How to Grow Anaheim Hot Peppers

An assortment of ripened chili peppers

The Anaheim chili pepper is also sometimes called the California chili and the New Mexico chile pepper. It is a pungent, hot-fleshed pepper most commonly used for flavoring of foods, such as chili con carne. The Anaheim chili pepper, like all hot peppers, requires a warm growing season. You can grow Anaheim chili pepper plants from seed about four to six weeks before the last anticipated spring frost or in springtime from transplants, provided the daytime temperature remains above 60 degrees F.

Things You'll Need

• 3- or 4-inch plastic pots
• Seed starting mix
• Pencil or chopstick
• Clear plastic wrap
• Shovel
• Hoe or rototiller
• Trowel
• Fertilizer

Instructions

Planting Anaheim Pepper Seeds

1. Fill up 3- or 4-inch wide plastic pots with a quality seed starting mix, preferably one that does not contain any peat moss, which can create too much moisture.

2. Plant one to two Anaheim pepper seeds into each of the pots. Gently push the seeds about 1/8 inch deep into the mix using an unsharpened pencil or a chopstick. Sprinkle between 1/8 and 1/4 inch of seed starting mix over each of the pepper seeds.

3. Place the pots in an area that can provide a temperature range of between 70 and 85 degrees F, as suggested by the University of Florida Extension. This provides the best temperature for germination. Try to provide about six to eight hours of light daily. A good location is near a south- or south-west facing window.

4. Water each of the pots when the soil has dried out slightly. Germination of Anaheim pepper seeds should commence in about 10 days and finish in approximately 20 days. Transplant the seedlings when they are about 2 to 3 inches tall and have three to four sets of leaves each.

Transplanting and Growing Anaheim Chili Peppers

1. Cultivate a sun-filled area in your garden for growing the Anaheim peppers, using a garden hoe for small scale planting or a rototiller for larger scale planting. The soil should be loose and well worked to a depth of 10 to 14 inches. Eliminate all weeds and their roots as you work the soil.

2. Create 3-foot-wide rows spaced about 2 feet apart in the planting area if you're doing large scale planting. Otherwise, create 2-foot-wide hills that are about 4 to 6 inches tall. Dig holes that are just slightly wider and deeper than the plastic pots. Measure the distance from each hole making sure to keep them about 12 to 18 inches apart.

3. Tip a pot upside down to wiggle an Anaheim pepper plant free from its planting pot. Set the plant into one of the holes. Scoop soil into the hole until it's filled. Water each of the Anaheim peppers thoroughly with water. Keep the pepper plants well watered but do not water so often that the soil is soggy.

4. Fertilize the Anaheim peppers once peppers begin to form on each plant. Use a 12-12-12 or 15-15-15 granular fertilizer at the rate specified on the label. A single application is usually all that is required.

Tips & Warnings

• Anaheim chili peppers are typically ready to harvest approximately 150 days after planting.

References

• Ohio State University: Planting Peppers
• University of Florida: Growing Peppers

Resources

• Texas A&M: Frequently Asked Questions on Peppers