Grow Jalapeno Chiles Fast
The jalapeno chile pepper provides a zesty kick to recipes such as chili, stews, tacos and burritos. The home gardener can easily grow these peppers, which can provide many weeks of spicy delights. Most jalapeno peppers take 72 to 75 days to mature from the time they are planted outside in the garden. If you simply cannot wait to begin enjoying your peppers, you can encourage the plants to grow as quickly as possible by creating the right growing conditions.
Instructions
1. Select the variety of jalapeno pepper with the shortest maturation. Some varieties, such as "Hot Biker Billy Hybrid" and "Hot False Alarm Hybrid," mature in as few as 62 to 70 days after being set outside in the garden.
2. Pre-soak the seeds overnight in lukewarm water eight weeks before the frost-free date for your area. This enables the seeds to soak up water and speeds up the germination process.
3. Plant the seeds in seedling starter pots filled with potting mix at a depth of approximately a quarter-inch. Water thoroughly and place in a south-facing window.
4. Keep the seedlings at a temperature of 85 degrees F, using a heat mat if necessary. Pepper plants love warmth and germinate in the least amount of time at this temperature. You should see growth within about seven days. The plants germinate at temperatures of 60 to 80 degrees F, but the process takes much longer.
5. Water the plants every other day with a couple of tablespoons of warm water.
6. Cover the bed where you plan to plant your peppers with dark plastic (polyethylene) or paper mulch one week before you plant the peppers outside. Jalapeno peppers thrive in warmth, and this helps to heat up the soil.
7. Transplant the seedlings outside into a sunny location two weeks after the danger of frost has passed. Space the plants 12 inches apart.
8. Water the crop weekly.
9. Harvest by cutting the peppers from the plant with a knife or scissors. Do not pull the pepper off or you may damage the plant. The peppers can be harvested in any stage in their development.
Tags: Chiles Fast, Grow Jalapeno, Grow Jalapeno Chiles, Jalapeno Chiles, Jalapeno Chiles Fast, outside garden