State × crop calendar
Peppers planting in Maryland.
- Primary crop
- Zone 7a
- 195-day season
- Last frost April 15
- Vegetable
- Frost Sensitive
Peppers planting in Maryland is shaped by the state's 7a dominant hardiness zone, last frost date around April 15, and a 195-day growing season. Peppers is widely grown in Maryland — commercially significant or common in home gardens and food plots.
Planting dates on this page are climatological estimates from USDA frost-date norms and zone-typical planting offsets. Verify against University of Maryland Extension for variety- and county-specific guidance.
Planting calendar — 2026
Frost-anchored windows.
Peppers · Maryland · planting calendar
Planting windows shift earlier in southern parts of the state and later in northern parts. Use last frost date in your specific county as the reference.
Planting windows
Earliest → ideal → latest.
Spring planting
PeppersEarliest
April 29
Ideal start
May 6
Ideal end
May 27
Latest
June 17
Soil-temp trigger
Transplant when soil reaches 65°F at 2-inch depth — typically 2 weeks after last frost. Peppers are even more cold-sensitive than tomatoes.Harvest window
Typical start
July 15
Typical end
August 14
Harvest timing varies with planting date and seasonal weather — these dates are typical for the ideal planting window.
Growing notes
Peppers grows well in Maryland's typical climate. Maryland's 195-day growing season and 7a hardiness zone support reliable production with appropriate variety selection.
Peppers is widely grown in Maryland — commercially significant or common in home gardens and food plots.
Agronomy reference
Peppers fundamentals.
Soil-temp minimum
60°F
Soil-temp optimum
65–85°F
Days to maturity
70–100
Water (in/wk)
1–1.5"
Soil pH
6–6.8
Nitrogen demand
moderate
Days to maturity from transplant. Long growing season requirement makes transplant essential in most northern states.
Common pests to watch
- Aphids
- Pepper weevil
- Hornworms
Pest pressure varies by region and year. Confirm current outbreaks with University of Maryland Extension.
Common diseases
- Bacterial spot
- Phytophthora
- Mosaic virus
Resistance varieties shift each year. Check the current variety trial report for your state.
Variety selection
Peppers varieties for Maryland live with your extension.
Variety selection
Variety performance is micro-regional and changes with each year's trial cycle. We don't republish variety lists — instead, we point directly at the source.
University of Maryland Extension →Search the extension site for “peppers variety trial” or “recommended peppers varieties” to find the current report.
Yield varies significantly by variety, soil, fertility, and management. Consult your state extension service for variety performance trials in your region.
Peppers timing. Live alerts.
Bield Farm ties weather and soil-temperature stations in your county to crop planting thresholds — get notified the day soil temp clears your target window.
Start free trial →