Description
Grow a garden filled with the insanely hot, Orange Habanero Pepper, from freshly harvested Capsicum chinense seeds. The Orange Habanero Pepper originates in many territories in the Southern Countries of Mexico, Peru, Columbia & Spain. Some Habanero Peppers date back to biblical times, making them 6,000 to 8,000 years old. Orange Habanero plants might produce small fruits, but be weary of their huge kick. These peppers will set your taste buds on fire! Okay, not literally, but you should know that they typically range anywhere between 200,000 to 350,000 units on the Scoville heat scale, making them among the hottest peppers in the world. The fruits themselves are roughly 1 to 2 inches in diameter, displaying a waxy, orange outer skin.
Pepper plants are usually quite compact, growing to a mature height of only 24 to 30 inches tall. They spread to an equal width of 24 inches wide. The plants grow upright, bearing their small fruits through the summer months, while temperatures are at their peak. They ripen from green to bright orange and can be harvested in roughly 95 to 100 days. Peppers, such as the Orange Habanero are a perfect addition to salsa's, and can be added whole in soups, stews and curries as well.
Although you might not be brave enough to add some spice to your life, or at least your culinary dishes, Habanero peppers such as this can come with a few health benefits. Consumption of these small fruits have proven to reduce the risk of diabetes, decrease the risk of some cancers and can even prevent Cardiovascular Disease. For additional information on these claims, check out this article.
Sowing The Seed
Peppers are best started indoors, in a controlled environment, 6 to 8 weeks prior to the last frost. Sow them in peat pots, at a depth of 1/4” under topsoil. Peat pots will allow you to transplant the entire pot directly into the garden when the weather is warm and will also prevent root shock. Check below for additional info on spacing & growth habits.
Growing Conditions
Pepper plants will thrive in the heat of summer, so they should receive full sunlight for the majority of the day, with temperatures of at least 75F or more. A soil that is rich in organic matter is best, with a pH level of at least 6.2 and 7.0. Also make sure that your sowing medium is well drained, or your plants can wilt due to being waterlogged. Water your pepper seeds daily to provide them with ample amounts of moisture until germination has occurred.
Germination & Growth
Pepper seeds typically take anywhere between 14 to 28 days to germinate. After your seedlings start to grow, they will mature to an estimated height of roughly 24 to 30 inches tall and spread at least 24 inches wide. On average, Pepper plants can be spaced 18 to 24 inches apart from one another, in rows spaced 18 inches apart. These plants do very well when grown directly in the garden, or in large pots and containers as well.
Harvesting Orange Habanero Peppers
Once the plants are established, your fruits will grow to a size of roughly 1 to 2 inches in diameter. They ripen from green to bright orange, meaning that they are ready for picking. Simply snip or pick the stems an inch from the fruits and eat fresh, or store them by drying, freezing or pickling / canning. Harvest in roughly 95 to 100 days.
Compared to other peppers that I've grown from seed, I'm really disappointed with these. It took longer than expected to germinate. I even planted them at the same time as other peppers that did fine. (I do use heat mats and proper lighting when starting indoors.) Those seedlings are now 2 months old and I even transplanted them and tried a richer soil and they are still tiny and not growing much. I started another batch last month in my green house just to see if I might have better luck outdoors, but I'm seeing the same results.
I have years of experience sowing seeds and germinating seedlings and this batch of seeds did not produce plants , out of the 2 packs one plant grew. Would have been cheaper for me to buy a whole plant from Lowes or tractor supply Very Disappointed in the packs I received !
Very hot. Great flavor. Reproduced greatly. The peppers were grown from seeds and went through a move and when they FINALLY were ready, only one person could eat them safely without crying & without them being cooked. Others tried.
Good seeds
I got soo many pepper seeds!! So excited! Thank you!
