How to Grow Chili Peppers in Hydroponics

ds_marjor24191 Contributor
By Marjorie Gilbert
eHow Contributing Writer
(0 Ratings)

Chili peppers bring zest to many dishes. So it's no surprise peppers are a popular plant in the home garden. Because the plant is native to a region with a temperate climate, chili peppers can be successfully grown hydroponically year-round. Hydroponics is a soil-free technique of growing plants indoors in water containing dissolved nutrients. According to Greentrees Hydroponics, because the plants won't have to work to find water and nutrients, they will grow more quickly and can put more energy into producing larger, more flavorful peppers.

Difficulty: Moderate
Instructions

Things You'll Need:

  • Chili pepper seeds or cuttings
  • Starter cubes (stonewool or rockwool)
  • Nutrients
  • Dome
  • Clippers
  • HID light
  • Brush
  • Water
  1. Step 1

    Set up your hydroponic growing system. This can be as simple as a bucket of water with soil-less growing medium, liquid fertilizer and a light source.

  2. Step 2

    Chili peppers can be started as seeds or from cuttings and grown hydroponically. In both cases, put chili pepper seedlings in starter cubes that are made from either rockwool or stonewool soil-less growing medium. They offer you the control of unwanted elements like disease or pests that soil cannot.

  3. Step 3

    Provide the chili peppers with hydroponic nutrients that are mild. Keep the chili peppers out of direct sun and help keep them hydrated by covering them with a dome.

  4. Step 4

    Prune the chili peppers judiciously. This will help the plant bear more peppers. Supplement the light the chili peppers with high-intensity discharge (HID) lights of at least 30 watts for every square foot of growing space. These lights provide the spectrum of light needed to grow your peppers indoors.

  5. Step 5

    Pollinate the pepper plant with a brush when the plants flower. Since you are growing the plants hydroponically, you cannot rely on bees to pollinate your plants for you. Use a brush to flowers to transfer the pollen from one plant to another.

  6. Step 6

    Withhold water and allow the plants to nearly dry out when the peppers begin to form. This will help increase the "heat" of the peppers your plants produce. Add water when the plants look like they're beginning to wilt.

  7. Step 7

    Pick your peppers when they are ripe. This will vary according to the variety of chili pepper plant you grow. For some, the peppers will be a bright, rich green, for others, it will be fire-engine red or orange.

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