How to Grow Jalapeño Peppers Indoors with Aquatree

From Seed to Spice: Grow Jalapeño Peppers indoors with hydroponics and cooking with Homegrown Heat ️

There’s something deeply satisfying about growing your own food—watching tiny seeds become vibrant, productive plants and harvesting the fruits of your care with patience. The Aquatree Garden makes that satisfaction not only possible but is also easy, clean, and fast. One of my favorite crops to grow in the Aquatree Garden is Jalapeño peppers. They’re versatile, bold, and surprisingly simple to grow indoors.

The Growing Process: Jalapeños in the Aquatree Garden

Growing jalapeño peppers in the Aquatree Garden starts with quality Jalapeño Pepper seeds and a bit of planning. Jalapeños are compact plants, making them perfect for the Aquatree Garden. Here’s how the process unfolds:

System Setup

Use the solid gray spout and gray extensions when growing crops over 90 days.  It reduces the risk of algae.  Only grow a single pepper plant per Irrigation Trays (middle hole).  The rest of the holes need to be covered with Cone Hole Covers.  As the pepper plant grows, you will need more Extensions and Straws to increase the height of your LED Lights.

Jalapeño Plant Growing Process

1. Germination & Seedling Phase (Week 1-2):
   I start my jalapeño seeds in growfoam pods in the center cone hole of the Aquatree’s Garden Lid. Add a Dam for the first two weeks of growing to make sure water keeps the growfoam & seed moist.  Set the LED Grow Lights to be “on” for about 14 hours per day and add 2 TBSP of nutrients every 7 days.
2. Vegetative Growth (Week 3-5):
   As the plants grow their true leaves, they begin to develop strong stems and lush foliage. The Aquatree’s automated watering and lighting schedule ensures they get exactly what they need—no guesswork, no soil mess.  During this time frame, you will likely need to add another Extension with a Straw to increase the height of your Grow Lights.  Remember to keep the Grow Light about 2-3 inches above the growth.
3. Flowering & Fruiting (Week 6-9+):
   By week six, small white flowers bloom and are easily pollinated with a gentle shake or small brush. Soon after, you’ll spot baby peppers forming. Within a few weeks, you’ll be harvesting firm, green jalapeños right from your kitchen.

Jalapeño Pepper Plant Maintenance Tips:

• Keep pruning to manage the height of the plant—jalapeños grow well vertically.
• Check roots occasionally to make sure they’re white and healthy.
• Also make sure the roots do not grow into the Spout – just remove the trays and clip any roots growing out of the tray.

The Joy of Cooking with Homegrown Jalapeños

Once harvested, the fun truly begins. Jalapeños bring just the right amount of heat to so many dishes—and when you’ve grown them yourself, every bite tastes better.

Here are some of our favorite dishes using Aquatree-grown jalapeños:

• Fresh Jalapeño Salsa

• Jalapeño Burgers

• Fresh Jalapeño Green Sauce for Peruvian Chicken

Final Thoughts on Growing Jalapeño Peppers Indoors

Growing jalapeño peppers in the Aquatree Garden has brought a whole new level of flavor and fun to our kitchen. It’s more than just gardening—it’s a connection to your food, your health, and your creativity. Whether you’re topping tacos or blending salsa, those homegrown peppers carry the joy of the entire growing journey.

If you haven’t tried growing your own peppers indoors yet, the Aquatree makes it surprisingly simple. And once you taste that first fiery bite from a pepper you nurtured yourself, there’s no going back.

️Happy growing—and even happier eating!

~ Andrew aka Raleigh Grows