Tips to grow hot peppers at home on Sunday Gardener

Want to add some heat to your vegetable garden? Tips to grow hot peppers at home on Sunday Gardener

THURSDAY. WE’LL BE RIGHT BACK. I’M HOLDING IN MY HAND THE CAROLINA REAPER. I DON’T THINK I’M BRAVE ENOUGH TO EAT THIS, BUT CLEARLY SOMEONE IS BECAUSE THESE ARE HERE AT VALLEY VIEW FARMS FOR SUNDAY, GARDENER KERRY ENGEL. YOU HAVE A LOT OF THESE. CLEARLY, A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE BUYING THESE. THEY’RE BUYING THESE. WE GROW THEM ALL. AND IT’S A LOT OF FUN. BUT I’LL TELL YOU, IT’S THE MEN, THE MEN FOR THE HOT PEPPERS. THEY’RE LIKE, IT’S IT’S A THING. IT’S GOT TO BE YOU NEED TO GET INTO GARDENING. HERE’S YOUR WAY TO START. I LOVE THIS. SO YOU HAVE SET THESE UP FROM HOT TO MILD. I LIKE THAT SO THAT PEOPLE CAN GO TO THE SECTION THEY WANT. EXACTLY. SO A LOT OF THESE TRINIDAD SCORPION WE ACTUALLY BROUGHT BACK FROM TRINIDAD DECADES AGO AND STARTED GROWING THOSE ALONG WITH THE CHOCOLATE. SOUNDS SCARY. OH MY GOSH. WELL, AND I’VE HAD THEM AND I MEAN, WE HAD THIS ONE FOR KID. WE GREW PEPPERS AND THEN WE HARVESTED THEM OFF OURSELVES. SO HE HAD TO HAVE A FULL FACE MASK, GLOVES, LONG SLEEVES. I CAN IMAGINE WHATEVER. IF YOU HAPPEN TO EAT ANY OF THESE, NOT WATER, NOT BEER, HAVE SOME MILK AND BREAD ON HAND. OKAY. GOOD ADVICE. IT IS COOL THOUGH. I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY YOU CAN PUT THEM IN RECIPES YOU’RE GOING TO BE USING A LITTLE BIT. MAYBE PEOPLE DRY THEM. SO THERE’S SO MANY WAYS THAT PEOPLE COULD USE THESE PEPPERS. AND SO WHAT DO PEOPLE DO TO START TO GROW? I THINK YOU WANT TO START, IF YOU START THEM FROM SEED, THEY’RE GOING TO TAKE YOU ABOUT EIGHT WEEKS TO GET TO THIS POINT. SO ONCE YOU PUT THESE IN, THEY’RE A RELATIVELY LONG CROP. SO YOU’RE LOOKING AT THREE MONTHS BEFORE YOU GET A LOT OF THEM AND THE HOTTER ONES EVEN MORE SO. SO SOMETHING LIKE THE SUPER CHILI THAT WE HAVE THERE, THAT’S MAYBE 75 DAYS. ABOUT THE HOTTEST I CAN HANDLE IS THE JALAPENO PEPPER. YEAH, THAT’S MY GO TO. YEAH. MIDWAY DOWN OUR TABLE HERE. SO IT LETS YOU KNOW HOW. BUT PEPPERS ARE MEASURED BY SCOVILLE UNITS. AND I DON’T KNOW IF YOU GET A LITTLE SHOT OF THIS SIGN HERE, BUT THAT TELLS YOU HOW MANY SCOVILLE UNITS ARE IN SOME OF THE PEPPERS. SO THE MEDIUM JALAPENO IS GOING TO HAVE SOMEWHERE AROUND 5000 SCOVILLE UNITS, BUT YOU GET UP TO THE HOT ONE AND THEY’RE A MILLION PLUS. IT’S NUTS. BUT PEPPER CHINESE GET IN YOUR LITTLE PIZZA. I DO LIKE THAT. PEPPERS. YEAH. THIS IS SO COOL. SO YEAH, YOU CAN MAYBE BE ENCOURAGED TO TRY TO COOK SOME DIFFERENT THINGS. I’VE LOVED THESE SHISHITO PEPPERS WITH SOME SOY SAUCE. SO GOOD. AND THAT THAT TRINIDAD SEASONING PEPPER. A LOT OF PEOPLE COME IN HERE FROM THE CARIBBEAN. THEY ASK FOR PIMENTO PEPPER. PIMENTO IS JUST ANOTHER WORD FOR PEPPER. BUT THEY USUALLY WANT THIS PLANT. SO WE HAVE A LOT KIND OF IN THIS THING. WHAT’S INTERESTING IS YOU ALWAYS SAY PEOPLE DON’T REALIZE THAT A GREEN PEPPER TURNS INTO THE COLORFUL PEPPERS. EXACTLY. SAME WITH THE YELLOWS. YELLOWS START OUT KIND OF A LIME GREEN AND THEN THEY TURN TO YELLOW. THE OTHER THING, THESE ARE HIGHER IN VITAMIN C THAN ORANGES, SO KEEP THAT IN MIND WHEN YOU’RE PACKING UP THE KIDS LUNCH BOX. OH, GOOD TO KNOW. OKAY, WELL, DEPENDING ON HOW BRAVE YOU ARE, YOU’VE GOT MANY CHOICES AS YOU’RE GROWING PEPPERS. AS WE GET TO THE HOTTER PART OF THE SEASON. THANK YOU. ONLY KNOW THAT VITAMIN C TRICK BECAUSE IT’S ALSO GOOD. PEPPERS ARE GOOD FOR GUINEA PIGS. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO HAVE YOUR GARDENING QUESTIONS ANSWERED, YOU CAN NOW EMAIL YOUR SUNDAY GARDENER TEAM.

Want to add some heat to your vegetable garden? Tips to grow hot peppers at home on Sunday Gardener

Updated: 12:22 PM EDT May 10, 2026

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Want to add some heat to your vegetable garden? Valley View Farms has a whole selection of pepper seedlings to fit your environment and your spice tolerance.