Chili pepper 'Cayenne'

Capsicum annuum longum group

How to grow Chili pepper 'Cayenne'

  • Full Sun

  • Medium

Some varieties may need to be supported with a cane as the fruit develops.

Try to plant in a location that enjoys full sun and remember to water moderately. Keep in mind when planting that Cayenne 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. Cayenne requires a loamy and sandy soil with a ph of 7.0 - 8.5 - it grows best in neutral soil to weakly alkaline soil.

Growing Cayenne from seed

Soak seeks in water overnight before sowing.

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 24°C / 75°F to ensure good germination.

By our calculations, you should look at sowing Cayenne about 50 days before your last frost date.

Transplanting Cayenne

Transplant out when all danger of frost has passed.

Ensure that temperatures are mild and all chance of frost has passed before planting out, as Cayenne is a tender plant.

Harvesting Cayenne

At harvest time Cayenne peppers turn red. It is advisable, when harvesting, to use gloves as these peppers are hot.

Expect harvests to start to occur in late summer.

Chili pepper Cayenne Etymology

Named after the city of Cayenne in French Guiana, it is a cultivar of capsicum annum, related to bell peppers, jalapenos and others.2

Cayenne folklore & trivia

In herbal medicin, it is a powerful, warming stimulant that acts on the digestion and the circulation, and has been used to treat a wide range of complaints, including arthritis, chilblains, colic and diarrhoea.3 The active constituent, capsaicin, desensitises nerve endings, and has been used as a local analgesic3. Powdered cayenne is popularly used (with lemon juice) as a remedy for sore throats, and when diluted with honey and water, as a gargle3.

Other Names for Chili pepper 'Cayenne'

Cayenne Pepper, Guinea Spice, Cow horn-pepper, aleva, bird pepper, red pepper

Footnotes

1 How to make dried cayenne pepper

2 Cayenne Pepper Nutrition Facts

3 :The Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants: A Practical Reference Guide to over 550 Key Herbs and Their Medicinal Uses; Andrew Chevallier; published 1996