Habanero pepper plants need good spacing to grow to their full size, so space the plants 18 to 24 inches apart. Rows should be at least 3 feet apart. The best soil for growing habanero peppers is a well-drained soil, amended with lots of organic matter such as compost, rotted leaves or rotted manure. Adding a layer of mulch around the pepper plants' root systems controls weeds and prevents moisture loss from the soil. The soil pH should be near neutral, in the range of 6.0 to 7.0.