8 tiny pepper varieties you can grow indoors this winter

Red Section Separator Spicy exchange / 2023 Spicy exchange / 2023 See all varieties

Tiny pepper plants pave the way for indoor and patio gardening, which is particularly beneficial for people with limited space. I'll be growing several of these in my basement over winter!

Cream Section Separator Why grow tiny pepper plants? See all varieties

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While there are a vast number of “dwarf” tomato varieties that are extremely compact, pepper plants don’t have a distinct “dwarf” category. We’ll focus on pepper plants that typically don’t exceed a height of 18 inches.

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Thai hot peppers

Cream Section Separator Thai chilis, a staple in Thai and Southeast Asian cuisines are readily available at most grocery stores. Botanical Interests offers a specific variety of Thai chilis that reaches a compact height of only 8-10 inches. See all varieties

NuMex Twilight peppers are an ornamental hybrid of Thai chilis developed by the New Mexico State University. The pepper pods are tiny, growing to be only 1” long and creating a rainbow effect with peppers maturing from purple to yellow to orange to red at slightly different times.

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Biquinho

Cream Section Separator Biquinho peppers are tiny Brazilian peppers that only grow to be ¾”–1¼”. They have just a hint of heat at 1,000-2,000 SHU and taste bright and fruity. The plants can grow to be as tall as 24”, but shorter plants only grow to be 15” tall. See all varieties

Alma paprika peppers are a Hungarian pepper commonly used in the spice we know as paprika. These peppers are round and 2” in diameter and mature from yellow to bright red. They are commonly pickled or dried and processed into paprika powder.

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Tips for growing peppers indoors

Cream Section Separator Optimizing growth conditions is even more important when you're growing indoors. Ensure you have adequate light (up to 16 hours), and that you fertilize regularly since your plants will likely be in small pots. See all varieties

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Get the free guide to growing 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 free guide