Jalapeno peppers grow easily in many climates. You can grow them from seeds by planting them in potting soil and taking care of the sprouts that sprout. If you live in a suitable growing area, you can transplant chillies outdoors in your garden. Once you are ready for harvesting, you will probably have too many to eat on your own!
Steps
Step 1. Place 2-3 seeds in a pot and cover them with a small amount of soil
Water the earth. Follow the instructions in the seed packet for optimal planting depth. Keeping the soil moist is key, until the seeds germinate.
Step 2. Seed trays are good for chillies because the lids retain moisture and watering is generally not necessary
Keep the seeds in a dark place with a small amount of light filtering through until the sprouts come out. Then remove the lid and move them to a south-facing window sill. Regular watering will now be required. From time to time rotate the tray so that the plants grow upright. In fact, they tend to bend towards the sun. After 2-4 leaves have grown, you will need to separate and repot into a larger pot.
Step 3. As the plants get bigger, remember to keep transplanting them into larger pots
.. you want them to become large and full of fruit.
Step 4. When there is no frost on the ground (preferably 2-3 weeks after the last frost due to a soil temperature below 15 ° C) it is possible to move the plants into the garden
Step 5. Find a spot in the sun for at least 6 hours a day
Dig a hole twice as wide as the pot and deep enough so that the earth sits right at the level of the leaves.
Step 6. Place the plants 30 - 45cm apart in rows about 60cm apart
Step 7. Never forget, for a chili pepper, water is as important as the sun; water once a day or once every 3 days, as long as it gets at least 2.5cm of water per week
Step 8. Keep the garden free from weeds, they absorb the water the peppers need
Three weeks after transplanting them into the garden, put in mulch or mushroom-based compost for extra nutrients.
Step 9. After 3-4 months it's time to harvest
Chillies should be bright green when ripe, this is when they are at their hottest; you can leave them on the plant if you want them sweeter where they will turn black and then red. Red peppers are also the most suitable for drying.
Advice
- Fertilizer is not mandatory and neither is compost or mulch, however, depending on how your soil is, it may be necessary for the health of larger plants.
- If you are unsure if the peppers are ripe, give them a gentle toss. They should come off very easily.
- If the plants get very large, cage them to prevent them from overturning.
- Use a fertilizer with a high nitrogen content, with little phosphorus when the plant is in its vegetative phase. It uses little nitrogen, a lot of phosphorus, when the plant is in bloom. Remove the fertilizer from the soil two weeks before harvest by watering with at least 10 liters of water and FloraKleen (mixing 1 teaspoon every four liters or so). This works wonderfully for removing bad tasting fertilizer salts from the soil.
- Do not touch your eyes after harvest. Wash your hands immediately.
- If you are afraid they have been on the plant for too long, see if they have brown streaks. These are similar to stretch marks; they form as they grow and you need to harvest the peppers regardless of how big they are.
