When to plant pepper

Tender · frost kills it

Pepperis keyed to your local frost dates. The offsets below hold anywhere — but the calendar dates they land on don’t. Enter your ZIP for dates tuned to your city’s nearest NOAA station.

Pepper planting timeline

Start indoors

8–10 wks before

Transplant out

2–3 wks after

Harvest

60–90 days later

-11 wksLAST SPRING FROST+16 wks

Tender: wait until the danger of frost has passed before planting out.

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Pepper planting FAQ

When should I start pepper seeds indoors?

Start pepper indoors 8–10 weeks before the last spring frost, so seedlings are ready to plant out once the weather warms.

Can I direct sow pepper?

Pepper is usually started indoors and transplanted rather than direct sown, for a reliable stand.

How long does pepper take to grow?

Pepper takes about 60–90 days from transplanting to harvest, depending on the variety and conditions.

Is pepper frost-hardy?

Tender: wait until the danger of frost has passed before planting out.

Planting reminders

Never miss a window in your area

An email when it’s time to start seeds, transplant, and sow — timed to your frost dates. Double opt-in, one-click unsubscribe, no spam.

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Planting windows are offsets from your local 1991–2020 NOAA frost normals. How we compute this.