Many people believe that chiles can only be grown in arid regions like the Southwestern United States. "But you can grow chile peppers just about anywhere in the United States and southern Canada."(Dudgeon, 2000) The catch is that chiles can be grown as perrennials in the southwest and the southeast, but in colder climates chiles can only be grown as annuals. A perrenial is a plant that can survive many growing seasons, while an annual must be replanted every growing season. Even though chiles can thrive in many climates, there are specific chiles that do better in certain climates. Chiles such as the Jalapa Jalapeno and the Anaheim (Dudgeon, 2000) can thrive in colder climates while the Ancho and Serrano are more suited to arid climates. Also, some chiles mature at a quicker rate than others and are therefore ideal for the short growing season in the north. One should do research to be sure they have the right chile for their climate.

Chiles can be grown from seed or can be bought as small plants. Because of the limited growing season, those in the north are probably better off buying plants. Otherwise, they will need to germinate the seeds indoors because it will be too cold outside prior to the growing season. Chiles should be planted in a light well draines soil with a pH between 6 and 8. One can add ground limestone to raise the pH or peat moss to lower the pH. The planting site should receive at least six hours of sunlight a day and should be shielded from high winds as chiles are brittle plants (Dudgeon, 2000). The most important thing to remember is to keep your soil well drained since chiles will not survive in overly moist conditions.

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