Buying and Growing Peppers From Seed to Transplant

Documentary created 7/28/26 in Oviedo, Florida, zone 10A

Note For My Pepper Plants Buyers:

If local folks would like to buy pepper plants from me, follow my Marketplace or blog shop listing during the months of April and September. I also take customized seedling requests to meet my customers’ needs and preferences but all requests need to be made in February 1 or August 1.
Pricing per pepper starter plant is $5 in a 4-inch seedling pot.

Mama Snow’s Fall 2026 Pepper Varieties List:

Introduction

I used to not have any interest in growing peppers until I learned there’s over 2000 pepper varieties. They differ in sizes, color variations, sweetness level, heat level, foliage color, flower color, and fruit yield. I also learned not all pepper varieties can tolerate the summer heat in zone 10A/B.

Where did I got my rare pepper seeds from? Meet the guy who inspired me to grow all sorts of peppers each year, Nhan T Ha, owner of The Hot Pepper Seeds Shop, on Etsy. You can follow Nhan on his Facebook page to learn about all the peppers who grows and the new pepper breed he created each year.

Growing Peppers From Seed

Here in zone 10A, I sow pepper seeds in early March and early August outdoor for my spring and fall pepper plants sale. I do not have any interest sowing seeds indoor because that will cost me more money and I have no space inside my house.

Step 1:

I label my seedling pots and filled out my seed germination recording sheet. This is also how I organized my pepper seeds collection too. From my spring 2026 pepper growing season, I learned that trying to grow and 36 pepper varieties was just too much work and too overwhelming for me. So now I will downsize to offering only 15 pepper varieties during my spring and fall pepper plants sale, three of my top favorite varieties, 6 of my favorites, and 6 new pepper varieties I have never grown before.

Step 2:

I prep my seedling potting mix.

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Step 3.

I sow 2 to 4 seeds per seedling pot.

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Step 4.

Watering: I would water my seedling trays everyday if I am using the 10″x20″ tray with holes. If my seedling station is under my covered patio, I would use the trays without holes, fill the trays up with water, and only refills it when soil is somewhat dry.

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Here is what my mobile pepper seedling station looks like! I use the Vego Garden 2’x4′ elevated bed with wheels along with the frame and mesh cover system as my mobile pepper seedling station.

Growing Peppers from Transplant

This section is for my customers who purchased pepper starter plants from me. It takes four to six weeks for my pepper starter plants to be ready for sale.

How early can pepper seedlings be transplanted? I have tested this out with three of the above pepper seedlings at different height. All three seedlings took off nicely; although the chance of the smaller size seedlings can easily die if it’s not watered well.

Choosing the right pot size

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The rule of thumb for growing pepper plants I learned: The bigger the container means the bigger the plant and the bigger the harvest will be. Since I grow peppers just mainly for fun, I prepare using 5 or 8-gallon pots when it’s time to transplant the starter plants into its permanent home. I would use 5-gallon pots for dwarf pepper varieties and 8-gallon pots for bigger varieties. I sometimes use 15-gallon pots for my favorite sweet peppers. I have seen master growers growing pepper plants in 45 to 100-gallon planters and the pepper plants grow very tall and huge. As for me, I just like to grow my pepper plants big enough for my customers to carry the pot if someone have an interest in buying my mature fruiting pepper plants.

Prepping and Feeding the Potting Soil

Once I select which pot size for my pepper transplant, I prep the potting soil mix. I mix a very large batch at a time. I would full the pots with my potting mix. Before putting the starter plant in, I would scoop out a hole twice as big as the seedling pot, I would mix in Extreme Mykos Root Enhancer, bone meal, azomite, and worm casting prior to placing my pepper starter plant into that hole.

Remember to tamp the soil!

I make sure to water my pepper plants every one or two days depending on the weather and temperature and watch the plants grow!

How to continue to fertilize and feed my pepper plants throughout the growing season?

Well, I only add a quart of my seedling potting mix into the pot each month. There’s many ways to fertilize pepper plants but I tried to keep my gardening life as simple as possible. 😂

Note: Other pepper growers may do more to keep their plants growing for more than a season. For me, I get bored quickly and I find it just easier to start from seed again every six months.

Companion Plants for Pepper Plants

I learned to grow basils, French Marigold, and scallions near my pepper plants to help keep the hornworms away. Pepper plants that do not have companion plants growing nearby do end up having hornworms on them. Hornworms are those giant fat green caterpillars that can devour a whole plant overnight. They glow in the dark if I use a black flashlight to hunt for then at night.

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