Growing Pepper Plants for Profit: My First Carolina Reaper & Scotch Bonnet Run

Starting my journey in growing pepper plants for profit has been an exciting and educational experience. Right now, my stock consists of Carolina Reaper and Scotch Bonnet plants, both grown from seed in a propagator before being transferred to their current containers—recycled milk cartons. While this might not be the most professional setup, it’s a cost-effective way to start. Ideally, I’d love to use color-coded pots to distinguish plant species, but for now, keeping expenses low is my priority. After all, if people want the plants, they will buy them regardless of the pot they come in.

My DIY Grow Setup

These plants were initially raised in my DIY grow tent, which I built using simple materials. I also made my own DIY grow light to ensure they received sufficient illumination. Since I didn’t have a professional heating system, I used a hot water bottle as a supplementary heat source. It might sound unconventional, but it worked brilliantly!

The way I see it, plants are imperfect beings that thrive in the wild under vastly different conditions. Growing them indoors, even without professional equipment, already gives them a major advantage. If you can provide any supplementary heat at all, they will benefit from it. A hot water bottle proved to be an inexpensive yet effective way to maintain warmth, especially during colder nights.

A Temporary Dormancy Experiment

At one point, I had family staying over, and I needed to reclaim some space, meaning my DIY grow tent had to be taken down temporarily. This created a challenge—I had to find a way to store my plants while keeping them alive. I decided to try a forced dormancy period.

To do this, I cut off all the foliage I could and placed the plants on top of a wardrobe, hoping they would survive. It was a complete experiment, and as you can see, most of them pulled through! Some didn’t make it, but that’s all part of the learning process. The ones in the middle of my current setup are Carolina Reaper propagations from my strong mother plant, which is positioned on the right-hand side. She has shown incredible resilience, and I plan to give my mother Scotch Bonnet plant the same pot size when funds allow. For now, my current setup works fine.

Propagating Carolina Reapers for the First Time

This is my first attempt at propagating pepper plants, and I kept things as simple as possible. My method involved:

1. Taking a cutting from a healthy plant.
2. Placing the cutting in a container filled with water—this will eventually be its new home.
3. Cutting any larger leaves in half to reduce water loss and help the plant focus on root production.

At the time of writing, the cuttings have been in water for 24 hours, and I am hopeful they will root successfully. From my understanding, the plant’s biggest battle is to produce roots before it dries out. Watching this process unfold has been fascinating, and I can’t wait to see the results.

Reapers Bouncing Back from Dormancy

The middle plants in my setup are Reapers, and they are bouncing back well after their forced dormancy period. Seeing them regain strength is rewarding, and I look forward to them growing into healthy, bushy plants ready for sale. As I expand my setup, I plan to introduce more window sill-grown plants. While plants may grow slower on a window sill, they will still grow, proving that you don’t need expensive equipment to get started.

Future Plans & Experimenting with New Plants

As I move forward, I want to experiment with other plant species for sale. While peppers have been my main focus, I’m considering branching out into more decorative plants. Should I stick with peppers or explore new options? Leave your suggestions in the comments!

Some ideas I’m currently exploring include:

• Apple tree propagation
• Peach tree propagation
• Other edible or ornamental plants

This journey has already taught me so much, and I’m excited to see where it leads. Whether you’re growing plants for profit or just as a hobby, I hope my experience helps inspire you to start your own journey. Stay tuned for updates on my progress, and feel free to share any tips or experiences in the comments below!