Growing Guide: Peppers (Jalapeño)

Jalapeño are a dark green, pungent 3" hot pepper and are excellent fresh or pickled and will turn from green to red when fully ripened. The zesty flavor is a staple in Mexican dishes are rated in the range of 2,500 - 5,000 on the Scoville scale. As a reference the Cayenne Scoville range is 30,000 - 50,000, and Bell peppers are 0 (ZERO).

SOW:

• Direct: Direct sow when ground temperatures are above 75-85 degrees.

• Indoor: Indoor sowing will give better germination rates if heat is applied. Seeds should be started 6-8 weeks before the last spring frost.

TRANSPLANT: I recommend waiting to transplant 1-2 weeks after the last threat of frost has gone, even a light frost can significantly damage young plants. Must be properly hardened off prior to transplanting, when the ground is routinely above 70 degrees is ideal.

SPACING: 18-24 inches apart.

ISOLATION: 300 feet If saving seed for future planting.

EXPOSURE: Full sun.

GERMINATION: 5 - 20 Days. If heat is applied during germination, 5-7 days is typical. These peppers will not germinate if they are cold.

PEST CONTROL: Disease and pest control is similar to tomatoes, except for the Tomato Horn Worm, Peppers are not generally susceptible to this.

The other common pest is actually in the form of disease, blight and Fusarium wilt are the most common in my area. It is often difficult to identify the specific disease on tomatoes as they are very similar in presentation, and the treatments can be as simple as doing nothing, improving water distribution, to removing the entire plant and disposing in the trash to prevent spread.

Jalapeño's are also susceptible to aphids and flea beetles. The best defense is prevention, if you can do these few things you will likely eliminate most of the problems:

1. Start with healthy soil

2. Rotate pepper plants every 3 years, every two would be ideal.

3. Pruning, never let the leaves come within 8 inches of the soil. If practical mulch around the plant to prevent up-splashing during rain and watering.

4. Spray with Neem oil every 10 - 14 days.

The most common issue with peppers is Blossom End Rot (B.E.R). B.E.R is a symptom of the plants lack of calcium, either due to deficiency in the soil, a pH above 7 limiting the ability for the plant to uptake, or most likely overwatering.

FEEDING & WATERING:

Ground Planting:

If grown in the ground there is little you will need to do in regard to feeding, if your soil is adequate. Monitor for macro and micro nutrient deficiencies and treat accordingly. Feel the soil several inches below the surface, if it is dry then it is time to water. Watering on a schedule without assessing the plant and soil can do more harm than good.

Growing in Pots:

If growing in pots, frequent watering may be required, but do not do so indiscriminately. Watering every Monday, Wednesday and Friday routinely can lead to disaster. Feeding every two weeks with a gentle mix of seaweed/kelp and fish emulsion if planted using an adequate potting mix should be all you need, of course monitoring for any nutrient decencies along the way. I have grown Jalapeño's in 5 gallon buckets, and they do great.

Regardless of the planting medium, I like to feed with Epsom salt spray every 2 weeks, this has always worked well for me adding just enough magnesium to keep the leaves in good health.

HARVEST: 65 Days. This date is calculated after transplanted and green. For ripe peppers (color change) add 30 days.

SEED SAVING:

There are three accepted methods that can be used to save seed from this plant. Regardless of the method, testing the seed is necessary to ensure that it has properly dried. Press a fingernail onto the seed, if this does not leave a dent, the seed is dry.

If there is any controversy in seed saving, drying peppers seem to be at the top of that list. While confirming my seed saving practice I researched the need to ferment pepper seeds, after all they are in the nightshade family along with tomatoes, which require fermentation.

Half of the internet resources say to ferment pepper seeds, the other half does not. I went to my trusted resource, one that I consider the gold standard for seed saving Seed to Seed by Suzanne Ashworth. The author does not recommend fermenting pepper seeds, nor do I. I have saved many pepper seeds over the years and have never fermented them and have never had germination issues.

Remember when identifying pepper plants to save seed, the "fruit" itself must be ripe, never save "green" pepper seeds, always let them mature to color before harvesting the seed.

If working with hot peppers, remember the seeds are hot as well. Gloves and possible a mask should be worn to prevent accidental exposure to capsaicin (The heat in a hot pepper).

1. PEPPERS DRIED ON THE STALK.

• Position your peppers on paper plates or towels taking care not to overlap them. Single layers works best for allowing the airflow that speeds up the drying process.

• Place your plate or towel in a warm, dry location. Let them sit for a few weeks.

• Wait for the peppers to have a dry, leathery feel. Dried pepper skin is often wrinkled, and some make a rattling noise when the seeds get loose.

• Cut open the peppers and dump the loose seeds into the container of your choice. The seeds should be technically dry at this point and ready for storage. I would suggest leaving these seed exposed to air dry for another 5-7 days as insurance.

2. PICK RIPE PEPPERS

• Cut the pepper "around the crown" and lift from the body using the stem as a handle, exposing the seed.

• Position the pepper over a plate or cup and then scrape the seeds out with the knife. Leave the seeds out for a couple of weeks to let them dry. You can test the seeds for proper drying by pinching them with your fingernail — if you don’t see any indentation marks, they’re ready for storage

3. BLENDER

• Cut the tops of your peppers off just under the stems.

• Place your peppers in a blender and add enough water to cover the peppers.

• Use a plastic, blunted blade if possible and blend slowly for a few second short bursts. Viable seed should settle to the bottom, scrape off everything on top.

• Carefully pour the remaining mixture over a strainer to catch your seeds. Lay them out on a towel or plate for a couple of weeks to dry.

MISC:

• When transplanting peppers wait a month or so before mulching around the base, this will give the soil plenty of time to heat up.

• Almost every pepper will double the vitamin C content when it changes from green to its ripe color.

• Jalapeños are excellent when dried and crushed into a powder and used as a spice when cooking.

• We use our favorite stuffed pepper mix as well as a variety of cheeses to make stuffed jalapeño's, and they are excellent.