The best hot peppers, from mild to wild
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Question: We want to grow lots of hot pepper varieties in our garden this year to share with friends. Are some varieties better than others for growing here in Pittsburgh?
Answer: There are hundreds of different hot pepper varieties out there, with a huge diversity of heat levels. Hot peppers are easy to grow, very pest resistant, and often quite prolific. They do quite well here in Western Pennsylvania, with many varieties producing dozens of fruits from mid-summer through fall’s first frost.
When deciding which hot peppers to grow, start by considering how much heat you can handle. Each pepper variety is ranked on the Scoville Heat Unit (SHU) scale. This scale shows the relative heat levels of each different pepper, allowing you to distinguish milder varieties from those that are maniacally hot. Believe it or not, the SHU measurement of each pepper is determined by human testers who record the heat level and then dilute a sample of the pepper with sugars until heat is no longer perceptible. The amount of dilution required is what determines the variety’s position on the SHU scale. Keep in mind, though, that the scale is subjective, since each tester’s palate is different, as is the heat level of each individual pepper (even those grown on the same plant).
Most of our local nurseries carry several varieties of hot peppers, and they’re available as transplants, so you don’t have to go through the effort of starting your own from seed. However, if you want to grow some of the more unusual varieties of peppers, you’ll have to grow them from seed yourself, a process that isn’t overly difficult, but does take some time, space and patience.
Mildly hot
‘Bastan’ Poblano/ancho: Perfect for making chili rellenos or roasting
‘Senorita’ Jalapeno: A special jalapeno with a lower level of heat
‘Felicity’ Jalapeno: All of the flavor of a jalapeno with no heat
‘Cozumel’ Caribe: Beautiful yellow/orange/red pepper with mild heat
‘Numex Suave Orange’ Habanero: Yep, a habenero with only a mild heat level, but just as pretty and flavorful
Moderately hot
‘Sureno’ Serrano: Long green fruits with a blunt tip that ripen to a bright red
‘La Bomba’ Jalapeno: A bit of sweetness followed by heat
‘Cayenetta’ Cayenne: An award-winning cayenne with 4-inch-long red fruits
‘Kristian’ Cayenne: Early to produce and bright yellow
‘Havasu’ Santa Fe: Conical, yellow, orange and red fruits with thick walls
Wildly hot
‘Bhut Joloka’ ghost pepper: 300 times hotter than a jalapeno
‘Golden Ghost’ ghost pepper: A yellow ghost pepper that’s surprisingly prolific
‘Magnum’ Habanero: Fiery orange, extremely prolific peppers
‘Thai Dragon’ Thai pepper: Thin, pointy peppers with lots of heat
If you’d like to buy seeds of these varieties, check out Johnny’s Selected Seeds (johnnyseeds.com), High Mowing Seeds (highmowingseeds.com), and Territorial Seeds (territorialseeds.com).
Select a site that receives full sun for your hot pepper crop as the plants require a minimum of six hours of full sun per day. Be sure to keep plants consistently moist throughout the growing season to avoid blossom end rot and improve production. Immediately after planting, mulch the plants with a two- to-three-inch-thick layer of straw, shredded leaves, or untreated grass clippings to stabilize soil temperatures and limit the need to irrigate. Do not plant your peppers outdoors too early in the season. They require warm soil and air temperatures. Wait until after Memorial Day for the best results.
And lastly, keep the plants regularly harvested. Allowing overripe peppers to stay on the plant will keep new blossoms from forming. Harvest hot peppers several times a week and always wear gloves when handling them in the garden or kitchen.
Horticulturist Jessica Walliser co-hosts “The Organic Gardeners” at 7 a.m. Sundays on KDKA Radio with Doug Oster. She is the author of several gardening books, including “Attracting Beneficial Bugs to Your Garden,” “Good Bug, Bad Bug,” and her newest title, “Container Gardening Complete.” Her website is jessicawalliser.com. Send your gardening or landscaping questions to tribliving@tribweb.com or The Good Earth, 622 Cabin Hill Drive, Greensburg, PA 15601.