The information on this page applies to seedlings sold by LEAF Nursery during our 2021 Seedling Sale.
Capsicum chinense. Bright red, lantern-shaped, super hot chiles that pack a real flavor punch five, times hotter than Jalapeno, for making salsas, hot sauces and Tex-Mex dishes. Plants are easy to grow and reliably bear heavy crops of fiery chiles. This hot chile doesn't need to be peeled or seeded before eating. Fruits ripen to red.
Seed Type
| Organic | Heirloom | Non-GMO | Hybrid | Open-pollinated | Untreated |
Additional Information
| Container Friendly | Trellis Needed | Easy to Grow | Pollinator Friendly |
Planting Season
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
Growing Conditions
| Light | Temperature | Soil | Water |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full Sun | 75º–90º F | Well-drained, rich soils with a pH ~6.5. Be sure to plant with plenty of compost and fertilizer. | As needed |
Planting Tips
| Plant Spacing | Plant Size | Days to Maturity |
|---|---|---|
| 12-24" | 100 from transplant |
- Additional instructions: Hot, dry conditions develop spiciest flavor. Peppers are adventitious rooters. If one to three leaves are pruned off and the plants transplanted deeply, roots will arise from the buried nodes, fostering better anchorage and greater root mass for foraging. Peppers (especially sweet varieties) need high nitrogen levels to establish the plant size and leaf canopy needed to protect fruit from sunburn, so fertilize well.[3]
- Harvesting instructions: Harvest at 2-2.5 inches long. When harvesting, take care to avoid touching the interior of any broken peppers, as the capsaicin is an extreme irritant, especially to the eyes. Wash hands thoroughly after harvesting or wear gloves to harvest peppers.[1] [5]
Common Diseases and Pests
- Pests: Aphids, Armyworms, Buffalo treehopper, Corn earworm, Cucumber beetles, Cutworms, Earwigs, Flea beetles, Hornworms, Leafminers, Lygus bugs, Nematodes, Omnivorous leafroller, Pepper weevil, Snails/slugs, Spider mites, Thrips, Whiteflies
- Disease: Curly top, Mosaic viruses, Phytophtora root and crown rot, Powdery mildew, Spotted wilt virus, Verticillium wilt
Useful Resources
- http://www.cornucopiaseeds.com/seeds-veg.htm (seed source)
- http://mgsantaclara.ucanr.edu/garden-help/vegetables/vegetable-planting-chart/
- https://casfs.ucsc.edu/documents/for-the-gardener/peppers.pdf
- http://ipm.ucanr.edu/home-and-landscape/peppers/index.html
- https://www.botanicalinterests.com/product/Habanero-Organic-Chile-Pepper-Seeds
If you bought this seedling and have any questions or feedback, let us know in the comment section below.