We’ve put together a list of all our recommended supplies for growing peppers. For each category, we’ll provide a few options depending on your garden type, material, or personal preference. Any of the options we suggest will get the job done, but we want to give a few choices.
If you would like to make one quick purchase, we made a custom Amazon shopping list here. It includes only the essentials (seed trays, seed starter mix, heat mat, container and fertilizer). Be sure to get anything else you may need from the suggestions below.
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Fertilizer
Fox Farm’s Trio
Best all around non-organic option. Simple instructions on when to use which fertilizer for best yields.
Miracle Gro Organics
Good water-soluble organic fertilizer for vegetative growth. Switch to lower nitrogen for fruiting stage.
Organic Fish Fertilizer
Fish and seaweed make for an awesome additive fertilizer. Add to any other regimen, or use as a fruiting stage fertilizer.
Keep in mind…
The best food for your peppers always comes from natural, organic ingredients. Plants will produce tastier, healthier pods as well. Amend your soil with fresh compost and naturally derived ingredients like seabird guano and langbeinite, and your peppers will be happiest. If you do not have the space for composting or the budget for high quality natural ingredients, you can use some of these fertilizer options.
Learn much more about fertilizing peppers in our dedicated article here.
Containers
Seed Trays
Bootstrap Farmer makes the highest quality growing equipment that we have tried. Buy it for life and reuse your seed cells and trays.
Pots
We have advocated for these Bloem Saturn pots from day 1. They have served us well, and are easy to clean. They also come in a great variety of colors.
Learn more about choosing a container for growing peppers here. The most important things are size (ideally 3+ gallons) and good drainage.
Soil
Seed Starter Mix
Seed starter mix contains no nutrients. It is made up of highly aerated materials, perfect for germination and starting off pepper plant root systems strong.
Potting Mix (Best)
It is cheaper to buy potting mix at a local nursery, but we recommend FoxFarm soils if you can find it. Happy Frog is also great for potted plants.
Organic Compost
Make your soil happier with this organic humus compost derived from fish manure. This natural amendment adds beneficial bacteria to your soil.
Grow Lights
HLG 100
Our current indoor light for growing peppers. Powerful light output using around 95W of power.
Mars Hydro TS
Alternative light – we have seen many positive reviews of Mars Hydro LED panel products.
Viparspectra Pro
Great budget LED option with some very useful features. Dimmable, heat sink and slim design.
Read more about choosing the best grow light in our article here. We detail everything you should know about LED lights and the different features of each of our recommended grow lights for peppers.
Highly Recommended
Seedling Heat Mat
This increases germination success dramatically. Keep the soil around 80°F until seeds sprout.
Thermometer
Essential for monitoring your indoor grow space. Cheap way to keep an eye on temp and humidity!
Pruning Shears
Shears are great for getting clean cuts when pruning your plants. Also great for bonsai!
Looking for more information about growing peppers and the supplies you’ll need? Read our article about growing bell peppers in pots here for an in-depth guide! Also, come see what we’re up to on YouTube.