Plant Library

Group/Class:  Hot Mini

Description:

High yielding and compact, a perfect selection for patio containers or small gardens; produces an abundance of small round peppers with pointed tips; mildly hot with a smoky and fruity flavor; best when pickled, dried, cooked or eaten fresh

Edible Qualities

Red Biquinho Hot Pepper is an annual vegetable plant that is commonly grown for its edible qualities, although it does have ornamental merits as well. It produces small light green round peppers (which are technically 'berries') which are typically harvested when mature. The fruit will often fade to cherry red over time. The peppers have a zesty taste and a crunchy texture.

The peppers are most often used in the following ways:

• Fresh Eating
• Cooking
• Drying
• Seasoning
• Sauces

Planting & Growing

Red Biquinho Hot Pepper will grow to be about 20 inches tall at maturity, with a spread of 16 inches. When planted in rows, individual plants should be spaced approximately 18 inches apart. Because of its vigorous growth habit, it may require staking or supplemental support. This vegetable plant is an annual, which means that it will grow for one season in your garden and then die after producing a crop.

This plant can be integrated into a landscape or flower garden by creative gardeners, but is usually grown in a designated vegetable garden. It should only be grown in full sunlight. It does best in average to evenly moist conditions, but will not tolerate standing water. This plant is a heavy feeder that requires frequent fertilizing throughout the growing season to perform at its best. It is not particular as to soil pH, but grows best in rich soils. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. This is a selected variety of a species not originally from North America.

Red Biquinho Hot Pepper is a good choice for the vegetable garden, but it is also well-suited for use in outdoor pots and containers. With its upright habit of growth, it is best suited for use as a 'thriller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination; plant it near the center of the pot, surrounded by smaller plants and those that spill over the edges. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.