Habanero Plant: 8 Steps to Growing Habanero Peppers

A habanero plant is a tall-growing pepper plant; the habanero pepper (Capsicum chinense) is one of the hottest pepper plants in the Capsicum family. Once ripe, the peppers usually turn orange and then red, although there are habaneros that, when fully mature, are orange, yellow, white, green, or even deep purple. Habanero peppers are native to Mexico and South America but gained popularity through their use in hot sauces and spices in Mexican cuisine. Habanero pepper plants thrive in hot weather climates where they receive at least one hundred days of full sun. An alkaloid chemical called capsaicin gives hot peppers, including habaneros, their distinctive spicy or hot taste.

On the Scoville scale, which measures the heat level of peppers, a habanero generally falls between 100,000 and 350,000 Scoville heat units (SHU). However, some cultivars produce peppers that register as high as 600,000 SHU. The Scoville scale ranges from zero (bell peppers, banana peppers) to three million or potentially higher, as might be the case with the Carolina Reaper pepper—regarded by experts to be the world’s hottest pepper. A habanero pepper is hotter than a cayenne pepper (25,000–50,000) but not as hot as a ghost pepper (750,000–1.5 million).

There are many cultivars of habanero plants, members of the Capsicum family, and they range in color, size, flavor, and heat. Here are four types of habanero chili peppers:

1. 1. ‘Caribbean Red’: The citrus and smoky flavor profiles of the ‘Caribbean Red’ habanero pepper makes it an excellent base for salsas and hot sauces. This habanero cultivar falls on the higher end of the Scoville scale—which measures the heat level of peppers—at 450,000 Scoville heat units (SHU). There is some debate that the ‘Scotch Bonnet’ cultivar is the same as the ‘Caribbean Red’ cultivar; however, there are so many variations in color and size that ‘Scotch Bonnet’ peppers often fall into their own category.
2. 2. ‘Chocolate Habanero’: Also called the black habanero or simply the chocolate habanero as a common name, the ‘Chocolate Habanero’ cultivar is 150 times hotter than the hottest jalapeño pepper. Aztec growers began cultivating chocolate habaneros nearly seven thousand years ago in modern-day Mexico. The word chocolate derives from the word “xocolatl” in the Nahuatl language.
3. 3. ‘Habanero Orange’: This common habanero cultivar ripens from green to a bright orange. These cultivars have a fruity flavor profile with a spicy aftertaste that can range from 150,000–350,000 SHU. Additionally, it’s worth noting that many types of habaneros turn orange on their way to ripening and thus might be able to refer to them as orange habaneros during this stage.
4. 4. ‘Red Savina’: Frank Garcia developed this red habanero cultivar in 1994 in Walnut, California. The ‘Red Savina’ is larger than many other habanero varieties and possesses a much bolder heat (350,000–750,000). This red pepper held the world record for hottest pepper until the ghost pepper (750,000–1.5 million), also known as bhut jolokia, rose to fame.

Habanero plants can grow up to seven feet tall, so they might not be the best option for planting indoors. However, you can give habanero seedlings a head start by planting them indoors in containers and then transplanting them to an outdoor garden space later. Follow these steps to grow habanero plants in pots.

1. 1. Choose the correct size pot for your plant. You can choose a five-gallon bucket or a seven-gallon grow bag to hold your pepper plants. These container options are the minimum size for most habanero root systems, which need space to spread out evenly to support the tall stock of an adult pepper plant. If you have decided on a bucket, drill holes at the bottom to provide adequate drainage for the soil.
2. 2. Fill your container with potting soil. Refrain from using normal garden mixes and instead choose a well-draining soil option specifically for container gardening. Well-draining soil will promote healthy plant growth and can deter mold and other fungal diseases. Water the soil lightly when it becomes dry, and keep in mind that overwatering can lead to stunted plant growth.
3. 3. Plant one plant per container. Schedule this initial planting of habanero seeds six to ten weeks before the last frost of the winter season. To avoid overcrowding, plant a few seeds in the center of the container and a one-half inch deep in the soil. As your habanero pepper seeds begin to emerge and sprout, you can help them along by adding calcium, mulch, and fertilizer to the container.
4. 4. Place your plant in direct sunlight. Habanero pepper seedlings require at least eight hours of direct sunlight per day. More than eight hours of sunlight exposure can result in lesions, called sunscald, which can damage the plant. If sunscald appears, place your plant in a dark cool area of your home or pull down the blinds until the plant shows signs of recovery.
5. 5. Acclimate your indoor plants before moving them outdoors. Once habanero seedlings germinate and produce six to eight leaves per plant, you can begin transitioning them to outdoor climates through a process called “hardening off.” To harden off your plants, place the potted habanero outside for an hour of sunlight on the first day. Increase outdoor exposure by one hour each day thereafter.
6. 6. Transplant the plant to your outdoor garden. On the eighth day of the hardening-off process, your plants should be ready for outdoor garden soil. Dig a hole larger than the size of your container and transplant your habanero plant at night or on a cool, cloudy day. Water it well and monitor it for signs of stress.
7. 7. Monitor for pests. While you are waiting for your plant to produce habanero peppers—and especially while any peppers are growing—it’s important to watch out for any signs of aphids or plant diseases that can spread quickly. If signs of pests and diseases appear, use a light spray of neem oil or insecticidal soap to promote healthy and consistent growth.
8. 8. Check for habanero peppers. The average growing season for habaneros can span between five and six months. Depending on the growing conditions of your region, you can choose to harvest fresh habaneros when they are green and hard or wait until the tail end of the season when the skin wrinkles and turns red. Harvest the peppers before late fall when soil temperatures begin to drop and the chance of frost increases.

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