From hot peppers for fiery curries or sweet peppers for summer salads, adding a few different types of peppers to my vegetable garden is one of the best ways to bring a little spice to the growing season. Despite having a reputation for fussiness, with a bit of practice, even the fussiest of specialist chili peppers will produce so much fruit you’ll be giving it away in baskets and still have plenty to spare.
But do peppers need a trellis to provide a bountiful harvest? Some peppers need extra support to keep their heavy fruits up high. If you’re feeling it for a sleek bamboo stake supporting a single pepper plant or are more interested in an elaborate trellis, there’s a way to promote large fruit and abundant growth to suit any grower.
There’s no one right way to do it, so let’s take a look at the different ways to stake pepper plants and see what is best for you.
Table of Contents
Pepper Plant Overview
| Scientific Name | Capsicum annum, C. chinense, C. frutescens |
| Common Names | Pepper, capsicum, chili, spicy bois |
| Genus | Capsicum |
| Family | Solanaceae |
| Origin | Central America |
| Size and Dimensions (Mature) | Varies. Dwarf varieties reach a foot or two at most, and large cultivars up to 4 feet or more |
| Distinguishing Features | Colorful fruit ranging from small cones to large, boxy peppers |
Do Peppers Need a Trellis?
No. Peppers don’t need a trellis – but most varieties can be trained to climb, and almost all peppers will benefit from one. Larger, heavier pepper varieties like bell peppers will climb and benefit from a trellis structure, and without one, they may have trouble holding up their fruits.
Smaller peppers are easier to train vertically, and a trellis will help save space and make harvesting easier.
Are Peppers a Climbing Plant?
Strictly speaking, peppers are not climbing plants. They’re a shrubby herbaceous perennial, living two or even three years in the right conditions, with a long growing season and a love of warm weather.
They don’t set tendrils or seek out trees or rocky walls to climb, like true climbing plants such as beans, peas, or cucumbers.But treating the peppers in your vegetable patch as if they were a climbing plant is a good idea.
They’ve been bred over the years to be large plants that are top-heavy when fruiting, so it’s a good idea to provide support as they mature.
How Tall Do Pepper Plants Grow?
The height of your pepper plant comes down to the type you grow. All varieties of peppers have their own growth pattern.
Dwarf varieties may only reach a foot, and large peppers like serrano peppers or green bell peppers are taller and can reach four feet without much effort.
That’s a lot of plant for a relatively slender main stem to support.
Once fruit production is underway, the strain on the stems becomes even greater.
Like Okra or Zucchini, it’s not uncommon for the weight of the plant to pull the whole thing over, snapping the stem and damaging the plant.
Should I Stake My Peppers instead of Using a Trellis?
Staking is a simple, low-tech option to support your pepper plants. It’s good for dwarf varieties that produce smaller plants.
To stake your peppers:
- Choose a stake to fit the mature plant. 120cm (4 feet) tall is a good fit for most varieties of pepper.
- Insert the sharp end into the soil at the base of the plant, gently pushing until the stake is secure.
- Tie the plant to the stake with soft twine. Do not tie them tightly; the plant needs space to grow.
I’ve found the best time to add support is during the planting process. After all, you’re already digging holes – so what’s one more?
Wooden stakes are a cheap and effective choice. However, they tend to blow over in strong winds, so keep your weather conditions in mind when picking your pepper support systems.
A trellis will be stronger on blustery days.
Why Grow Peppers on a Trellis?
A trellis is a more complex option than a stake, but it’s a good idea for larger plantings. A wide trellis allows good ventilation and can prevent leaf diseases.
It makes harvesting much more straightforward and can help you make the most efficient use of your garden space.
I’ve had some success with simple trellises made from chicken wire strung between two poles, but most garden centers and even Amazon have plenty to choose from.
Do Pepper Plants Grow Better in a Tomato Cage?
Wire tomato cages are circular structures made of a broadly spaced wire mesh, tall enough to house a single plant.
They’re an excellent choice in which to grow just about any type of full-size pepper, especially larger fruiting varieties like green bell pepper plants or banana peppers.
Commercial cages are cheap, but homemade pepper cages put together from galvanized wire or chicken wire will work well too. They’re very simple to use and my favorite way to support an entire pepper crop.
To install a cage, you only need to place it over newly planted pepper seedlings.
