It Is Easy to Grow Your Own Jalapeno Plant

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If you like all things spicy, you’ve come to the right place. Jalapenos are a fiery hot pepper that add spice and flavor to lots of different foods. You can add jalapenos to chili, omelettes, hamburgers, or anything you want to add spice to. Here’s how to grow your own jalapeno plant to add spice to your life.

Growing Your Jalapeno

Jalapenos like loose, rich soil. They won’t grow well in clay or sandy soils. The soil must drain easily and have plenty of organic matter. Compost is the best organic matter to use for growing jalapenos. You can make your own compost or buy it from the store. Choose a planting location that receives a lot of sunlight with little shade throughout the day. There needs to be no chance of freezing when you plant your jalapenos. The temperature should be 65℉ to 80℉ to ensure proper germination. Hot peppers like hot temperatures. Make sure your jalapenos get plenty of water during dry hot spells. Keep the soil constantly moist without it being soaking wet. Since jalapenos love the heat, they need a lot of water to prevent them from drying out. Try not to get any water on the actual pepper because it can cause it to rot.

jalapeno plant

Image Source: Pixabay

Look Out For Pests

Look out for pests on your jalapenos. Bugs like aphids, cutworms, and flea beetles will go after your spicy peppers. But you don’t really need to worry about deer or rabbits, they tend to steer clear of spicy things. They can smell the peppers and they won’t bother them too much. If you see bugs on your jalapenos you can spray them with a big blast of water to clear them off. Or use an organic insecticide. Neem oil is a good choice if you’re trying to keep pests at bay.

Harvesting Your Jalapenos

It takes about 3-4 months for jalapenos to be ready to harvest. Since you must plant jalapenos when there is no chance of freezing, the plant will most likely be ready to harvest in the Fall. Watch your jalapenos carefully! They need to be picked when they’re big and an all over green color. They shouldn’t start to change colors. Pinch the top of the pepper and pull, it should come off without too much effort. If you have to tug on the pepper really hard, it might not be ready to harvest yet. The jalapeno will also start to develop a sheen, this is a good time to harvest. They should be about 4-6 inches in length. Wearing gloves when you harvest them will protect you from any juice that might get on your hands.

Summing Up

Don’t be intimidated by the spiciness of jalapenos! If you like spicy things try to grow them. You just might find out how much you like them. You can add a little or a lot of spice. It all depends on what you like. Throw them into any dish for an extra kick to your meals.

Image Source: Pixabay

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