How to Grow and Care for Anaheim Pepper Plant

Moderate in spice and highly popular for cooks, Anaheim peppers (Capsicum annuum‘Anaheim’), also known as Anaheim chilies, are a beginner-friendly pepper plant to add to your garden. Hotter than a bell pepper but milder than a jalapeno, many gardeners find these peppers to be the perfect blend and the ideal option for growing year after year. These plants can be grown as perennials, with one seed producing fruit for up to 3 years.

With the right amount of sunlight and watering habits, learn how to grow your own Anaheim pepper plants and produce plenty of delicious fruit by late summer.

Anaheim Pepper Care

Because Anaheim peppers have the potential to be perennial plants, growing up to three years in a row on a single seed, many choose to plant in containers to allow for movement of the plant to sunnier spots throughout the year and the ability to move indoors during cold or rough weather.

Plant each seed or seedling about 20 inches apart so they have proper room to grow and spread, though they don't need quite as much space as some other nightshades, like larger tomato varieties. However, the more room you give them, the more likely they will produce heartily for years without running out of space.

Individual peppers should reach maturity and be harvested at around 80 days, though you can pick earlier when they're immature and green for a milder spice and sweeter taste. If you pick them when red and fully mature, the pepper still provides a generally mild spice, ranking at 500-1000 Scoville.

Light

Plant Anaheim peppers where they will receive the most sunlight, or plant in a container so you can move them to receive more sun. These light-loving plants should receive 6 to 8 hours of direct sun per day to stay healthy and produce the most fruit.

Soil

Anaheim peppers thrive best in sandy loam soil. If you can do a test, a pH of 7 to 8.5 is ideal and will yield the healthiest plants. The soil should be rich in organic material, so amending it with compost or manure is beneficial.

Water

Anaheim peppers require a careful balance when it comes to watering. They need frequent watering, especially during hot, dry spells in the summer. However, they're also very susceptible to root rot, so avoid overwatering. Do not water to the point of soaked soil.

These plants will do best if given 1-2 inches of water per week. Water around the soil and base of the plant, rather than right onto the leaves, to avoid leaves rotting.

Temperature and Humidity

Due to its native climate, this plant does well in southern areas with lots of sun and dry heat. Plant them when temperatures are above 75 degrees Fahrenheit. The soil temperature should be at least 60 degrees when planting seeds or seedlings. Choose a spot with lots of direct sunlight and good airflow.

You can also successfully grow these sun-loving nightshades in greenhouses but don't forget to incorporate fans, as these plants don't do well in an overly humid climate.

Fertilizer

Your pepper plant will have the best success if started with some fertilizer. You can also incorporate rock phosphorous or bone meal to encourage healthy root growth.

As your plant grows, you can fertilize every few weeks with a low-nitrogen fertilizer. Organic options can be a great choice, but no matter what fertilizer you use, follow the application and quantity instructions carefully to avoid damaging the delicate plant.

Pruning

Pruning your pepper plant properly can help you achieve the highest yield possible. While not required, pruning helps provide more airflow for your plant, helps avoid rot and pests, and ultimately provides you with a greater harvest down the line.

About a week after planting a seedling, you can begin early pruning. In this stage, pinch an inch or so off the main stem, which will encourage the development of two healthy branches and, therefore, a larger, healthier plant later on.

Remove the first batch of flowers that appear on your plant early in the process. While it may seem counterintuitive, these flowers appear too early, and pulling them allows the plant to focus its energy on strengthening its branches and roots, then flowering later.

Finally, later on, prune any branches or leaves that touch the soil. These are prone to rotting or becoming food for pests and can damage or kill your entire plant.

Propagating Anaheim Peppers

Propagating peppers takes a while and isn't always successful, but you may want to try it if you have a hardy, delicious, or disease-resistant plant in your garden. To do so, identify a young branch you'd like to remove. Using a sharp blade, remove it cleanly at the base of the branch.

Leave a few leaves at the top but remove all lower leaves, flowers, and fruit. Fill a glass with water and submerge the cut end, ensuring at least one node is submerged. Keep the glass in indirect light and change the water as needed. Once roots 1-2 inches long form, transfer the cutting to soil or a hydroponic system.

How to Grow Anaheim Peppers from Seed

Anaheim peppers are tender and prefer warm weather, so they shouldn't be planted outside until the soil is warm and there's no risk of frost. You can plant seeds indoors in a growing tray or your seedling system of choice about a month and a half before your area's typical final frost date. Plant seeds about 0.2 inches deep in the soil and leave them near a window with full sun and no draft.

Once the outdoor temps and soil temps are suitable (if nights are below 50 degrees, it's still too cold), and your seedling is at least 3 inches tall, you can transfer it to your garden bed or container, following the guidelines for fertilizer, soil type, and watering.

Overwintering

Anaheim peppers can be kept as a perennial for up to 3 years if you follow the proper steps for overwintering. For areas with winters that fall below 50 degrees, you'll need to take some precautions ahead of time, and you'll need to plant in moveable containers.

Find an indoor spot that won't fall below 55 degrees, like an attached garage or basement. Your plant won't need lots of light during the winter. Being near a small window or even a fluorescent bulb will work.

Once you've relocated your plant, cut down to watering only every 3 to 4 weeks, keeping the soil from entirely drying out but never soaking it. Leaves will die off as the plant goes dormant. This is normal, and doesn't mean the plant has died completely. At this point, you can also prune the plant back to a few main branches. They'll regrow come spring. About a month before your final frost, move the plant to somewhere with a bit more light and warmth. Then, once temperatures are high enough in the summer, move back outside to a spot with bright sunlight and resume normal care.

Common Pests and Plant Diseases

Aphids

While mammals won't come to munch on your pepper plants, they are a draw to many common garden insect pests. Aphids love peppers and may come to eat them, leaving behind diseases or decimating your plant.

Flea Beetles

They're also prone to flea beetles, which will leave behind a pattern of tiny holes and yellowing leaves. Leafhoppers are another major issue, as they love pepper plants and will spread the mosaic virus very quickly.

To prevent pests, keep your garden beds clear in the fall so there isn't extra leaf debris for them to make a home of. You can also employ floating row covers to help protect your plants when they're not flowering.

Preventing disease is also easier if you plant with good spacing, use well-draining soil, and rotate crops every few years.

From: thespruce