Advantages & Disadvantages of Growing Peppers
You consider growing peppers at home but wonder whether it is worth it or not?
Great! Stick with me since I will show you all the pros and cons of growing peppers in the following article.
Advantages of Growing Peppers
- Peppers are pretty easy to grow
- Peppers can get you decent yields
- You don’t have to spend lots of time caring for peppers
- Peppers are pretty tolerant to mistakes
- Peppers are not that demanding when it comes to soil conditions
- Even beginners can grow decent peppers
- You don’t have to worry much about soil pH
- You don’t necessarily have to prune pepper plants
- Peppers are not that vulnerable to diseases
- Growing peppers is quite interesting
- Many pepper varieties to choose from
- You don’t have to pollinate peppers by hand
- Peppers are healthy
Peppers are pretty easy to grow
One reason to grow peppers is that they are pretty easy to grow.
Compared to many other veggies, peppers grow pretty decent if you just provide them with most basic things and you will be surprised how well your peppers will grow if you just give them proper lighting and soil conditions.
Peppers can get you decent yields
Another advantage to growing peppers is that you can expect pretty decent yields.
Even a single plant can provide you with multiple pepper crops and those can be used for many salads or other dishes you might like more.
You don’t have to spend lots of time caring for peppers
Since peppers grow well without giving them much attention, peppers can also be great veggies to grow for you if you don’t want to spend lots of time caring for your plants but rather want to grow veggies that don’t need much time investment.
Peppers are pretty tolerant to mistakes
Another upside to growing peppers is that they are pretty tolerant when it comes to making mistakes.
In fact, peppers will forgive you small mistakes and will still grow well if overall conditions are decent.
Peppers are not that demanding when it comes to soil conditions
While you should offer good soil conditions to maximize your yields, peppers will also grow decent in cheap soil and you therefore don’t have to invest lots of money in this regard.
Even beginners can grow decent peppers
If you are still a beginner in growing plants at home, peppers can be great veggies to grow for you since even beginners can get decent yields and growing peppers is far easier compared to growing rhubarb or other plants that may take more care and knowledge.
You don’t have to worry much about soil pH
Pepper plants are also pretty tolerant when it comes to soil pH and you therefore don’t have to worry in this regard but can just use basic soil from the garden center and you are good to go.
You don’t necessarily have to prune pepper plants
Another benefit of growing peppers is that you also don’t have to prune them.
While some experts advise you to prune your pepper plants, I have seen great results without pruning them and you therefore don’t have to spend any time in this regard.
Peppers are not that vulnerable to diseases
Peppers are also pretty resistant to pests and most plant diseases and you therefore have a good chance to grow peppers from seed to harvest without having to care about those things at all.
Growing peppers is quite interesting
Growing peppers can also be a great project for you and your kids since it is just pretty interesting to see pepper plants grow and finally produce big crops.
Many pepper varieties to choose from
Peppers are also great plants to grow since there are so many varieties to choose from.
Whether you want to grow bell peppers or chili peppers, there will be something for every taste for sure.
You don’t have to pollinate peppers by hand
You also don’t have to pollinate pepper plants by hand and this means that you can just let them grow and let nature do its work without any manual action required from you in this regard.
Peppers are healthy
Peppers are also pretty healthy and can be used for many different dishes.
Consequently, you can also do your health a favor by growing organic peppers on your balcony or in your garden.
As you can see, there are many reasons to grow peppers at home. However, there are also some downsides to growing peppers that I want to address in the following.
Disadvantages of Growing Peppers
- Peppers need lots of sun
- Peppers need plenty of nutrients
- Peppers need lots of space
- Peppers are vulnerable to blossom-end rot
- You have to water peppers on a regular basis
- Peppers need warm climatic conditions to grow well
- You may have to add additional fertilizer
- Peppers need big pots to grow in an optimal manner
- Peppers are not that easy to grow on a balcony
- You may choose the wrong pepper variety
- It takes longer to grow peppers than growing many other veggies
- Many people don’t like peppers
Peppers need lots of sun
One problem with growing peppers is that they need lots of sun to grow well.
Thus, if you don’t have a sunny garden or balcony, you may rather want to grow different veggies instead.
Peppers need plenty of nutrients
Peppers also need plenty of nutrients to grow in the best possible manner and you should therefore not use soil that has been used many times before since your pepper plants might suffer from a lack of nutrients otherwise.
Peppers need lots of space
Pepper plants can grow pretty big and if you don’t have a garden or live in a flat with only a small balcony, you may just not have enough space to grow peppers in a reasonable manner.
Peppers are vulnerable to blossom-end rot
Many pepper crops also get lost to blossom-end rot.
This disease is pretty annoying since it often occurs right at the end of the growth cycle and may destroy your pepper yields.
You have to water peppers on a regular basis
Another downside to growing peppers at home is that you have to water your plants quite often.
In fact, the hotter it gets and the bigger your plants grow, the more you have to water them and you may even have to water pepper plants multiple times a day so that they can grow well and don’t dry out.
Peppers need warm climatic conditions to grow well
You can also not grow peppers in every climatic zone.
In fact, peppers prefer warm climates and if you live in a pretty cold region, you should rather grow chard or other plants that are more resistant to the cold.
You may have to add additional fertilizer
Another disadvantage of growing peppers is that you may also have to use lots of additional fertilizer to maximize your yields and this may hurt the soil in the long run.
Peppers need big pots to grow in an optimal manner
If you want to grow peppers in pots, you also need to use pretty big pots since your pepper plants would not get sufficient nutrients and space otherwise.
Peppers are not that easy to grow on a balcony
Since peppers need lots of sun, they are hard to grow on a balcony unless your balcony gets many hours of sun per day.
Thus, if you have a balcony in north orientation, you should not grow peppers on it since it will most likely not work out due to a lack of sunlight.
You may choose the wrong pepper variety
Since there are so many pepper varieties to grow, you may just choose the wrong ones and may be disappointed with the results when you finally see the fruits on your plants.
It takes longer to grow peppers than growing many other veggies
Growing peppers also takes some months.
Thus, if you want to see results quicker, you should rather grow radishes or lettuce instead.
Many people don’t like peppers
You should also not grow peppers if you don’t like them unless you have family members who really enjoy eating peppers so that you don’t waste any resources and can use your food in the most efficient manner.
Top 10 Growing Peppers Pros & Cons – Summary List
| Growing Peppers Pros | Growing Peppers Cons |
|---|---|
| Peppers are relatively easy to grow | Peppers take many months to grow |
| You don’t have to prune peppers | Peppers need lots of space |
| Growing peppers is fun | Peppers need big pots |
| You learn a lot by growing peppers | Peppers require lots of sunlight |
| You don’t have to spend lots of time caring for peppers | You should live in a warm climatic zone |
| Peppers are tolerant to soil pH | You may choose the wrong pepper varieties |
| Many pepper varieties to choose from | Not everyone likes peppers |
| Peppers have a nice taste | You may have to add additional fertilizer |
| Peppers are healthy | Blossom-end rot may destroy your yield |
| Many dishes to make out of peppers | Peppers need lots of water |
Should You Grow Peppers At Home?
If you still want to grow peppers at home, you should also have a look at my pepper grower’s guide and my growing peppers FAQ section.
Sources
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bell_pepper
Own experience.
About the Author
My name is Andreas and I’m really passionate about our environment and also about growing plants. In fact, I have grown several different plants over many years. I love to see my own plants grow and also always try new things to improve my overall conditions at home.
In my blog posts, I want to share my experiences with you so that you can become successful in growing various different plants and improving your home as well, even though you might still be a beginner right now.
