Growing Peppers in Florida
Growing peppers in Florida seems like it should be a piece of cake, especially in the summertime — hot temperatures, plenty of rain, sunshine. But what are some special concerns if you decide to grow peppers in Florida?
Summer is the Best (and Worst) Time
Summer is best in Florida because of the heat — peppers adore hot weather! Conversely, it can be the worst time, due to rain (like what we had in 2008 – whoa!), humidity and super-bright sunshine. Each can cause problems, but there are solutions!
Solution number one is to primarily grow your chile (hot) and ornamental peppers in the summer. They love the heat, and especially the habaneros, scotch bonnets and bhut jolokia peppers. Their original home is the tropics, which fits right in with Florida in Summer!
Bell peppers are better grown in the cooler, “shoulder” seasons. I’ve had very little luck growing nice, big bell peppers in Summer.
The sweet peppers can be grown in the hot Florida summer, as long as you provide them shade during the hottest part of the day. In fact, I like to grow all but my hottest peppers in dappled shade, during July and August. Sun scald can be a problem!
Humidity can also be an issue , unless you leave plenty of room between your pepper plants for air circulation. If the air can’t circulate, sweet and bell peppers in particular can get mold and fungus on the leaves.
What About the Other Seasons?
Here in South Florida where I live, I can pretty much grow peppers year-round, with one caveat; that I be able to protect them when the night-time temperatures go below 50. Peppers, especially the really hot ones, are sensitive to the chilly weather. They don’t like cold feet, especially cold wet feet.
Actually, in most of Florida you can plant your peppers outside in Spring, once the night temperatures are consistently above 55 degrees. The soil should be really warm, though, if the evenings are still cool, so make sure where you plan to plant gets at least 8 hours of direct sun a day. And if your peppers decide to be long-lived into the late summer, make sure you can give your sweet peppers at least some shade at mid-day or sun scald can be a problem.
In any case, it’s best that you germinate your pepper seeds inside; check out the germinating pepper seeds post for instructions. And I’ve come to realize that especially with hot chile pepper seeds, I have to add warmth to the soil, when I germinate my seeds in the winter – even here in South Florida! That’s where grow mats with heat some in handy.
(Before trying the grow mats in Winter, my chile pepper seed germination rate wasn’t all that great, even though my windowsill greenhouse is on a south-facing window. Live and learn.)
Pepper Seed Varieties
I love peppers, so I am always on the lookout for new pepper seed sources. Sometimes I like hot (chile) peppers, other times I want the sweeter (bell, banana) peppers for my palate.
So was I ever surprised when I found some neat pepper seeds where I didn’t expect them — ebay!
Chile Pepper Seeds
Now when I say chile pepper, I am including all the hot peppers – not just the ones with “chile” as part of their name. And there are lots and lots of hot pepper seeds to pick!
Some of the hot pepper seed varieties I saw included
- Aji Peppers
- Ancho/Poblano
- Bhut Jolokia
, which is among the hottest peppers around.
- Cayenne peppers
- Datil peppers
- Habanero
- Jalapeno pepper
- Serrano
- Scotch bonnet
- Thai hot
- Trinadad scorpion
Well, that’s just a small sampling of the hot pepper seeds that I saw — lots more varieties are available.
Sweet Peppers
Not to be outdone, there were also plenty of sweet and bell peppers available, too. I love hot chile peppers, but I also adore sweet peppers and bell peppers, too. While for whatever reason I tend to have problems with growing bells, I can grow the other sweet peppers ’til the cows come home!
Some of the interesting sweet peppers that I saw were:
There are a whole lot more of the non-chile-pepper-type seeds. I couldn’t believe the variety I saw!
Well, I need to get shopping, because fortunately, Florida summers are great for growing hot peppers (unless we get a hurricane, that is). I saw quite a few new varieties that I want to try!
Pepper Questions
Here are some frequently asked pepper questions. Peppers are pretty easy to grow in general, but you may still be wondering about a few things before you plant your peppers.
Pepper Frequently Asked Questions
Are peppers easy to grow?  Yes! Most pepper varieties will grow and produce delicous fruits for you. If you have a short growing season or lots of cloudy days, however, you should stick with the tried and true peppers like a sweet banana pepper or perhaps the feisty jalapeno (both are known to be prolific). If you have a longer growing season with plenty of sunshine, you can grow almost any variety.
 So how do I grow peppers? Here’s a post on germinating pepper seeds that gives information on how to grow those great-tasting peppers from seed!
What kind of insects or diseases are possible?  Here is the lowdown on insects and diseases that could come to pay a visit on your peppers. Wherever possible, I’ve suggested organic (or at least chemical-free) solutions.
Can I grow peppers is a greenhouse? Â Sure! The key to deciding the varieties that would be best are 1) the size of your greenhouse and 2) the warmth and sunlight your greenhouse receives. Most pepper varieties take up relatively little space, so greenhouse conditions are more of a determining factor.
When should I plant peppers?  It really depends on your climate! For example, in South Florida, the Spring and Fall are our prime pepper-growing times, with Summer also being good for the chile peppers. Here’s a general rule of thumb; start your seeds indoors at 6 to 8 weeks before your last expected frost for a main-season planting. For more detailed information, check out the planting pepper seeds post.
How do I make chile powder? Â Chile powder (or more specifically, ground dried hot pepper) is very easy if you have a dehydrator, but you can still dry them in an oven or in a warm dry place! First, pick your peppers and make sure they are clean and dry. Place them in your dehydrator in a single layer and dry them until they crack when you try to bend them.
No dehydrator? Place the peppers in a single layer in a warm oven, with the door slightly cracked (about 200 degrees). It will take a long time, though, depending on the size of the pepper! Check every few hours and remove when dry. After the peppers are dried (by any means), crush the peppers (seeds and all!) with a mortar and pestle.
One final note; if you are dehydrating a very hot variety of pepper (habaneros, scotch bonnet, etc.), you may want to wear gloves, eye protection and a face filter while you are crushing the dried peppers. Yes, I’m being serious; these peppers are hot and if you’re at all sensitive, the fine pepper dust can wreak havoc with your eyes and lungs.
Oww! How can I cool down my mouth (and cool down the pepper)?  Check out the chile pepper post for some tips on cooling down that hot sensation!