Bill Dugan, Editor & Publisher of Food Gardening Network

Some like it hot. If you do, you’ve come to the right place. This gardening guide is packed with tips for picking the perfect hot peppers.

Hot peppers are a warm-weather crop that will provide a lovely pop of color in your garden. They do have a long growing season, so you need to plan ahead. But the planning will be so very worth it when harvest time rolls around!

You can grow hot peppers in your garden or on your deck, with very little fuss. We’ll walk you through the whole process.

First is the gardening guide’s Introduction, where you’ll learn some of the basics about hot peppers and how to choose the right variety to grow. You’ll also get an explanation of the Scoville scale that measures a hot pepper’s heat.

Next, in the Feature Articles, you’ll get specifics about pepper growing—from the types of hot peppers to the best way to start growing to watering, fertilizing, and harvesting your plants so they stay healthy and productive throughout the season.

There’s a lot to know about growing hot peppers, so even if you’re a veteran, you might learn something new. We aim to gather everything there is to know about growing hot peppers into this single gardening guide!

We have several Plant Profiles with varieties with various heat levels listed, plus options for gardeners around the country and those who want to grow hot peppers in containers.

There are hundreds of varieties of hot peppers available for you to grow from seeds or seedlings. We’ve chosen a representative sampling that range from moderately spicy to fiery hot. If you’d like us to include another pepper variety that appeals to you, please let me know by commenting below.

After all, this is Food Gardening Network, and we want to include the knowledge of all our gardening readers in everything we do. Your input is just as important to us as anything we come up with on our own!

We do think you’ll love the pepper Recipes we’ve compiled for enjoying the fruits of your labor. They provide a broad selection of ways to prepare and serve your homegrown hot peppers.

After that, you’ll be interested to learn how hot peppers can benefit your health in Nutrition Facts about Hot Peppers. Hot Peppers have great antioxidant properties, and they’re loaded with vitamin C!

Then there are the Home Remedies & Health Benefits of Hot Peppers where you’ll learn how hot peppers are thought to help heart health, prevent cancer, and contribute to better digestive health. And learn how the same compound that gives hot peppers their zing also works as a pain reliever!

Because we want you to have everything there is to know about hot peppers at your fingertips, we’ve included a Resources section that’s complementary to this gardening guide. Learn more about tools specific to growing hot peppers, and kitchen tools that will come in handy after you’ve harvested your hot peppers.

As always, we’ve included a brief Glossary in case you need a deeper explanation of any key terms. Be sure to let us know if there’s something else you need explained.

I’m off to make my own Habanero Hot Sauce, but I hope you’re ready to dive in and become a master hot pepper grower!