Peppers are one of the best vegetables you can grow yourself — they are relatively easy to grow, full of nutrition, and versatile in dishes. Still, there is plenty to understand about getting the best harvest possible. One of the critical factors for growing peppers is to make sure that they have enough room to grow and flourish, regardless of what your planting situation is. So, how much space do pepper plants need? Let’s review.
Table of Contents
- A note on the peppers used for our spacing guidelines
- How many pepper plants per square foot?
- How many pepper plants per 5-gallon container, pot, or bucket?
- How many pepper plants in a 4×4 raised bed?
- How many pepper plants per acre?
- How many pepper seeds per hole?
- What happens if peppers are planted too close together?
- What should you do if pepper plants are too crowded?
- What happens if you put too many seeds in a hole?
- Don’t forget seed depth
- Must-read related posts
A note on the peppers used for our spacing guidelines
With so many pepper varieties out there, it will get exhausting talking about each type. So for this article, we use detail for jalapeños and, at times, bell peppers. Simply: These are general recommendations for pepper plant spacing that can work for sweet peppers and hot peppers both. You should cross-check this with your seed’s growing instructions to see if there are more specific recommendations for your plants.
For both bells and jalapeño peppers, the general rule is to plant one seed per square foot. These plants tend to spread as they grow, so you want them to have enough space. It is also good to add support stakes as the plants grow to give them the support they need to stay upright and healthy.
How many pepper plants per 5-gallon container, pot, or bucket?
Necessity is the mother of invention, so if you are in a situation where all you have is a five-gallon bucket, don’t worry because that is all you need. Most conventional wisdom is that you should only plant one plant per bucket for the best results, but some people have had luck with two.
Two plants require more care and may yield fewer peppers per plant, so it is a gamble as to how much more you would get out of two versus one. Make sure there is room for support stakes because as the plan begins to grow, it will be fighting gravity even more since it is starting in a tall container.
How many pepper plants in a 4×4 raised bed?
A 4 × 4 raised bed may not seem that big, but if you are lucky enough to be in the position to have one, you can grow a fair amount of peppers. Since the bed will likely be outside with plenty of sunlight and natural moisture, you don’t have to worry as much about overcrowding and rationing resources. It is suggested that you plant pepper plants about 18 to 24 inches apart from each other in a 4 × 4 raised bed, which means that you can fit anywhere from six to nine plants comfortably and probably more if you want to.
How many pepper plants per acre?
If you are thinking about building a large-scale pepper operation, you want to know how to maximize your acreage for peppers. When you have that much space to work with, you can put your plants slightly closer together at 14 to 18 inches apart. With this area and spacing, one can plant 10 to 14 thousand plants on a single acre.
How many pepper seeds per hole?
If you are planting fresh pepper seeds, you only need one per hole. However, if the pepper seeds you are using are older or dried, they are likely less viable, so you should plant two to three seeds per hole to increase the chances of sprouting.
What happens if peppers are planted too close together?
There are a few unwanted outcomes that can happen if you plant pepper seeds too close together. The first and most worrisome problem is that as the plants grow, they will compete for nutrients, and one or both plants will die since they won’t be getting what they need to grow.
Another issue that can affect your crops down the line is cross-pollination. For example, if you plant a jalapeño and bell pepper too close together, they may cross-pollinate and create unintentional hybrid seeds in the plant. This will not affect your crop this year (they’ll taste as mild or spicy as expected). But if you save the seeds for next year’s crop, you may end up with bell peppers that have a surprisingly spicy kick to them or jalapeños that are milder than expected.
You have choices to keep this from happening. The first is the most difficult for small space gardening: Separate your pepper plant types by 30 feet at minimum. That should be far enough to keep cross-pollination from occurring. The easier solution: just buy new seed packets each year you plant. Then you’ll know what level of capsaicin (the compound creating the heat) to expect.
What should you do if pepper plants are too crowded?
If you notice that your pepper plants are too crowded, the best choice is to dig one of them up and move it.
Often, this is easier said than done, considering that peppers have healthy root beds that are at least as wide as the broadest part of the above-ground part of the plant. Use a trowel to carefully dig out a corner by the plant, then slide it forward and up to remove the roots and transport the plant to a new home.
If the plants seem to thrive, but the leaves are touching or so close that they are blocking the sunlight to other plants, you can prune the leaves to create space between plants.
What happens if you put too many seeds in a hole?
The worst thing that can happen if you put too many seeds in one hole is that they all germinate. This is not a big problem with peppers and can be beneficial because you can select the plants that are doing the best and clip the rest. If you have gentle hands and catch them early enough, you could even transplant the pepper seedlings to another space for more chances at thriving plants.
That being said, it is best not to try to overcrowd a hole, and sticking with up to three dried seeds at the most is still recommended.
Don’t forget seed depth
Don’t forget to not only space out your plants, but also to keep your holes around 1/4 inch deep. If planted too shallow, your pepper plant’s roots may never establish themselves. And if they’re planted too deep, your chance for root rot increases. A quarter inch is a good depth to give your plants the best chance to thrive.
Must-read related posts
- Leaves Curling? What could be causing this with your plants? We review top causes.
- Fertilizing Pepper Plants: We cover the what, when, and how to go about it.
- Male And Female Peppers: Is there such a thing? Do the lobes on a pepper indicate gender? We break down the fact and fiction.
- 12 Common Pepper Diseases And Problems: Has something gone wrong with your crop? Is it pests like aphids? Or fungi or bacteria? We cover twelve of the most common issues.
- 10 Best Pepper Companion Plants: Hint – tomatoes are one. We also cover five you should avoid!
UPDATE NOTICE: This post was updated on June 1, 2023 to include new content.