As they grow, they will bend naturally and rest on the cage. It’s less effort than pepper stakes and produces consistent results.
Can I Trellis Peppers in a Container?
Peppers are a great crop to grow in a container, and you can even make a DIY trellis for your potted pepper plants. Despite their size, even full-sized cultivars thrive in larger containers. Most need around 20 liters of space (around five gallons), but smaller varieties will flourish in far less.
A Mirasol or NuMex Twilight pepper will fight into a small space like a patio or balcony, providing delicious, colorful peppers without needing a large home garden.
A small commercial trellis is ideal for potted peppers. Choose one that suits your decor!
Like any potted plant, there are a few extra steps you need to take when compared to growing in a garden bed.
Peppers need highly fertile soil with lots of organic matter mixed through, so amending your potting blend with lots of well-rotted compost is ideal.
They’ll also do well with a weekly dose of liquid fertilizer like diluted fish emulsion.
You’ll also need to provide well-draining soil. I like adding about a quarter of perlite to my potted vegetables. Perlite will support drainage and prevent root rot.
Companion Planting for Trellis Peppers
Getting crops together that require similar growing conditions that also happen to taste good together will give you a garden that is productive and delicious – a salsa garden is a good example of this!
This approach is known as companion planting.
A good companion plant can provide other benefits too. Low-growing herbs or vegetable plants provide a ‘green mulch’ that suppresses weeds, and marigolds attract beneficial insects while repelling pests.
Companion plants that grow well with trellis peppers include:
- Nightshades like eggplants and tomato plants
- Herbs like basil, parsley, mint, and oregano
- Pollinator-friendly plants like chamomile, marigolds, and nasturtium
Companion plants may also be not so good if planted without proper spacing between them, which I’m sure will make your pepper garden a chaos garden.
Starting and Maintaining your Pepper Trellis Garden
Starting your Pepper Crop
Pepper seeds planted straight in the soil tend to fail, so start your garden with pepper seedlings. They can be purchased ready-to-plant from garden centers, or you can sprout your own.
I’ve had chili seeds from grocery stores sprout with a bit of encouragement, but in general, you’re better off with good quality seeds from a reputable commercial provider.
To sprout, simply plant them in a good quality seed-raising blend and provide warm conditions with plenty of light.
I like to seal them in clear plastic bags to maintain consistent humidity. A heat mat under the seeds is a good option, as is a grow light.
Aim to start seeds 6-8 weeks before you intend to plant.
Transplanting Pepper Seedlings
Before young plants can be introduced to the wider world, you’ll need to harden them off.
Give them an hour or so outdoors in a shaded location each day, increasing the time spent outside by half-hour increments. Once they’re outdoors all day, they’ll be properly acclimatized and ready to plant.
You can plant them in the garden once overnight temperatures are consistently above 16°C (60°F).
They don’t like cold weather. For most of the United States, this works out to be late spring.
While many planting guides like to talk about the last frost date, most pepper varieties are more concerned about air temperatures. When the air is warm enough, the soil is more than perfect.
Soil Requirements for Peppers
Peppers need rich, loamy soil with lots of organic material and good drainage. They’re heavy feeders and will strip your garden bed of nutrients if you do not prepare your soil well.
Give your pepper garden a good start by amending the bed with lots of well-rotted manure. I like to supercharge it with a few handfuls of blood and bone meal turned through the manure.
This will provide the nitrogen needed for strong leaf growth. The extra calcium from the bone will also ward against Blossom End Rot.
Light Requirements for Trellis Pepper Plants
Pepper plants love lots of good, full sun. The more direct sunlight the plant gets, the better the fruit.
Orient your trellis to receive the maximum amount of light for your area – for most, that’s running southeast to northwest.
They want at least 8-12 hours of good direct sunlight daily. If you’re in tropical regions, you can manage with less, and I’d suggest offering shade during the hottest part of the day to prevent sunburned fruit.
Water Needs for Pepper Plants
While peppers aren’t the thirstiest of plants, they do need consistently moist soil to set fruit.
Water once in the morning, with a second supplemental watering at dusk during the hottest parts of the summer.
They’ll signal their thirst by wilting dramatically, especially in warmer weather.
Always water the ground beneath the plant, not the leaves. Wet leaves develop fungal problems when cool and sunburn when the weather’s hot.
