Serrano Chilli Pepper – 20 Seeds

The Serrano chilli pepper, meaning ‘from the mountains’, is native to Mexico and south-west America. The abundant candle-flame shaped fruit up to 9cm  long and 2cm  wide. The fruits are green, then red at full maturity and are borne on attractive 75 to 90cm erect, branching plants.

Serrano peppers are fleshy and meaty with the unique Serrano flavor so popular in Mexican cuisine. They look like slender Jalapeños, but are a little hotter at 5,000 to 10,000 SHU. This traditional Mexican salsa chilli is called for in many recipes; it is eaten fresh and used in many sauce recipes. The red chilies are usually a little sweeter, they are often be threaded on string and dried as a colorful ornament.

The Serrano chilli pepper plant adapts easily to different climates and altitudes, which allows it to be cultivated in many regions. Upright, hairy and woody-stemmed, the plant that is also hardier than most chilli varieties, making it a good choice for overwintering. A vigorous bearer, the fruits reach full size in 75 days from potting on.

Unripe serrano peppers start out green in color and will typically grow to 3 or 4 inches in length on the plant. As with any chili pepper, you can pick and eat them at anytime in the growing process, though the flavors will change as they ripen. Eventually the serrano pods stop growing and will then change color, from green to red, brown, orange or yellow. After that they will fall off of the plant and can even rot on the plant, so it is best to pick your serrano peppers while they are still green or as they begin to change color. They are slightly sweeter in flavor, and the colors can make a dish truly pop with visual interest.

Growing Serrano Chilli Pepper

Indoor Sowing: Mid Winter, Late Winter and Early Spring.

Direct Sowing: Not Recommended.

• Peppers take a long time to grow large enough from seeds to produce mature fruit, and they require a fairly long growing season.
• The best way to get a good crop is by planting the seeds indoors 8-12 weeks before your average last frost date.
• Soak your seeds overnight in warm water to help them germinate faster.
• Sow the Pepper Seeds about 1/4-inch deep in a moist sterile potting mixture.
• Mist the potting mix with water daily so it stays moist, or seal the pots in plastic bags so they don’t dry out.
• For best germination, keep the soil between 23 and 26 degrees Celsius.
• The pots won’t require light until the seeds sprout.
• Peppers typically require 14 days to germinate, but they may take as few as seven or as many as 30 days or longer to sprout.
• After the seeds have germinated, place the pot on a light windowsill or in a heated greenhouse.
• When they are 2.5cm tall prick out seedlings, moving each into their own 10cm pot. Make sure the roots are well covered and the leaves are just above the surface of the compost.
• Water and place in a light spot indoors.
• While plants are still growing indoors, move into 13cm pots filled with general purpose compost when roots begin to show through the drainage holes in the base.
• When plants are about 20cm tall, or before if they start to lean, stake with a stick.
• Pinch out the tops of peppers when they are about 30cm tall to encourage lots of branches.
• Plants are ready to go when all danger of frost has passed.
• Either plant directly into the ground, spacing them 45cm apart or transfer them to 22cm pots to give them plenty of space to grow.
• Make sure you water regularly, especially in hot weather and feed every two weeks with a general purpose liquid fertilizer. Feeding should start when the flowers first appear and should continue until the fruit have been harvested.