Pepper Seeds – Hot Cayenne

How to Grow Pepper Seeds – Hot Cayenne Hot Pepper from Seed

Cayenne pepper is a heat-loving crop that does not perform well in shade or cold soils. For best results, start seeds indoors 4-6 weeks before the final spring frost for transplanting. Sow 2-3 seeds 1/4″ deep per cell or peat pot in fertile, organically rich, and well-drained soil with a pH of 6.0-6.8. Seeds will germinate in 7-21 days. When transplanting, space the seedlings 12-18 inches apart in the garden, or place one plant per container. Pepper plants thrive in pots and containers with a phosphorus-rich potting mix and will benefit from staking and support as they become top-heavy during fruit production.

Non-GMO Cayenne Pepper seeds (Capsicum annuum) grow as upright annual vegetables, offering a long growing season. Hot Long Slim Cayenne Peppers can reach nearly 2 feet tall during the warm seasons. These peppers emit a pungent, peppery, and slightly sweet aroma along with a hot flavor, also providing various herbal benefits.

As late summer approaches, cayenne plants will develop 5-6 inch long, thin-walled, slim red peppers with green leaves. Once the peppers turn from green to bright red with a glossy texture, they are ready to harvest. Cayenne peppers will also begin to bloom small white flowers.

Cayenne Long Slim Hot Pepper in the Vegetable Garden

Peppers are one of the most diverse, showy, and flavorful fruits grown in the annual garden bed. Available in nearly every possible color and shape, from super sweet to super spicy, peppers grow stronger and taste better with a season of full sun and high heat. Pepper plants thrive in pots and containers and can even perennially overwinter in warm enough regions, maturing into bushy, vibrant, and well-stemmed patio favorites.

Due to its fast-growing nature and strong capsaicin properties, Cayenne Pepper is perfect for planting in your herb garden! The strong capsaicin and hot flavor of these peppers provide relief from colds or fevers, as they are often ground or used as pepper flakes to add that extra “bite.”

Harvesting Cayenne Long Slim Hot Pepper

Some sweet and bell peppers can be harvested as soon as 60-70 days, but most hot varieties are ready about 100 days from sowing or when their skin changes color. Know the individual variety you are sowing to determine when the color indicates ripeness. Peppers can be picked early to ripen indoors or left to ripen and change color on the vine. Using a knife or shears, carefully snip off the peppers while leaving some stem attached to the fruit. When working with hot peppers, wear gloves to avoid skin contact with capsaicin.

About Cayenne Long Slim Hot Pepper Seeds

• Scientific Name: Capsicum annuum
• Maturity: 75-90 days

This heirloom variety of Cayenne pepper is known to be Pre-Columbian in origin and is said to be named after the Cayenne River in French Guiana. It was first offered in the seed trade by Joseph Breck & Son in 1883. These hot, zesty, and pungent organic peppers are about 6 inches long but only 1/2 inch wide. Despite their size, they pack a punch that will add a zing to any dish. With a heat rating of 30,000-50,000 Scoville Heat Units (SHU), they can be used to make sauces, dried and ground as a spice, or even in an immunity-boosting tea.

For an extra fiery flavor, leave them on the bush to fully ripen.