When to plant pepper (sweet & chili) in Portland
Pepper (sweet & chili) is frost-tender, so every date keys off Portland's last spring frost of May 1.
Step 1 · Sow
Start seeds indoors
Mar 16 – Apr 6
Before your last frost, on a warm windowsill or heat mat.
Step 2 · Plant
Transplant outdoors
Jun 28 – Jul 19
Once frost risk has passed and nights stay mild.
Step 3 · Harvest
Harvest window
Sep 1 – Sep 26
Picking runs until conditions turn against the crop.
Window
Days to maturity
65 – 90 d
Portland's 165-day season leaves this much room.
Pepper (sweet & chili) on Portland's growing year
Frost-bounded season with crops mapped onto the 12-month axis.
Frost risk Growing Harvest
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
NOV
DEC
FROST
FROST
MAY 1
OCT 10
Common questions
When will pepper (sweet & chili) be ready to harvest in Portland?
Expect to harvest from around early September (Sep 1–Sep 26) in Portland, based on its local frost dates. Confidence 80%.
When should I start pepper (sweet & chili) seeds indoors in Portland?
Start seeds indoors around mid March (Mar 16–Apr 6) in Portland, based on its local frost dates. Confidence 85%.
When can I transplant pepper (sweet & chili) outdoors in Portland?
Transplant outdoors around late June (Jun 28–Jul 19) in Portland, based on its local frost dates. Confidence 86%.
How long is the growing season in Portland?
Portland has roughly 165 frost-free days, which is enough time to grow pepper (sweet & chili) to maturity outdoors.
The rule of thumb
Sow pepper (sweet & chili) 6–8 weeks before your last spring frost; plant out 2–3 weeks after it. Every date on this page is derived from that rule and Portland's frost dates.
Confidence 89/100 · Curated · based on NOAA GHCN-Daily 1991–2020 normal · frost dates are probabilities, not guarantees.