Originating from a Mexican town called Jalapa (Xalapa), this is one of the most well known and popular chillies. The fruits have a good flavour and can be used in loads of different dishes including sauces, stews and pizzas. They can be picked from midsummer to mid-October, either when they are green, or after they have turned red - and their flavour becomes a little more sweet.
Growing instructions:
Start off indoors, sowing seed 1cm deep into trays filled with good quality, multi-purpose compost. Alternatively use small pots, sowing two seeds per pot and then selecting the strongest seedling to grow on. Plant out or pot up in a greenhouse from April to June and when plants reach 20cm in height, pinch out the tips to encourage more side shoots (and subsequently more peppers) to form.
Eventual height:
0.6m
Eventual spread:
0.3m
Soil:
Moderately fertile, moist, well-drained soil
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Humans/Pets: Irritant if eaten; skin/eye irritant