You must first log in or sign up before accessing this page.
Legend
- Start Indoors
- Transplant
- Start Outdoors
- Care
- Harvest
- Succession Plant
Peppers : Burpee Signature Hot Pepper
3" fruits grow pointing upwards in a boutuet form that resembles a poinsettia flower.
Capsicum 'Poinsettia'
With their myriad of uses, peppers are a popular choice for home gardeners. Peppers love a sunny site because they are heat-loving, warm season annuals. They prefer a soil rich in organic matter, well-drained, with a pH of 6.0 to 6.8. The compact and dwarf varieties are great for small gardens or containers. Peppers are not only grown for their great taste, as they are chock full of needed nutrients. Whether used fresh, dried, stuffed, or ground into powder, peppers are a true garden workhorse. For more specific information refer to the back of the packet.
Planting and Care Information
Planting Time: Indoors, start seeds indoors 6-8 weeks before last frost. Outdoors, after all danger of frost has past, sow seeds directly in the garden.
Sow seeds 6 inches apart, ¼ inch deep in rows 30 inches apart.
When seedlings are a few inches tall thin to 18 inches apart.
Transplant the seedlings started indoors to the garden when daytime temperatures are at least 65°F.
Sweet peppers grow best when daytime temperatures range from 70-75°F.
Hot peppers prefer warmer daytime temperatrues ranging from 70-85°F.
If night temperatures fall below 60°F, blossoms often fall off causing the fruit setting to be poor.
Plant hot and sweet peppers in separate areas to avoid cross-pollination.
Pick regularly for increased yields.
Fertillization
Apply 3 pounds of a 5-10-10 fertilizer every 100 square feet when preparing the planting bed and apply a second time once the fruit appears. Note: A high-nitrogen fertilizer can kill the plants.
Water thoroughly and often as needed after you fertilize the peppers so the ground doesn’t become too concentrated with fertilizer.
Solanaceae Capsicum annuum
This is an example of the timeline you would see based on your growing conditions.
Peppers: Hot
Burpee Signature Hot Pepper
Spicy and pungent, Hot Peppers add more kick to a meal than any other common vegetable. They are an essential ingredient of Mexican, Indian and Thai cuisine. Their flavor ranges from mildly spicy to blisteringly hot.
Basics
- Ease of Growing
- Moderate
- Grown as
- Annual
- Days to Maturity
- 80-90 (Spring/Summer)
- Growing Habit
- Bush
- Hardiness
- Very Tender
Very tender, they can't stand cold weather or frost.
- Crops
- Spring Transplant
- Growing Season
- Long
- Cultivar Type
- -
- Growing Conditions
- Warm, Hot
Peppers originated in the tropical highlands of Central and South America and grow best with warm (70 to 80˚ F) days, cool (55 to 65˚ F) nights and high humidity. If the soil gets above 85˚ F you can cool the soil by applying mulch and watering frequently with cold water.
- Outdoor Growing Temp
- 60°F - 95°F
- Min Outdoor Soil Temp
- 65°F
The soil must be warm (at least 65° F). If necessary you could use black plastic mulch to hasten warming.
- Start Indoors
- Yes
- Start Outdoors
- No
- Light
- Water
- Moderate
Pepper plants are somewhat drought tolerant (especially Hot Peppers), but lack of water can affect fruiting, so they should be kept moist for best production. Drip irrigation works well with Peppers.
Sweet Peppers are particularly vulnerable to water stress when fruiting, so keep the soil evenly moist. If not given enough water, the fruits can develop a slightly bitter flavor (and may get Blossom End Rot).
Don't leave water on the leaves overnight as this encourages disease.
- Feeder
- Heavy
Low nitrogen. High potassium. High phosphorus. Peppers are fairly hungry plants and require lots of phosphorus and potassium, but not too much nitrogen (which may result in big vigorous plants, but few fruits).
- Suitability
- Needs summer shade
- Small Gardens?
- Yes
- Containers?
- Yes, but will need a large one, like a half wine barrel
Choose a container at least 16" in diameter. A container with drainage holes is a necessity in order to successfully grow peppers. Cover the holes with weed cloth, newspaper or any other similar material and then fill with potting soil. Peppers love warm weather and will not thrive if temperatures are either too cold or too hot. Place peppers in full sun in warm climates, but be sure they have access to shade in hot temperatures. Keep well-watered. Stake to keep fruit off the ground, mulch for disease and weed control.
- Attracts beneficial insects?
- No
- Color
- Red
- Fruit Size
- - 5.0"
- Plant Height
- 20.0 - 24.0"
- Plant Diameter
- 10.0 - 12.0"
- Hardiness Zone
- 4-12
- Disease Resistance
- -
- Taste Profile
Cayenne Long Thin's fiery taste is stronger after drying.
- Rotation Group
- Fruits: Solanaceae + Cucurbits
Last Frost Date (LFD) refers to the approximate date of the last killing frost of spring.
Example first frost date on April 08.
First Frost Date (FFD) refers to the approximate date of the first killing frost of winter.
Example first frost date on November 01.
