This seed, distributed by Hudson Valley Seed Co., arrived promptly within a few days after ordering. Each pack includes 25 seeds, which should be enough for any gardening application other than industrial. The company certifies the seeds as organic, if that's something that is important to you.
I have to say that his pepper is one of the most resilient and forgiving types I've worked with. They survived much of my early learning process with pepper plants and much more. Initially, I started them in trays and then eventually moved three (or so I thought) into a grow bag. Later on, I realized that this would not be sustainable for all of them to be in one bag. Their roots grow deep and entangle in much the same way as tomato plants. That meant transplanting them into grow bags of their own and discovering that there were indeed four plants. Two were so intertwined that there was no realistic way to transplant them out without severely damaging both.
Some of their lower leaves yellowed and formed numerous small bumps on the underside. I was convinced that some disease had taken over my paprikas and they were going to die. After a bit of research, I discovered that my paprikas were too crowded together, and despite the fans, weren't getting good enough airflow. Thankfully, the yellowing was a separate coinciding issue that was solved with some liquid fertilizer.
I am proud to say that they suffered the transplanting process well, but not without a bit of protest. I continued to give them the same level of light in my grow tent that they were accustomed to, along with regular liquid fertilizer. The leaves drooped and even a few decided to runaway from their mother plant completely. Now separated out, there was better airflow, and the bumps receded (but not right away.) Apparently these bumps are a form of edema in plants that can come from over-watering and low air circulation.
But, I wasn't finished torturing my poor paprikas. No. I knew that eventually they would need to go out in the world. However, out of every plant that I have hardened off thus far, these paprikas endured it the best. It took less than a week for them to adapt to the full sun. Slowly, over the course of two weeks, I transplanted them out into my garden.
They weren't happy about this either.
They went through another round of leaf droop (paprika depression I guess,) but after regular watering and fertilizing, they perked right up. Some advice on transplanting them: 1) don't be an idiot like me and think you can grow four in one grow bag, 2) don't wait until they begin to flower to harden off (i.e. understand the last frost date for your region,) 3) liquid fertilizer in grow bags are your friend, 4) don't wait until the peppers are full grown and producing fruit to transplant them into your garden as it is 100 times more difficult to do (please see item #2,) and finally 5) give these guys plenty of space.
I will say that these are perfect if you wanted to grow paprikas in your grow tent year round as they don't grow tall. You will have to help them pollinate, however. They weren't labeled as determinate, but they didn't grow larger than a foot and a half. I have yet to dry some and make paprika powder, but they are excellent added to many types of meals as a semi-sweet pepper. In case you plan on seed saving, each fruit produces 50 seeds easy. The peppers are a creamy yellow at first, but eventually redden over time. This seems to occur when the plant is stressed. Some fruit turned red during one of the many transplantations the poor guys had to endure.
When harvesting, snip about an inch above the fruit. If they are partially yellow, they will redden off the vine too, but try to keep them on as long as possible. Due to the number and heaviness of the fruit the plant produces, I recommend staking it once you see them form. Otherwise, the stem could break under the weight.
All-in-all, this has been a fun and educational experience. They are very hardy plants. I'm surprised they survived everything I put them through. They're delicious raw and I like that I could make them into a spice if I want. I definitely recommend this variety from this company. I included a link below in case you want to give them a try yourself.
If you enjoyed this article, please consider leaving a tip. If you have any stories about growing your own paprika peppers, please leave them in the comments below. I'd love to hear about others experience with this plant.
Planting depth - 1/2"
Germination - 7-14 days
Container size - 12" in diameter
Sunlight - Full Sun
Maturation - 80 days
Spacing - 18" in row. 24" between rows.
When to plant - ALF (after last frost) Not cold or frost tolerant.
Size - 24" H. 18" W at maturity
Temp & RH% - 80 F. Well ventilated. Tolerates dry heat.
Soil conditions - Don't over water. Water at base of the plant. Needs rich well drained soil.
