Can changing your growing conditions make peppers hotter?

Red Section Separator Spicy exchange / 2023 Spicy exchange / 2023 Learn more

There are a lot of myths abound, claiming you can grow hotter peppers by growth factors, but what is the truth of it?

Cream Section Separator There's a lot of misinformation out there... Learn more

The easiest way to intensify the heat of your harvest is to choose hotter pepper varieties. Opt for habaneros, ghost peppers, or scorpion peppers over jalapeños if you're looking for high heat. Keep swiping to uncover tips for maximizing the spiciness of peppers already in the ground.

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Free pepper growing guide

Cream Section Separator Not sure where to start? I've put together a 34-page guide to help you grow an abundant harvest. Get the free guide

The idea behind most tips to make peppers hotter is to subject them to stress. Despite much research, trying to make your peppers spicier is not an exact science. Studies contradict one another and provide contrary evidence, so experiment and see what works.

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Underwatering

Cream Section Separator There is mixed evidence on whether stressing your plant by reducing water will make your peppers hotter. Studies of Padrón and 3 other types of capsicum annum peppers showed that underwatering increased the heat, but a study of Jalapeños showed the opposite. Learn more

Most chili peppers, except capsicum pubescens, grow best in warm climates, with hotter peppers thriving in hot weather. It is thought that warm nights specifically contribute to the success of hot peppers.

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Insects

Cream Section Separator Capsaicin is produced at least in part to deter insects, so it’s possible that pest pressure can cause the pepper plant to produce higher levels of capsaicin. (However, I haven’t found controlled studies showing causation.) Learn more

Contrary to popular advice, research indicates that providing adequate nitrogen helps peppers not only grow abundantly but may also help them grow hotter. One study of habaneros showed that nitrogen fertilization increased plant growth and capsaicin concentration.

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Maturity of the pepper

Cream Section Separator Common advice is that the more mature the pepper, the hotter it will be. However, research doesn’t support that claim. A study of cayenne showed that capsaicin increased for the first 40 days and then decreased by 30% over the following 10 days. Learn more

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