When to Plant Peppers: Seed-Starting and Transplant Dates by Frost

Peppers are even fussier about cold than tomatoes. Chilly nights and cold soil stall young plants, and a stalled pepper can take weeks to start growing again. Setting them out a little late is almost always better than setting them out early. Here is how to time each step.

Step 1: wait for warm nights, not just the frost date

University of Minnesota Extension says to transplant peppers after nighttime low temperatures are above 50°F, and notes that nights below 60°F (or above 70°F), days above 90°F and dry soil can all weaken growth. Texas A&M AgriLife Extension says to plant peppers only when all danger of cold weather has passed, and University of Maryland Extension warns that warm-season crops planted into cold soil don't root well. That is why peppers usually go out a week or so after tomatoes.

Step 2: dates by last frost

These windows match our planting calendar: start seeds indoors 10 to 8 weeks before your average last spring frost, then transplant 2 to 3 weeks after it. If your nights are still dipping below 50°F at the end of the window, wait a few more days.

Regional examples from extension sources: in central Maryland (last frost around April 15), UMD lists pepper seeds indoors from mid-March to mid-April and transplants from mid-May to mid-June. University of Florida IFAS lists pepper transplants for February to April (and again July to August) in North Florida, January to March (and August to September) in Central Florida, and August through February in South Florida.

Step 3: starting pepper seeds indoors

• Keep them warm. UMN sows seeds ¼ inch deep in a sterile seed-starting mix and keeps the tray at 80 to 90°F on a heat mat until seedlings emerge; about 70°F is ideal after that. Pepper seed is slow and patchy in cool rooms.
• Give them bright light directly overhead so the stems don't stretch and lean.
• Pinch early flowers. Peppers sometimes bloom indoors; UMN pinches off the flower buds until just before planting out.
• Harden off over a week or two. Start in a sheltered spot with a couple of hours of sun, add more each day, and bring plants in if nights drop below 55°F (UMN).
• Or buy plants. Texas A&M suggests buying healthy plants 4 to 6 inches tall, since a few plants feed most families. UMN looks for sturdy plants up to a foot tall with pencil-thick stems and no leaf spots.

Step 4: planting day

Step 5: fall peppers in hot-summer areas

In the South, peppers often stop setting fruit in the hottest weeks, and a summer planting gives a fall harvest. Texas A&M says to plant fall peppers 12 to 16 weeks before the first expected frost, and its fall gardening guide says to always use transplants, not seed, for fall peppers. Average fall planting dates by Texas gardening region:

Harvest timing

Texas A&M says the first peppers should be ready 8 to 10 weeks after transplanting, and that picking peppers as they mature keeps the plants producing. You don't have to wait for red: UMN notes many varieties are good green. Peppers are frost-tender, so pick everything before your first fall frost.

Where peppers go in the garden

Peppers are in the nightshade family with tomatoes, potatoes and eggplant. UMN suggests planting them where none of those crops grew in the last 3 to 4 years. See what to plant with peppers for basil, onions and other good neighbors, and when to plant tomatoes if you start both indoors.

Frequently asked questions

When should I plant peppers outside?

About 2 to 3 weeks after your average last spring frost, once nighttime lows stay above 50°F. UMN Extension uses the 50°F night temperature as the signal to transplant.

When should I start pepper seeds indoors?

About 8 to 10 weeks before your last frost date. UMN suggests about eight weeks before planting out, which is earlier than tomatoes.

Should peppers go out at the same time as tomatoes?

Usually a little later. Peppers are more sensitive to cool nights, so they often go out a week or so after tomatoes, once nights stay above 50°F.

Why are my pepper seeds not sprouting?

Cool soil is the most common reason. UMN keeps pepper seed trays at 80 to 90°F on a heat mat until seedlings emerge.

When should I plant fall peppers?

Texas A&M suggests transplanting fall peppers 12 to 16 weeks before the first expected frost, using transplants rather than seed.

How deep should I plant pepper transplants?

At the same depth they grew in the pot. Unlike tomatoes, peppers are not planted deeper or laid in a trench.