PEPPER SPANISH TAPAS PADRON

Named after the Spanish town. These Peppers need to be harvested when 1-1 1/2" long. The kick is, 1 in 20 fruit will be hot while the rest are mild unless you allow to grow larger. So something of a game of 'Russian Roulette'! Delicious as an appetiser sprinkled with olive oil and sea salt. Heat rating: 3

Growing Hot Peppers and Sweet Peppers is very similar to growing Tomatoes. Best results are often achieved by growing the crop indoors with heat although some varieties have been developed to produce reliable crops outside, even in the UK climate.

Both hot and sweet peppers can be harvested from green or left to ripen on the plant until they develop their mature colours of yellow, orange, red or purple. Once ripe, fruits can remain on plant in good condition until the temperatures begin to drop. A Hot Pepper’s heat usually intensifies with maturity.

Sow the seed from February to April, into compost, either in seed trays or growing cells, modules and cover with a light layer of compost. Germination takes around 28 days at 20-24oC or 68-75F

When seedlings have developed 4 leaves, transplant them into individual 3 inch pots and grow on slightly warmer.

Once the young pepper plants become pot bound transplant them into either 9 inch pots, Gro-bags or directly into a greenhouse border. Pinch out the growing points at 6 inches for bushier plants. Once in final pot size pepper plants may need staking for support.