This slender, pointy 2-3″ early-maturing pepper is hot hot hot! Originally grown and bred by Adaptive Seeds (Oregon), this spicy little pepper has been adapted for growing in the cooler temperatures of the West Coast. We can attest, it does do its spicy magic with or without the protection of a greenhouse. Adaptive Seeds selected traits for early ripening, compact plants, and large fruit. Great for container gardens! Adaptive Seeds says: "It is one of our biggest joys to adapt a previously difficult to grow variety to a new climate." We say: Thanks Adaptive! It's a joy to grow such a HOT delicious pepper on our farms, and offer this seed to our cooler-climate customers. (Note to growers in hotter temps, this pepper will shine for you too!) Start indoors, seeding 5mm-1cm (~1/4") deep, early March-early April. Keep soil very warm, give lots of light, and transplant into bigger pots before plants become root-bound. Transplant out when weather is very warm and night lows are above 12 degrees C. 10-21 days to germination, 90 days to maturity. Certified organic in British Columbia. IOPA # 1606, 1105, 1920. How to Harvest Pepper Seeds Fast Facts Latin: Capsicum annuum Cross Pollination: Other pepper varieties Isolation Distance: 300 feet Minimum Population Size (variety maintenance): 5-10 plants Minimum Population Size (genetic preservation): 50 plants Learn more about cross pollination, isolation distance and population size, and why they matter in our blog post Seed Saving 101 Seeding and Care Grow peppers as usual, giving 1.5 feet of space between plants to ensure that they grow to their full potential. Mark off the first peppers to form with flagging tape, do not harvest these to eat. Instead, leave these on the plant, allowing the seed inside to ripen. By saving seed from the first fruits to form, your seed population will gradually become earlier to flower and set fruit over many generations. Seed Maturity Let peppers get very overripe. They should be cracking and fully red before harvesting for seed. No matter what the target colour for a particular variety is, all peppers will eventually turn red as they ripen further. Seed Harvest Safety Before processing peppers for seed, make sure you have the necessary safety equipment. All peppers can be irritating and hot peppers can be downright painful. Always wear gloves when processing peppers, and be very careful not to touch your eyes or genitals with anything that has come into contact with pepper flesh. Even washing your hands very well may not remove the irritating compounds so gloves are always a must. Eye protection and a good quality mask are also recommended as a shield against eye and airway irritation. Seed Harvest Slice peppers longitudinally (from stem to tip) and use your gloved hands to scrape out the seeds, detaching any pieces of flesh. Lay the peppers out on a tray lined with paper to dry completely before storing. Small, thin-walled peppers can be dried whole and crushed to remove the seeds inside, though this is primarily recommended for hot, dry climates where the risk of mould and damp air is low.
