Cayenne Pepper

Cayenne Pepper

Capsicum annuum

Start cayenne pepper indoors 6 weeks before your last spring frost, then plant out 2 weeks after your last spring frost. Space plants 18 in (46 cm) apart.

Photo: Ashoka Jegroo, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source

When to plant

Timed from your frost dates, so it holds wherever you garden. Give yours and every step below becomes a date.

See the dates for your garden

Enter your average last spring frost and first fall frost. Every timing on this site turns into a calendar date. Not sure of yours? Your local extension service or a search for “last frost date” and your town will tell you; the app finds them from your location.

Last spring frost
First fall frost

Saved in this browser only. Nothing is sent anywhere.

Optimal Indoor Start

From seedRecommended
  1. Start indoors6 weeks before your last spring frost
  2. Begin hardening off1 week after your last spring frost
  3. Plant out2 weeks after your last spring frost
  4. First harvestabout 75 days after planting out

Optimal Transplant

From seed
  1. Plant out2 weeks after your last spring frost
  2. First harvestabout 75 days after planting out

Optimal Fall Transplant

From seed
  1. Plant outabout 16 weeks before your first fall frost
  2. First harvestabout 75 days after planting out

Growing cayenne pepper

Spacing in the row
18 in (46 cm)
Between rows
30 in (76 cm)
Planting depth
1/4 inch
Sun
Full Sun
Soil
Well-drained, fertile loam
Germination
7-14 days at 75-85°F
Harvest season
Summer, Early Fall
Mature height
24-36 inches
Support
Stake
Life cycle
Annual

Sow indoors 8-10 weeks before last frost; use heat mat and grow lights.

Watering. Maintain consistent moisture; avoid overwatering and prolonged dry periods.

Neighbours

The companion chart →

Grows well beside

Keep apart from

Feeding

Seedlings
Weak liquid fertilizer (half strength) after true leaves appear.
Growing
Balanced fertilizer (e.g., 5-10-10 or 10-10-10) every 2-4 weeks.
Flowering and fruiting
Phosphorus and Potassium-rich fertilizer (e.g., 5-10-10 or 2-8-4) once flowering starts.
How often
Every 2-4 weeks during active growth and fruiting.
Note
Avoid high nitrogen levels once flowering begins to promote fruit over foliage.

Your cayenne pepper, planned to the day.

Canopy turns these timings into dates from your own frost data, places every plant at its spacing on your garden map, and tracks it all the way to harvest.

Add cayenne pepper to your planting calendar →

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