When to Plant Banana Peppers
Mild, sweet peppers shaped like bananas. Perfect for pickling, stuffing, sandwiches, and pizza. Heavy producers.
The Short Answer
How to Grow Banana Peppers
Banana peppers are the gateway pepper for gardeners who want to grow beyond bell peppers but aren't ready for serious heat. They're among the most productive peppers — each plant yields 20-30 peppers, often more. The classic use is pickled banana pepper rings for sandwiches and pizza. Pick at the yellow stage for mild sweetness or let them ripen to red for slightly more sweetness and complexity. Hot banana peppers (also called Hungarian wax) look identical but deliver genuine heat — read seed packets carefully to know which you're planting.
Starting Seeds Indoors
Begin banana peppers seeds indoors 8 weeks before your average last frost date. Seeds need soil temperatures of at least 65°F to germinate, which typically takes 10-14 days. Provide 14 hours of light per day using a south-facing window or grow lights.
Transplanting
Move seedlings outside 2 weeks after your last frost date, once soil temperatures reach 65°F. Harden off seedlings for 7 days before transplanting by gradually exposing them to outdoor conditions.
Growing Tips
Pick yellow for mild sweet flavor or let ripen to red for more sweetness. Each plant produces 20-30 peppers. Excellent for pickling — one of the most productive peppers per plant.
Companion Planting
Good companions:
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Banana Peppers Planting Dates by State
Click your state for banana peppers planting dates specific to your location:
Last reviewed: March 29, 2026