Pepper Plants and Weed Control

Peppers (Capsicum annuum) are grown for their mild to hot fruit and are considered a warm-weather crop. Because they grow and produce foliage more slowly than other plants, they can't outgrow the weeds, and the weeds may deprive the peppers of valuable soil nutrients. Regular hand-weeding during the first few weeks of growth helps, as does putting down mulch to discourage weeds from ever taking hold.

Characteristics and Growth Habits

You can grow peppers as annuals in most climates. Because winter temperatures in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 8 and lower fall below what peppers can tolerate, start them indoors where you can maintain a consistent temperature range of 70 to 95 degrees Fahrenheit. In USDA zones 9b to 11, peppers can be grown as perennials, but may not produce after the first year, so it's best to treat them as annuals. Weeds are particularly troublesome for peppers as their slow growth usually doesn't keep pace with fast-growing weeds that can quickly rob the soil of nutrients and moisture, deprive the plants of sun, and open the door to diseases and insect infestations.


All peppers need consistent warmth with temperatures between 65 and 70 F. The plants grow to a height of 1 to 3 feet, with an equal spread and produce white flowers on upright plants with dark green foliage. Once pollinated, the flowers develop into fruit that, depending on the pepper variety, is bell-shaped, elongated or small and round. All pepper varieties need full sun and well-draining soil that is rich in organic matter and a steady supply of moisture either from rain or watering.

Growing Peppers

At a soil temperature of about 85 F, the seedlings emerge in seven to 10 days. At this point, they need lots of sun so they don't become leggy, which could affect production. Two to three weeks after the last frost date is a good time to move them out into the garden, but if temperatures are still around 60 F, it's best to harden plants off by exposing them slowly to the outdoors. After hardening them off, plant them 1 to 2 feet apart in rows spaced 2 to 3 feet apart and put down organic mulch or black plastic mulch to minimize the growth of weeds.

Organic Mulch

From an ecological standpoint, organic mulches are the way to go to suppress weeds, as they make use of natural materials and return nutrients to the soil as they break down. To be efficient, apply a 3- to 4-inch layer of mulch material along the rows of pepper plants and bring the mulch up as close as possible to the stems to cover as much open soil area as possible. The mulch should not touch the pepper stems. As it decomposes, add more mulch to maintain the minimum depth. Mulches you can use including grass clippings, straw, leaves and shredded bark. You can place several layers of newspaper, brown grocery bags or cardboard on the soil before applying the mulch to add an extra layer of weed control.

Alternative Weed Control

If you don't want to use mulch, hand weeding and hoeing the soil around pepper plants eliminate weeds, but be careful not to damage the peppers' tender roots in the process. If time allows before setting the pepper plants into the garden, you can solarize the area the peppers will grow in by laying down clear plastic and leaving it in place for six weeks to "cook" any potential weeds.

Plastic Mulch

Black plastic mulch eliminates weeds around pepper seedlings and keeps the soil warm. The most efficient method is to lay the plastic down once the soil is ready to receive the pepper seedlings. If you're using rolled plastic sheeting, you can either overlap the strips as you unroll them or leave space between the rows to walk on, as regular foot traffic also discourages weeds and you can remove any stray weeds by hand. If you're using landscape fabric or folded plastic, place it over the prepared soil, being careful not to leaves gaps where weeds may intrude. When you're ready to plant, simply cut a hole in the plastic or fabric to accommodate seedlings, and monitor the openings for stray weeds.