Habanero peppers are bright orange or cream colored.
Native to the Yucatan Peninsula, the habanero pepper (Capsicum chinense) is one of the hottest peppers available -- 10 times hotter than the jalapeno pepper. Habaneros add sparkle and flavor to culinary dishes of many cultures. The habanero pepper plant is a flowering perennial and will live for several years if protected from freezing temperatures. Habanero , also known as "Bahama Mama" or "Scotch Bonnet," take up little space and are easily grown in containers on a sunny patio or balcony.
Instructions
1. Choose pepper varieties based on how much sunlight your balcony receives.
Prepare a planting mixture of two-thirds potting soil and one-third organic compost. Select pots with good drainage. Fill the pots or containers. Water well to allow the soil to settle prior to planting. Habanero peppers can be started from seed or you can purchase starter plants online or from local garden nurseries or home and garden supply stores. Seeds can be started in small pots indoors. Transplant to an outdoor location after all danger of frost has passed. Plant seeds 1/4- to 1/2-inch deep in the soil.
2. Place containers in a sunny location. Seedlings or transplants that do not receive adequate sunlight will be tall and leggy. Keep the soil uniformly damp but not soggy. Soil temperature should be 65 to 75 degrees F. Habanero seeds require 18 to 25 days to germinate. Thin the seedlings or transplants as they develop, retaining only the strongest plants. When transplanting to container or tubs, space plants 8 to 12 inches apart. Each plant will produce about a dozen peppers per season.
3. Feed habanero pepper plants with bone meal. Habanero peppers require an abundance of calcium. Sprinkle 1 tbsp. of bone meal around the base of the plant every two weeks. Do not over-water your pepper plants. Excessive moisture causes the peppers to be bitter. Water around the base of the plant, avoiding excess water on the stems and leaves. Water pepper plants in the mid-morning, allowing time for excess water to evaporate before nightfall.
4. Habanero peppers can be dried for future use.
Harvest peppers when they are fully ripened and firm. The growing time to maturity takes 80 to 120 days, depending on temperatures. The majority of habanero pepper varieties produce a bright orange pepper. Some varieties are a salmon color or creamy yellowish-orange. The lightest-colored peppers prove to be the hottest.
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