How to Grow and Care for Ornamental Peppers

Ornamental peppers blur the boundary between beautiful and edible. They produce fruits and foliage in a rainbow of colors and a diversity of elongated and round shapes. If they get the sunlight and warmth they need, they are fast-growing and easy to care for. Ornamental peppers are perennials in a warm, frost-free climate, but most gardeners grow them as annuals. They are planted in the spring once the soil has warmed to at least 70 degrees F.

The leaves of ornamental pepper plants are toxic to humans and animals.

How to Plant Ornamental Peppers

When to Plant

One of the most common mistakes in growing ornamental peppers is planting them outdoors too early. Plants are often sold in garden centers before the weather is agreeable for them to go in the ground. If you feel the time is right for swimming in an outdoor pool, conditions are also suitable for growing ornamental peppers outdoors.

Not only should the chance of all frost be passed, but nights should be warm too, with air temperatures at least 60 degrees F and preferably higher. Soil temperatures should be at least 70 degrees before sowing seeds outdoors or planting nursery transplants. Gardeners growing peppers from seeds generally find it advisable to start them indoors. Peppers can be temperamental to direct sow in the garden, especially in cooler climates with a short growing season.

Selecting a Planting Site

To flourish, ornamental peppers need 6 to 8 hours of sunlight a day. Make sure the soil has good drainage. Because these plants are grown for their ornamental value, and they are rather short, place them where you can enjoy the view—in the front of a border, around a patio, etc.

Spacing, Depth, and Support

Plant ornamental pepper seedlings with three to four true leaves (not the cotyledons) about 12 to 24 inches apart in the garden in holes that are about 3 to 4 inches deep. Ornamental pepper plants have an upright growth habit. Most ornamental pepper plants have been bred so that they do not need to be staked or caged, but if the plant is exceptionally heavy with fruit, you may want to add a support.

Ornament Pepper Care

Light

Ornamental peppers need full sun to provide the energy for producing flowers and colorful fruit. If you grow these plants indoors, you should use supplemental artificial lighting for healthy plants and good fruiting.

Soil

Plant your ornamental peppers in rich, loamy soil that is slightly acidic (pH 6.0 to 6.8). Generous soil amendments of compost and well-rotted manure will both improve tilth and add trace nutrients for healthier plants. If your soil is heavy clay, plant your peppers in raised beds or use containers for good drainage.

If growing ornamental peppers in pots, any all-purpose potting mix will be sufficient.

Water

While ornamental peppers react badly to dry conditions, they do not like to be waterlogged, either. Water deeply whenever the soil's surface feels dry, and aim for a moisture level like that of a wrung-out sponge. About 1 inch of water per week is recommended. Check container-grown plants often for water, as they dry out more quickly than in-ground plants.

Temperature and Humidity

Like tomatoes, ornamental peppers are members of the Solanaceae family and both enjoy full sun and hot weather. Temperatures of 75 degrees F and up stimulate rapid growth. Planting peppers in cold soil may cause them to remain stunted for the entire growing season. Humidity is a less important growth factor, as long as roots stay moist. However, temperatures above 90 degrees may cause blossom drop, but the plants will rebound once the temperatures cool.

Fertilizer

Ornamental peppers are moderate feeders and need a steady stream of nutrients to keep up with blooming and fruiting. A 5-10-10 fertilizer with more phosphorus and potassium than nitrogen will encourage fruit and bloom production without making plants too leafy. Side-dress the plants with fertilizer when the fruit first begins to form, then a second time about six weeks later.

Pollination

Like all peppers, ornamental peppers have perfect flowers, which means each plant has male and female reproductive organs which self-pollinate without requiring pollinating insects.

Types of Ornamental Peppers

When it comes to ornamental peppers, you can go bright and cheerful or dark and moody. Here are a few popular types of ornamental peppers.

• 'Chilly Chili' has long yellow and red peppers that extend straight up from the tops of plants like fingers.
• 'Black Pearl' is a variety with black foliage and clusters of black, pearl-like, shiny peppers. It is exceptionally heat-tolerant and grows into a handsome pyramid shape without pinching or grooming.
• ‘Prairie Fire‘ is a compact ornamental pepper that grows only 6 to 12 inches tall. The chilies grow upright on the plant and constantly change colors from yellow to orange, then red and eventually purple as they mature.
• 'Aurora' bears peppers that ripen from green to purple to orange and red, giving you a rainbow of color on one plant.
• ‘Medusa’ produces mild chilies with only 1 to 1,000 Scoville heat units, therefore it is considered a child-safe ornamental pepper to grow. The ivory, yellow, and bright orange peppers are narrow and twisted and look like the snake hair of Medusa in Greek mythology.
• ‘Joker’ is a small ornamental pepper that can be grown as a houseplant as well as outdoors. It reaches only 5 to 12 inches in height and width and has showy upright-growing peppers in red, yellow, and ivory.
• 'Bolivian Rainbow' produces very spicy peppers that look like colorful little Christmas light bulbs.
• 'Sangria' has a trailing habit that makes the type an attractive hanging basket specimen.
• 'NuMex Easter' produces pretty pastel peppers and dark green leaves.

