How to grow hotter peppers: myths and facts

Red Section Separator Spicy exchange / 2023 Learn more

Popular advice on how to grow hotter peppers is... not great. I've scoured the latest research to uncover the truth about growing hotter pepper. See the full article for references.

Cream Section Separator What does the internet say? Learn more

The easiest way to grow hotter peppers is to grow a hotter variety. Peppers like jalapeños and serranos are always popular, but habaneros, scotch bonnets, and ghost peppers pack a lot more heat.

[{"selector":"#anim-f7881348-1f87-491e-9bc7-cf978f60c536","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":250,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Red Section Separator Learn more

Watering

Cream Section Separator There's mixed evidence as to whether or not watering less can make your peppers hotter. Some evidence suggests that reducing water does increase capsaicin content, while other researchers have not had the same results. Learn more

Limiting nitrogen is a common piece of advice to get hotter peppers, but research shows this NOT to be true. Fertilizing with sufficient nitrogen can increase capsaicin and make your harvest more abundant.

[{"selector":"#anim-a10f3187-a05b-4139-8e5f-2e2b9bf88593","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":250,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Red Section Separator Learn more

Insect pressure

Cream Section Separator Capsaicin acts as a natural insect repellent for pepper plants, so some people think that insect pressure can benefit the heat of your harvest. I haven't found concrete evidence either way, but I try to maintain a healthy ecosystem with insects and pollinators by avoiding any pesticides, including neem. Learn more

Some people suggest leaving the pepper on the plant and allowing it to mature as long as possible. However, research shows that after 40-55 days, capsaicin content DECREASES rather than increasing.

[{"selector":"#anim-3b7f610f-ba3a-4c85-a215-930ec8a6d9ae","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":250,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Red Section Separator Learn more

Cross-pollination

Cream Section Separator Growing sweet and hot peppers together won't have an impact on the heat of your peppers in a single season. However, if you want to save seeds, cross-pollination is possible between generations so you may want to isolate your hot peppers. Learn more

More stories

[{"selector":"#anim-096ff45c-aa5f-4adc-926f-5b8cff182ab2","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-125.96154%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":400,"duration":1400,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-c71efd89-7669-42be-b2cf-ecca1259e8e9","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":400,"duration":1400,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-1b46bd79-1f69-4c33-bcc9-143994a037cd","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.15)","scale(1)"]},"delay":400,"duration":1400,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-1bc7332d-5735-4da0-a79c-cdbcfc5d40fa","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-125.96154%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":350,"duration":1400,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-46119980-853a-4d9c-9a31-d84f1ef48de4","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":350,"duration":1400,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-0fa5a94e-fa6d-4643-ba58-0f80238f91c3","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.15)","scale(1)"]},"delay":350,"duration":1400,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-6bf0820b-0211-4b84-af2f-8d55223d3543","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-125.96154%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":300,"duration":1400,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-ab053b04-514e-4cb2-852b-3d650cdebe00","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":300,"duration":1400,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-5f126a87-bc59-48ef-8247-5c96df5e7918","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.15)","scale(1)"]},"delay":300,"duration":1400,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-df740548-de2e-4e59-be18-c480e20f9231","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-125.96154%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":250,"duration":1400,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-126fa053-ff74-4f39-a36a-2268c3d836ff","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":250,"duration":1400,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-348e78ce-3579-4d7e-9bd7-df2eb618e8a1","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.15)","scale(1)"]},"delay":250,"duration":1400,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-5ce0d2c6-49e4-4680-ae69-ea6310e73e60","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-506c6957-080a-41d4-99d6-e9f1540a231a","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":200,"duration":1400,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-c7e9131c-a388-4920-a56f-fa538dba5aad","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-162.39315%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":200,"duration":1400,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-815af939-60b9-48d4-b314-f05fd0f8fe88","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":200,"duration":1400,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-07cd951a-3fdc-460a-aa0c-89ab243a0d42","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-163.24786%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":200,"duration":1400,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-922af3e2-30f0-4a98-8f8a-b11fddd97295","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":200,"duration":1400,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-a8688e47-8453-4769-a1c6-ecf5145c5659","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-162.82051%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":200,"duration":1400,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-334160f8-9bcc-458e-a53b-cfd1c1ae4b9b","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":200,"duration":1400,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-c48bddd8-7143-421f-858d-a938f91cfd6c","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-169.15888%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":200,"duration":1400,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Cinnamon has no capsaicin... so why is it spicy? What would happen if you ate a Carolina reaper? What other foods have capsaicin? (it's not just peppers) New Mountain Dew Baja Blast hot sauce review.

Get the free grower's guide to chili peppers

The "green thumb" is a myth — with the right information, anyone can successfully grow peppers. Enjoy this free 34-page guide to help you grow an abundant harvest. Cream Section Separator Get the guide