Today’s Garden Ideas

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Hot Peppers are a vibrant fun vegetable to have in your garden. They come in may different shapes, sizes and colors. Hot peppers range in taste from mild spicy to raging inferno. These Peppers grow on medium sized plants that have small white blossoms in the summer. Hot Pepper fruits can range in shape from bell-shaped to bean-like. Most Hot Peppers will grow green and then change color while they ripen. The longer a Hot Pepper ripens, the hotter the fruit. Because the oil of the Hot Pepper does not wash off easily be sure to wear gloves when handle Hot Pepper seeds, plants, and the peppers themselves.

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Purchasing & Planting

When purchasing a Hot Pepper plant be sure the Hot Pepper is

compact with lots of branches and no blooms. Do not get thin Hot Pepper plant with pale leaves. Do not purchase Hot Pepper plants with broken branches and roots extending out of the pot.

Before planting Hot Pepper plants warm the soil for about 1 week. This can be done by mulching with black plastic. Wait at least 3 weeks after the last frost to set you plants out. To plant the Hot Pepper plants punch a hole through the black plastic. Mix about 2 cups of compost into the soil and then scoop out a hole. Set the Hot Pepper plant in the hole. Be sure to water thoroughly. Hot Peppers are very sensitive to cold. In fact, if exposed to temperatures below 60 degrees, Hot Pepper flowers will falloff the plant and there will be no Hot Peppers. Protect you Hot Peppers with hot caps or something like a gallon milk
jug with the bottom removed. Once the Hot Peppers are about 1 foot tall place a 2 foot stake next to each plant. Tie the plant to the stake.

Growing Tips

Hot Peppers love full sun and protection from the wind. Hot Peppers prefer well drained soil. Keep the soil moist but not wet to obtain the highest Hot Pepper yields. When harvesting Hot Peppers cut them off the plant using a sharp knife or shears. Do not pull the Hot Pepper off the plant as that can damage the Hot Pepper’s branches and roots.

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Seasonal Care

For seasonal care start in early spring growing plants from seeds. Plant your Hot Pepper seeds at least eight weeks prior to the last frost date in your growing zone. Keep the Hot Peppers in a warm sunny spot of at least 70 degrees. In late spring transplant your Hot Peppers after all danger of frost has passed. Pre-warm the soil before planting. In summer fee Hot Peppers with fish emulsion weekly until they bloom. Pull up and destroy any plants that wilt and do not recover when watered. Keep an eye out for cutworms that like to climb around the Hot Pepper plant stems and can sever them. To protect your plants push
toilet-paper tubes over each Hot Pepper plant as you plant it.

Varieties of Hot Peppers

Hot Peppers come in either a mildly hot or red alarm variety. The mildly hot Red Peppers are Anaheim, Ancho 101, Jalapeno M, Hungarian Yellow Wax, Paper Dragon, and Zippy Hybrid. Anaheim Hot Peppers are thin fruits that harvest in 70-80 days and are 6-8 inches long. Ancho 101 Hot Peppers are heart-shaped and can be used fresh or dry. These 6 inch Hot Peppers ripen in 76-80 days. Jalapeno M Hot Pepper plants traditionally produce a heavy yield in about 72-75 days. These thick Hot Peppers can be used fresh or pickled. Hungarian Yellow Wax Hot Peppers are a thin fruit that begins as yellow and then turns red as it ripens.
Hungarian Yellow Wax Hot Peppers grow well in cooler zones and are about 6 inches long. The Paper Dragon Hot Pepper in a thin narrow fruit that is good for grinding once it ripens in 55-60 days. Zippy Hybrid Hot Peppers are thin fruits that can be harvested in 57-60 days. Zippy Hybrid Hot Peppers can be harvested in either green or red.

Some of the raging inferno Hot Peppers include: Habanero, Early Jalapeno, Long Thin Cayenne, Thai Dragon, Serrano, Ring of Fire. Habanero Hot Peppers are bell-shaped and ripen from green to orange in about 75-90 days. Early Jalapeno Hot Peppers are cone-shaped and grow well in cooler areas. The Early Jalapeno Hot Pepper takes 60-68 days to ripen. Long Thin Cayenne Hot Peppers are slim twisted fruits that ripen in 67-72 days and are good for drying. Thai Dragon Hot Peppers are slim, good for drying and ripen in 70-75 days. Serrano Hot Peppers are small and thin and are extremely hot even when green. These 2 inch Serrano Hot Peppers ripen in 75-80 days. Ring of Fire Hot Peppers are thin and red and can be used dried or fresh in 60-65 days.

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Quick Facts

In general Hot Pepper plants are annuals that spread about 2 feet wide and 3 feet tall. The Hot Pepper plant thrives in zones 4-10 in full sun and well drained soil. The Hot Pepper plant is easy to grow and can yield 50-100 Hot Peppers per plant. Hot peppers ripen from early summer to early fall.