Ornamental Peppers vs. Vegetable Garden Peppers

Ornamental peppers and edible peppers belong to the same genus, so what's the difference? Ornamental peppers usually have a very dwarf growing habit compared to edible hot and mild peppers. Peppers bred for the vegetable garden have many distinct flavor nuances, whereas if you bite into an ornamental pepper, you will only notice a flat and sometimes bitter hot spicy sensation, without any smokiness or sweetness, although that isn't true for all ornamental pepper varieties. Finally, ornamental peppers produce their fruits at the tops or tips of the plants where they can be seen, while the fruits of edible peppers are often hidden in the foliage.

Harvesting Ornamental Peppers

Since ornamental peppers aren’t very palatable, they are best used for cut or dried arrangements. Taller varieties usually work better because their stems are longer. For dried arrangements, harvest them when at least 90 percent of the peppers on the stem are colored (they will ripen more after cutting). For either cut or dried arrangements, strip the leaves off the stems. For drying, hang them upside down in a dry, well-ventilated place out of direct sunlight.

Growing Ornamental Peppers in Pots

Ornamental peppers of all types are great container plants. The root system of an ornamental pepper is small and shallow. A 6-inch container is big enough to hold a pepper plant, but remember that small containers also dry out faster. A larger container that holds multiple plants or a mixed planting will be more successful outdoors, while indoor pepper plants will tolerate smaller containers.

Pruning

Pruning ornamental peppers is not necessary, but it will help them retain a smaller form. Pinch off the growing tips to create a bushier plant. When the stems are long at about 4 to 6 inches, trim a half an inch to encourage less leggy growth. However, do not trim flowering stems.

Propagating Ornamental Peppers

Propagating an ornamental pepper plant can be tricky, which is why most gardeners prefer starting it from seed. Propagating it from stem cuttings only works time-wise if you live in an area with mild winters where ornamental pepper is a perennial, or if you are planning to grow it as a houseplant. To propagate it from cuttings, follow these steps:

1. Choose a healthy stem and use a sharp, sterilized cutting tool to cut on the diagonal a 5-inch portion with at least two leaf nodes.
2. Strip the bottom 2 to 3 inches of leaves and dip that end in rooting hormone.
3. Prepare a small seedling pot with drainage holes and moistened, well-draining potting soil for the cutting.
4. Make a hole in the soil using a pencil and place the cutting in the hole about 1 inch down; firmly pack the soil around the cutting.
5. Place the pot in a warm location and keep the soil constantly moist but not soggy.
6. Transplant the cutting into a more permanent 6- or 8-inch pot, or in the ground, after about eight weeks when it has grown a few inches.

How to Grow Ornamental Peppers From Seeds

If you want to create a border edge of ornamental peppers, starting them from seed is an economical way to get plants by the dozen. But because all ornamental peppers are cultivars, using the seeds from your own plants for propagation won’t produce plants true to the parent. Therefore, it is recommended to start with seeds from a seed company.

Start the seeds indoors a full two months before last spring frost. Seed germination to finished fruit production can take 12 to 22 weeks, depending on the variety, and it takes about six to eight weeks for seedlings to reach a good transplant size.

1. Start seeds in containers filled with seed-starter mix about eight weeks before the last frost, covering them with 1/4 inch of soil.
2. Use heat mats or soil warming cables if necessary to get soil temperature to 80 degrees F. Water regularly and make sure the soil starting mix does not dry out. It can take up to 20 days until germination.
3. After germination, give the seedlings at least 12 to 16 hours of bright light per day.
4. Pot up the seedlings to a larger container filled with potting soil when the plant has two sets of true leaves.
5. Harden off plants for two weeks before planting in the garden when the soil has warmed to at least 70 degrees F.

Potting and Repotting Ornamental Peppers

Ornamental peppers that are grown as annuals do not need repotting, as their life cycle ends in the fall. But if you are growing them as potted perennials, either as houseplants or outdoors, you will typically need to repot them every two years as the plant becomes root-bound. You'll also know it's time to repot if you need to water the plants more than once per day, because the water will simply seep out of the drain holes if there's no soil to absorb the moisture.

When repotting, choose a pot in the next size pot of any material and with a large drainage hole. When taking the plant out of its pot for repotting, hold the root ball together for less stress on the plant. However, if the root is tightly bound, rake it out a bit with your hands and trim off any shriveled or poor-looking roots. Water potted plants when the top inch of soil is dry, and water enough until moisture starts dripping from the bottom of the container.

Overwintering

You can bring your potted ornamental peppers indoors during the winter. They need a temperature of 70 to 80 degrees F during the day and 55 to 65 degrees F during the night. Place the plants in the sunniest window possible, or place them under grow lights or fluorescent lights for 14 hours a day. Water only when the soil is dry to the touch. Use a sanitized, sharp tool to trim any leggy growth from the plants and move them outdoors again after the last frost of the spring.

Common Pests and Plant Diseases

As with standard garden peppers, several insect pests can be a problem with ornamental peppers, especially aphids, spider mites, hornworms, and thrips. Aphids and spider mites can be eradicated with an insecticidal soap or citrus oil. Thrips may require a chemical spray, which is acceptable with ornamental peppers where the fruit will not be consumed.

The most common diseases of ornamental peppers are fungal diseases such botrytis (gray mold) and pythium root rot. Both are more likely during wet conditions when airflow is poor and soil is soggy. Fungicidal sprays or powders can help control it, along with correcting cultural practices.