers we know). With a drainage tray under the 1020 cells, we thoroughly water the seeds in soil after planting and the trick is to check the trays a couple of times a day to see if they have dried out. The surest way to kill a seed (as I’ve found out countless times) is to let it become so dry that after getting ready to emerge, it’s starved of vital water. But you can’t keep them saturated, or you’ll see (like I have again!) the tops of the cells become a little green with a moss-like surface. For me, I have to feel them with my fingers in the soil and to lift them to see if they’re heavy or light. The best way for consistent watering is through a timed and automated drip watering system that waters the soil and not the leaves as it grows up. Still, though, I’ve found the extreme temperature variations in the greenhouses, makes hand-watering an essential supplement. Floating row covers or clear breathable tray tops can also keep moisture in.
5. Raised Beds or Containers are the best ways to grow hot peppers for us small family farmers or gardeners and the easiest to use and most versatile. I’ve built a number of custom-sized raised beds in our Greenhouse “Two” out of materials from Home Depot. They sell these concrete blocks that are notched on four sides to accommodate one inch wide lumber (cedar or pressure-treated) and a hole in the middle to secure with a piece of rebar. OG Note: One cannot have pressure-treated wood touching growing soil – so cedar is best. I found I could build an 8’ x 4’ x 2’ high raised bed for about $120 for materials and build in less than an hour. What is great though, is you can design beds in any configuration to accommodate the space, and just cut the 8’ boards into sizes and widths or shapes. Line the beds with weed barrier and staple to the four sides. Fill the beds with sterile (organic if possible) raised-bed soil sold in two-liter bags. Large pots or containers in a super-sunny place also work great for any peppers – give it plenty of space or replant as it outgrows their home.
6. Weeds Are Not Your Friends or the peppers! My least favorite farm-task is weeding. Since we don’t own or use any chemicals, all of the weeding is done by hand (as for all growers we know also). Weeds will sap the water and energy needed by the plant to grow, and they unfortunately grow well in good soil and consistent watering. There are lots of tools to pull weeds but ultimately your hands in the dirt (wear gloves!) are the best way to get the true feel of what to pull or not. I found also that when I’m hand-watering or just admiring it is a suitable time to pull any weeds you see. TIP: pull the weeds as soon as you see and when they’re smallish – easier to pull as they don’t have a strong a foothold. Do not put the weeds in your compost pile – either burn or dispose of in another way. Indoor raised beds and weed-barriers help a lot – and another key is mulch on the surface (we use natural or organic ground bark).
7. Pest and Disease Control can be accomplished without the use of insecticides or pesticides via natural methods. I’ve found the pepper plants are at most risk while young, transplanted seedlings less than a foot high or so. The leaf-cutters and other biting bugs can destroy the plants first “true leaves” and leave the unfortunate thing no way to get sunshine and photosynthesis through its leaves. One of the great properties of hot peppers is that once grown and fruited, they seem to be highly resistant to many of the pests or diseases that other vegetables such as tomatoes can face. Being spicy in nature has its advantages! When young though, they are super-susceptible, and I’ve used several natural pest sprays that work well – you just need to stay on top of them and really get as much of the leaves as possible – without oversaturating them.
8. Care and Feeding of your “babies” is one of the joys of gardening. Seeing them grow up healthy and happy from seeds I planted brings me such happiness and I want to take care of them and see them mature and bring their fruits to others.  Generally, I remove any lower leaves that are in contact with the soil to avoid transmission of rot or disease.  As they grow, I’ll tend to remove some of the lower, bigger leaves but never too many at a time to avoid shocking them. Plants need the leaves for growth but too many of non-productive ones can also take more energy that we want to go into the flowers and ultimately peppers.  Some sites recommend topping pepper plants, but I’ve never tried it – but it may be something to experiment with this season? I also have all the vegetables on a regular feeding program of organic fertilizer in either timed-release or soluble (fish emulsion). TIP: Important to purchase the right combination of Nitrogen, Phosphate, Potassium (NPK) that is specifically designed for peppers – as opposed to garlic or broccoli for example. A good ratio is 10-30-20 meaning a higher proportion of phosphorus and potassium compared to nitrogen as this encourages flowering and fruit production while still supporting healthy plant growth. I stake mine from the first transplant and add larger pieces of bamboo to tie up and support the plant as the fruit becomes larger and heavier along some of the branches. I also clip off any shoots from the bottom up that are energy-sapping.
9. Harvesting Is The Fun Part, and you’ll want to be able to store and use after so many months or nurturing, babying and finally returning on your time. The plants like their peppers picked as it encourages bigger fruit from the remaining ones and those still growing. Jalapenos, Shishitos, Anaheims and Serranos when mature are green, and over-ripe for them is red. Others can be harvested green or red (Bell, Carmen), but the others need to get to red or orange or yellow such as the Ghose Peppers, Habaneros, Carolina Reapers, and Caperinos.  Peppers can be handpicked without tools by bending them carefully backward being careful so as to not break the stem they are on. Use sterile gloves to prevent transmission of disease (as you do on cuttings with clean clippers or scissors) and because some are bloody-hot! One of the best features of peppers is that they store extraordinarily well. I keep some in meshed containers in clean, dark, and cool place (garage) or in refrigerator in breathable compostable bags. For weeks you can enjoy your own home-grown hotties!
10. What to do with your Home-Grown Peppers? So many things from cooking to freezing to drying to giving to friends or donating to local foodbank. The recipes are endless from green or red salsas, frying up the Italian Sweet Peppers, Mango-Habanero drinks, Asian Stir-Fries, Ghost Pepper Wings, and your imagination and the Internet are your only limitations. Because we had so many “extra,” un-sold (a good/terrible thing!) I decided to de-seed a bunch of different varieties (ten) and then use the rest of the fruit to cook with, or dry or freeze giving us a chance to enjoy our peppers (and with others) for the winter! A few (more experienced) growers recommended that some of the hot-pepper plants can actually be perennials with proper care and give a massive head-start to the following season. I took the biggest and healthiest Ghost, Caperino, Jalapeno, Habanero, Anaheim, and Serrano plants and clipped them till they were essentially bare-root seedlings. About 1-2’ tall, stripped of leaves and keeping the largest branches and stems and eliminating any parts not likely to grow back next year. Shaking off the dirt I was surprised at the large root-structure size and gave me confidence to replant in 1-3 gallon clean pots with new potting soil. They are now in our indoor “grow-room” for the winter, getting heat, some sun and enough watering to keep them alive yet dormant till they (hopefully) reemerge in the spring once we get to more than 10 hours of daylight. 

Saving seeds is a very tedious task (like much of farming is) requiring attention to detail, and an art and a science on what and how to properly save.  The method I use is after taking out the seeds using a clean small knife, I’ll place them on a paper plate (not paper towel), clean out the detritus, mark the plate (important!), and cover with another plate and place in a constantly warm small room for a few days.  They must be completely dry (but not dried out) before one can then place in envelopes for storage and reuse. The last and even more careful task was sorting the seeds, looking for health, and placing them in marked envelopes with variety/date harvested/ and quantity (mostly 25). I store these in sealed small bin, again in a cool (not cold), dark place. For a limited amount of time, we are making a small number of these seed packets available to our existing or new customers. Check out the “fresh list” for types and quantities available. The seed packets of 25 are just $7.50 each or 3 for $20.00. Spend a minimum of $20.00 on a variety pack and we’ll include free shipping (U.S. contiguous)! 

Wishing you a successful growing season in 2025!

“Farmer” Mitch – *a human, wrote this with no AI assistance.

Summit Farms