Arizona · Garden vegetables

Pepper season in Arizona

Typically early June to late October, with peak mid-June through mid-September.

Hatched chalk = early and late shoulders; solid = peak.

Low-desert bells come early; chile harvest in the high desert peaks late summer into fall.

At a glance

Early

From early June — first pickings, lighter supply, best prices come later.

Peak

mid-June through mid-September — full stalls, full flavor. This is the stretch to plan around.

Late

Through late October — quantity for preserving, and the stalls start dealing.

Season length

about 22 weeks end to end, shoulders included.

U-pick peppers in Arizona

Offered at many u-pick vegetable farms; snip with pruners rather than pulling so branches do not break. The picking window tracks the band above: early trips get clean fields, peak (mid-June through mid-September) is the sure bet, late season is for quantity.

Farm-to-farm variation is real — up to two weeks either side of the typical window. Plan the trip, then call the farm before you drive.


Chasing the season?

Pepper peak moves across the map. After this window, it lands next in:

The whole national sweep · everything in season in Arizona

Frequently asked questions

When is pepper season in Arizona?

In Arizona, the pepper season typically runs early June to late October, with peak availability mid-June through mid-September. Exact weeks shift a little with each year's weather.

When should I go u-pick peppers in Arizona?

Aim for peak: mid-June through mid-September. An early trip around early June gets first choice of clean fields; a late one is for stock-the-freezer quantity. Any single farm can run up to two weeks either side of the chart — call before you drive.

How long does pepper season last in Arizona?

about 22 weeks end to end — early June to late October. The early and late shoulders are real but lighter; the solid stretch of chalk on the band is the sure bet.