Jalapeños are popular peppers, but have you ever wondered how big their plants are?
In this post, you will find out how tall the jalapeño plants get, what the highest jalapeño varieties are, and how fast they grow!
How Tall Do Jalapeño Plants Grow?
Jalapeños are usually 18-24 inches (25-60 cm) tall. Bigger varieties reach even up to 72 inches (1.8 m). Their growth depends mostly on the jalapeño variety, structural support, and proper growing conditions.
Jalapeños aren’t tall plants, and in comparison to other plants, they’re rather short.
As you already know, the average jalapeño reaches up to 24 inches (60 cm). How does it compare to other plants?
For example, a sunflower is usually 14 feet tall (170 cm), a tomato is 48 inches (120 cm) tall, and a cucumber plant is 72 inches (180 cm) tall.
What Determine a Jalapeño Plant Size?
The factors that determine a jalapeño plant size are variety, spacing, environment, fertilization, and plant support.
Variety
Not all jalapeño varieties are the same. They’re different not only when it comes to color or taste, but also in plant height. The tallest jalapeño varieties can grow even up to 72 inches (1.8 meters)! There are a couple of varieties that grow up to 36 inches (91 cm). However, in most cases, the most popular jalapeño plants will grow no more than 24 inches (60 cm).
Spacing
If you want to grow a tall, and healthy jalapeño plant, you need to plant it properly. If you don’t want to grow a dwarf-size jalapeño plant, you have to plant the seedlings about 13-15 inches (33-38 cm) apart. It will let roots grow freely. If two or more jalapeño peppers are planted too close, they fight for water, and nutrients, which stunt the growth of all plants.
Environment
Jalapeño plants, like any other plants, need proper environmental conditions. You need to provide at least 6 hours of sunlight every day. These plants also require fertile, moist, and well-drained soil. Watering is also a really important factor. Water them when the soil feels dry about an inch down, but don’t allow the soil to become waterlogged. Moreover, jalapeños will grow properly when the temperature during the day is 65 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit (18-29 °C), and at night between 60-70 degrees Fahrenheit (15-21 °C).
Nutrients
For the right growth, you have to fertilize your plant once or twice a month with nitrogen, which will promote leaf growth. This fertilizer on Amazon is one of the best on the market. You should also remove weeds on an ongoing basis, and remove flowers for the first 6 weeks after planting to direct nutrients to root development and overall plant growth.
Plant support
Although jalapeño plants aren’t huge, they need some sort of support to grow freely. You can support jalapeños even if they’re young with skewers. Once the plants get bigger, support them with a cage for tomato plants, metal, or wooden stakes. To do that, simply tie the main stem and branches of the plant loosely to the stake using torn sheets or pantyhose.
Related: The 5 Best Grinders for Dried Peppers
What are the Biggest Jalapeño Varieties?
There are many Jalapeño varieties available. The 8 biggest ones from the most popular varieties are:
| Jalapeño Variety | Height | Days to Maturity | Fruit Size |
| 1. Early Hot Jalapeño | 48-72 inches (1.2-1.8 m) | 60-68 | 2-3 inches (4-8 cm) |
| 2. TAM Mild Jalapeño | 24-36 inches (61-91 cm) | 65-75 | 3 inches (8 cm) |
| 3. Mucho Nacho Jalapeño | 23-35 inches (60-90 cm) | 70-80 | 4 inches (10 cm) |
| 4. Billy Biker Jalapeño | 24 inches (60 cm) | 70-80 | 3,5 inches (9 cm) |
| 5. Black Jalapeño | 24 inches (60 cm) | 60-80 | 3,5 inches (9 cm) |
| 6. Jalapeño Gigante | 18-24 inches (45-60 cm) | 80-85 | 4-5 inches (10-13 cm) |
| 7. Purple Jalapeño | 18-24 inches (45-60 cm) | 80-85 | 2-3 inches (5-8 cm) |
| 8. Early Jalapeño | 18-24 inches (45-60 cm) | 60-68 | 3 inches (8 cm) |
As you can see, only the Early Hot Jalapeño variety exceeds 40 inches (1 meter). In most cases, the most popular Jalapeño varieties will grow up to 24 inches (60 cm) tall.
How Much Space Do Jalapeño Plants Need?
Jalapeños need about 20-24 inches (50-60 cm) of space. This will ensure that the plant’s root grows properly and it gets enough nutrients.
Jalapeño plants when mature can be 18-24 inches (45-60 cm) wide. When planting them, you should keep 20-24 inches (50-60 cm). That way, when they’re growing, you can be sure that their roots will not touch each other’s and interfere, depriving each other of nutrients and water.
It’s possible, that your plant’s leaves will touch each other, but that’s completely ok, and it will not affect their growth. It might even help a little to both plants because they will provide light and joint support.
How Fast Do Jalapeño Plants Grow?
With proper care, jalapeños from sowing to fruiting stage need about 80 days. Faster-growing varieties can be mature even 70 days after sowing.
How fast your jalapeño gives fruit depends on many factors, but the most important thing is the right care, and growing conditions.
Let’s see how long individual stages of jalapeño growth last.
- Seedling stage: 2-20 days
- Adolescent Stage: 20-27 days
- Growth Stage: 30-50 days
- Maturation Stage: 50-65 days
- Flowering Stage: 65-80 days
- Fruiting Stage: 80 days+
Let’s do the math now. If you consider that a jalapeño plant takes 80 days to grow, and it gets 24 inches (60 cm) tall, it means, that on average, it grows 0.3 inches (0.75 cm) per day. Of course, these are the average numbers, and your plant will grow faster in the growth stage, than in the flowering, or fruiting stage.
How does it compare to other plants? For example, potatoes are fruiting in about 100 days, cucumbers in 70 days, sunflowers for up to 120 days, and tomatoes in 90 days. Oh, and if you want to grow potatoes in pots, you should check out this guide. It’s safe to say that jalapeños grow pretty fast.
Do Jalapeños Need a Trellis?
Jalapeños should be supported with a trellis, because it helps them grow, and prevents the weight of the fruits to cause bending and breaking of stems.
So, staking jalapeños is highly recommended, no matter if you grow them in the ground or in containers.
Staking is easy. You can use a metal or wooden stake. It’s recommended to insert a stake before you plant jalapeños to avoid root damage. So, if you insert the stake once it’s growing, be cautious.
Just insert your stake at the base of your pepper plant, about 2-3 inches (5-7 cm) from the base of the stem. Push it down at least 6 inches (15 cm) until the stake is sturdy. Afterward, tether your plant to the stake with string, twist ties, or zip ties, and you’re done.
Sources
mygardenlife.com, homeguides.sfgate.com, thespruce.com, peppergeek.com, gardeningknowhow.com