In colder climates, a black plastic row cover can prevent water loss and create balmy soil temperatures. If you’re in a warm climate, straw mulch will keep the soil cool and damp.
When and How to Fertilize Trellis Peppers
Peppers are hungry plants. They need to be regularly fertilized throughout the growing season.
Besides amending the soil at the start of the season, side dressing with slow-release granular fertilizer is a good idea. Commercial blends designed for tomatoes are ideal.
I’ve also had good results from switching to high potassium and phosphorus fertilizers as the plants mature. Potassium encourages more flowers, and more flowers mean more fruit.
Potted Exotic Pro Tip: Crop Rotation. I try to avoid growing nightshades like peppers in the same patch of the garden year after year. They’re such hungry plants that it’s a good idea to rotate your plantings at the end of the season. It’s also a great way to protect this year’s crop against pests and diseases that may linger in the soil from years past.
How to Prune Pepper Plants for a Trellis
To get your peppers on their trellis, you’ll need to prune them first.
Pinch off the tip of the central shoot when the plant is around 20cm tall (8 inches). This is known as ‘topping off’ and will encourage more lateral branches.
Some growers cut off alternating shoots as they develop to focus growth on a sustainable amount of vine. Evidence suggests that taking the plant down to about four main branches gives the best overall yield, both in flavor and quantity.
All peppers benefit from clear stalks at the base of the plant. The small shoots, known as ‘suckers,’ won’t produce fruit and are best removed. For large varieties, clear the bottom 20cm or so (8 inches); smaller dwarf varieties only need the bottom 10cm cleared (4 inches).
Protecting Trellis Peppers from Pests and Disease
The first thing to do to protect your peppers is to choose disease-resistant varieties. Many modern cultivars were developed for disease resistance, especially against persistent problems like the tobacco mosaic virus.
The next avenue of protection is to give them plenty of space when planting. Peppers that are too densely planted won’t get enough ventilation through their foliage and are at risk of fungal diseases like downy mildew.
Lower density makes it harder for pests to spread, too.
Ensure your peppers are well watered and well mulched. Dehydrated plants actively attract pests like spider mites and aphids, and mulch prevents pathogens in the soil from reaching the leaves.
Many diseases are soil-borne and ‘splash’ onto leaves during watering. A good thick covering of straw mulch is perfect prevention.
How to Trellis Pepper Plants
To tie your pepper plants to the trellis:
- Position your trellis so it runs close to your peppers. It’s often best to position it during planting.
- Once lateral branches appear, gently fan out the plant against the trellis.
- Using soft ties, secure each plant loosely. You need to allow room for the stems to thicken as they grow.
- Continue to secure new growth as it appears. Depending on the design, you can weave the plant through the trellis or secure it to one side.
Be mindful of allowing good airflow through your foliage as it develops. I can’t stress how important it is to keep them well-spaced. Not only do crowded leaves harbor pests and disease, but they also tend to shade each other out. Without lots of light, you won’t see an abundant harvest.
How to Harvest Trellis Peppers
Choosing when you harvest your peppers is a matter of taste. Green peppers are generally crisper and cooler than colored ones, so when green, poblano peppers and other varieties may offer a bit more crunch than other varieties of peppers.
To harvest, use clean shears to snip the stalk between the plant and the pepper itself. Easy!
FAQ About Trellising Peppers
Do Peppers Grow Better in Containers or in the Ground?
Peppers grow well in containers and in the garden. Growing peppers in containers allow you to save space in smaller areas, grow indoors, or move your pepper plants around to meet ideal conditions. Planting peppers in the garden is good for those who have sufficient space and a plot with plenty of sunlight.
As for trellising, you can make or buy a trellis for both gardens and containers, so providing support shouldn’t be a problem either way.
Do I Need to Prune My Pepper Plants?
No, you don’t need to prune pepper plants. However, pruning at the right time can encourage stronger stems, so heavier pepper varieties may appreciate the added support. Pruning can also promote larger yields in some cases, but it’s not a guarantee.
Do Hydroponic Peppers Need a Trellis?
Yes, hydroponic peppers will need to be trellised. Since growth is accelerated in hydroponics, the bushy structure of pepper plants becomes more wirey, leading to weaker stems that struggle to hold up the fruit. Tomato cages and wire trellises are both good options for leggy pepper plants grown hydroponically.
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