Taking care of chili peppers can be a bit of a project, especially if you’re growing them in containers. On average, potted peppers need a fresh home about twice a year, and even your little seedlings will need to be moved into new soil a few times as they grow.
Separating Your Seedlings
Once your seedlings start showing their first set of “true” leaves, or if you notice they’ve stopped growing because they’ve used up all the nutrients in their seed-starting mix, it’s time to prick them out. This first transplant is the trickiest part because those tiny roots are super delicate—you’ve gotta be gentle!
For this first move, I recommend a 50/50 blend of seed-starting mix and a good compost or veggie soil. You don’t want the soil to be *too* rich just yet; keeping it a bit lean encourages the plants to really stretch out those roots and build a strong foundation.
Before your peppers move to their “forever home” for the season—whether that’s in a garden bed or a large patio pot—give them one more transplant into nutrient-dense soil. Usually, this happens about a month before they head outside for good.
Repotting Perennial Peppers
Did you know you can grow chilis as houseplants? If you go this route, you’ll want to repot them at least once a year. For peppers that spend their summers outdoors in pots, I actually like to repot them again in the fall. It’s the perfect time to check the root system for health and make sure no pests or diseases are trying to hitch a ride inside.
When you repot in the spring, treat your chilis to some high-quality veggie or compost-rich soil. However, if you’re prepping outdoor plants for winter dormancy in the fall, plain garden soil works just fine. You actually want to avoid high-nutrient soil in the fall; we don’t want the plants putting on new growth during the winter. Too many nutrients can lead to “leggy” growth, which just makes the plant more vulnerable to pests and diseases while it’s resting indoors.
Moving In-Ground Plants to Pots
If your chilis have been living directly in the garden soil and you want to bring them inside to overwinter, try to get them into pots by September at the latest. Make sure the pot is big enough so the roots aren’t cramped against the sides. Standard garden soil is perfectly fine for this transition.
