Plant Database / Chinese pepper plant care

Chinese pepper

Capsicum chinense

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Chinese pepper is part of the Capsicum genus. Its scientific name is Capsicum chinense. Chinese pepper grows as an annual/perennial and is an edible fruit / vegetable. Being an annual / perennial plant, it tends to grow either as a single season plant, or a plant that can stay in your garden for many years. Chinese pepper is known for its forb habit and growing to a height of approximately 45.72 cm (1.49 feet). Popular varieties of Chinese pepper with home gardeners are Habanero, Bhut jolokia, Habanero Orange, Chocolate Habanero, and Caribbean Red Habanero.

This plant info is provided by the myfolia gardener's wiki. All details about Chinese pepper have been kindly provided by our members.

How to grow Chinese pepper

Full Sun
+
Medium

Plant in a location that enjoys full sun and remember to water moderately. Zone 5 to 12 are typically the USDA Hardiness Zones that are appropriate for this plant (although this can vary based on your microclimate). Chinese pepper tends to grow best in a soil ph of between 7.0 and 8.5 meaning it does best in neutral soil - weakly alkaline soil. Keep in mind when planting that Chinese pepper is thought of as tender, so remember to wait until your soil is warm and the night time temperature is well above freezing before moving outside.

Growing Chinese pepper from seed

Try to aim for a seed spacing of at least 1.95 inches (5.0 cm) and sow at a depth of around 0.2 inches (0.5 cm). Soil temperature should be kept higher than 18°C / 64°F to ensure good germination.

Transplanting Chinese pepper

Companion plants for Chinese pepper

These plants have been known to grow well alongside Chinese pepper so consider planting:

Repellent plants for Chinese pepper

These plants will not grow well with Chinese pepper so avoid planting these within close proximity:

Common Chinese pepper problems

These problems, diseases and pests are known to affect Chinese pepper plants:

Tobacco Etch Virus

Tobacco Etch Virus (TEV) is caused when infected aphids and other insects com...

Chinese pepper Etymology

The Austrian botanist Nikolaus Joseph von Jacquin erroneously named the species in 1776, because he believed that they originated in China.

Other names for Chinese pepper

Chile pepper

Capsicum sinense

Misspellings: Capsicum chinenese

Latest Chinese pepper Reviews

18 Feb 2013

Sprocket1980's Pepper - Trinidad Scorpion "Butch-T" chili [2013] was Reviewed day 0

One of the hottest chilis in the world! A little tricky to germinate and the plants take a long time to set fruit but, once they do, they produce lots of golf-ball sized peppers with a somewhat fruity smell and taste. My plants last year grew to almost 5

5 stars
22 Jan 2013

JGarfield's Pepper: 'Habanero' Hot Chili (Bottle) was Reviewed day 40

This little fellow was a branch that just broke off Now i think he’s ready to re-bottle-up He had 3 leaves when planted now he has 14 and a GREAT root system!

5 stars
17 May 2012

Kevalsha's Chinese pepper "aji dulce" was Reviewed day

These pepper plants are very healthy and producing a lot of peppers.

5 stars
16 May 2012

Kevalsha's Chinese pepper "aji dulce" was Reviewed day

These peppers are doing very good. I can see quite a few peppers already. The plants are very healthy.

0 stars
30 Apr 2012

wiltjen's Bhut Jolokia Pepper "the world's hottest" was Reviewed day 99

5 stars

See all Chinese pepper reviews and experiences »

Chinese pepper care instructions

Category The lifecycle that this Chinese pepper exhibits. Annual/Perennial Difficulty How easy is Chinese pepper to grow? Help build our wiki!
Lifecycle The lifecycle that this Chinese pepper exhibits. Annual/Perennial Growth Habit What shape or habit does Chinese pepper grow into? Forb
Hardiness How frost hardy is Chinese pepper? Tender Country of Origin Where did Chinese pepper come from? Help build our wiki!
Mature Height How tall does Chinese pepper grow? 45.72 cm / 1.49 feet Mature Spread How wide does Chinese pepper grow? 30.0 cm / 11.7 inches
USDA Zone Range Which zones does Chinese pepper grow best in? Zone 5 to Zone 12 pH Range The level of acidity for Chinese pepper. 7.0 - 8.5
Water Requirements How much water does Chinese pepper require? Medium Nitrogen Requirements How much nitrogen fertilizer does Chinese pepper need? Medium
Soil What sort of soil should I plant Chinese pepper in? Help build our wiki! Sun How much sunlight does Chinese pepper need to grow? Full Sun
Can Sow Direct? Can Chinese pepper be sown directly? No Sowing Depth How deep to plant Chinese pepper? 0.5 cm / 0.2 inches
Sowing Distance Apart How far apart to plant Chinese pepper? 5.0 cm / 1.95 inches Sowing Row Distance Apart How far apart to plant rows of Chinese pepper? Help build our wiki!
Ideal Germination Temperature Range What temperatures does Chinese pepper need in order to germinate? 18°C / 64°F to 32°C / 90°F Growing Temperatures What temperatures are best to grow Chinese pepper in? Help build our wiki! to Help build our wiki!
Planting Distance Apart How far apart to plant Chinese pepper seedlings. Help build our wiki! Planting Row Distance Apart How far apart to plant rows of Chinese pepper seedlings. Help build our wiki!
Bloom Time When will Chinese pepper bloom? Help build our wiki! Harvest Time When is Chinese pepper ready for harvest? Help build our wiki!
Pruning Time When should I prune Chinese pepper? Help build our wiki!

How long does Chinese pepper take to grow?

These estimates for how long Chinese pepper takes to sprout, grow and harvest are from real observations from real gardeners, right around the world. Start logging and journaling your observations to participate!

Days to Germination How long does it take Chinese pepper to germinate? 12 days Average 12 days | Min 2 days | Max 29 days (282)
Days to Transplant How long until I can plant out Chinese pepper? + 35 days Average 35 days | Min 35 days | Max 37 days (3)
Days to Maturity How long until Chinese pepper is ready for harvest / bloom? + 147 days Average 147 days | Min 78 days | Max 710 days (8)
Total Growing Days How long does it take to grow Chinese pepper? = 194 days

Footnotes

Popular varieties of Chinese pepper

View the complete variety list for Chinese pepper »

Chinese pepper Tags

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Chinese pepper Forums

Bhut Jolokia Chili Pepper Growers

A group dedicated to the discussion of growing Bhut Jolokia Chili Peppers (a.k.a. the Ghost Pepper, Naga Jolokia). ...
11 members / 3 topics

Chinese pepper