How to Grow Hot Peppers
Growing Hot Peppers is one of America's hot garden plants. Hot peppers are
easy to grow. And, they provide a "kick" to meals and snacks.
As a lover of hot peppers, you will likely grow several varieties. In addition
to varying degrees of "heat", each hot has it's own taste and texture. Think
of what you can do with the choice and selection! For starters, there are
recipes galore. Many call for a specific variety of hot pepper. Try substituting
with different varieties. Perhaps, you will make your own hot sauce or salsa.
You can also hold a "hot pepper tasting". You, your family and your friends,
can sample the different varieties, and rank them.
Did you know? The hottest part of the hot pepper, is the seeds. Of
course you did!!!
How hot is hot? Ask several people what is the hottest out the hottest
peppers, and you get several different answers. The Scoville Organoleptic
Scale was created in 1912 to measure the level of capsaicin in hot peppers.
Capsaicin is the chemical ingredient that makes hot peppers hot.
More on Capsaicin
The Hottest Hot Pepper: The Jolokia
Pepper, also called Ghost Pepper takes this honor.
Common Varieties of Hot Peppers and their Scoville Rating for Hot
|Jolokia (Ghost Pepper)
||855,000 - 1,041,427
Did you know? Paprika is a pepper!
Buy Hot Pepper Seeds - Find a wide selection of pepper
seeds for sale online now.
Sowing Hot Pepper Seeds:
Hot Pepper plants are best started indoors, eight to ten weeks or more before
the last frost date for your area. They are a somewhat difficult seed germinate,
Seedlings grow slowly at first. Many growers simply visit their local garden
store for seedling to transplant. Avid garden hobbiests, will find pleasure
and satisfaction in starting their own pepper plants indoors.
Tip: Provide bottom heat or heat lamps to raise the soil temperature
to 80 degrees. This will promote better and quicker germination.
Buy Germination Heating Mats - for an overall healthy
start for your seedlings.
Days to Maturity:
70 to 90 days or more, depending upon the variety. Read the package for the
specific time for the variety you acquire.
How to Grow Hot Peppers:
Hot Pepper plants are grown in the same manner as sweet peppers. Grow the
plants in full sun. Prepare the garden, adding plenty of compost, manure,
and a general fertilizer.
No matter what variety you grow, they like the weather hot. Transplant young
seedlings outdoors after the last chance of frost. If the weather is still
cool, delay transplanting a few days, to avoid stunting the plants.
Keep them in a cold frame, indoors
or next to the house.
Space 18-24 inches apart, in rows 24 to 36 inches apart. This spacing will
vary somewhat, depending upon the variety of hot pepper you are growing.
Hot Pepper plants prefer moist soil. Add plenty of water during hot, dry
Add mulch around the peppers to keep down weeds, and to retain soil moisture.
As the peppers develop, switch over to a fertilizer higher in Phosphorous
and Potassium. Gardeners often make the mistake of providing too much nitrogen.
The result is a great looking bushy, green plant, but few fruit.
Peppers are self pollinators. Occasionally, they will cross pollinate from
pollen carried by bees or other insects. If you are going to save the seeds
for next year, you need to minimize the possibility of cross breeding. Do
not plant different varieties near each other.
Ideal Soil pH
Peppers can be picked as soon as they reach a size which is edible. Leaving
the fruit on the vine to mature, maximizes their "heat",or capsaicin in the
Continuous harvesting will promote new fruit to set.
Insects and Pests:
Many insects are harmful to pepper plants. Spider mites and aphids are the
most common, with an occasional borer. In many areas, it is infrequent. For
the infrequent problem, try an organic insecticide or dust.
Deer will eat the leaves of both sweet pepper and hot pepper plants.
Plant Problems - Diagnosis,
causes and cures for many common plant problems.
While many viruses and diseases can affect Peppers, it is somewhat infrequent.
Fungal infections can be treated with fungicides. Apply treatment as soon
as you see it.
No doubt about it, your hot peppers like warm weather. Like sweet peppers,
they do not like frost. In the spring, frost will stunt or kill the plants.
Cold weather can cause the plant to slow down or stunt it. In the Fall, cover
the plants, if frost is expected.
Tip: For a quick cover-up on cold fall nights, use five gallon buckets.
They are the perfect size, and can be quickly placed over the plant.
Do you know your Hot Peppers? Check out the varieties
of hot peppers.
to Grow Peppers
More on Capsaicin
Tim's Salsa Recipe - it's quick and easy
Sauteed Peppers and Onions
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