• To not miss anything and get all the information to successfully grow peppers, check out our Ultimate Pepper Growing Guide

The Dulce Estrella pepper is a recent pepper variety whose peppers ripen from green to yellow, with the yellow appearing in a gradient which makes for very beautiful fruits that can reach 4 cm in length when mature. The heat level of this pepper is rather medium and you will need to germinate the seeds between January and March ideally. The plant can reach 120cm in height, is sensitive to frost and must therefore remain in a pot indoors until all risk is eliminated.

• heat level: 6,000 on the Scoville scale.
• plant size approximately 120 cm.
• medium-sized fruit, approximately 4 cm long.
• fruit color: Green during growth, Yellow at maturity.
• genus: Capsicum Baccatum.
• ideal germination: between January and March.
• harvest: between September and November.

What equipment do I need to grow my peppers?

To optimize your results, we recommend equipping yourself with:

Dulce Estrella Pepper Seeds.
An enclosed growing space such as a mini greenhouse.
Coconut pellets, peat or cotton (to germinate the seeds).
Labels (to avoid mixing up your seedlings).
Potting soil (ideally a mixture of 50% black peat and 50% blonde peat) or special flowering potting soil which will also work.
Fertilizer for Peppers or Tomatoes, or 5-5-10 fertilizer for those in the know.
A water sprayer or watering can.
Gloves (if you don't like the feel of soil).
Pots with a diameter of 7 or 8 cm at first before using 10-liter or larger pots depending on the pepper for repotting

To make your life easier, we offer our mini greenhouse for growing your peppers.

How to Germinate my Pepper Seeds?

Growing peppers is a process that requires patience and some knowledge, but don't panic - we'll explain everything you need to know about germinating your pepper seeds!

Pepper seedlings are typically started early in the year, generally between January at the earliest and March for early spring. To do this, you will need the equipment listed above.

You then have 2 options:
Plant your seed directly in a pot full of potting soil at half a centimeter depth
Place a seed on a coconut pellet or piece of cotton.

In both cases, once the seed is in place, you will need to spray enough water to moisten the soil or cotton without soaking it, then place your coconut pellet or cotton in a container like a mini greenhouse which will retain heat and humidity, thus providing oxygen. If you use a flower pot, you can simply stretch plastic wrap over it and make small holes with a toothpick to oxygenate the plant.

The ideal is to maintain a constant temperature of 28 degrees. You can place your container behind a sunny window, on or near a radiator, or on a heating mat or heating pad designed for this purpose.

OUR TIP:

Place your mini greenhouse on your internet router!

Remember to occasionally air out your growing area to prevent fungus from appearing while keeping the soil moist. Once the first leaves appear, you will need to make sure to give your seedlings enough sunlight for 12 to 14 hours per day. Once the second set of leaves is well developed, you can then repot them.

Once potted, keep your plant near a heat source and exposed to sunlight (ideally try to filter the light to avoid heat stress)

After the Ice Saints around mid-May, you can move your plant outdoors and plant your pepper in the ground if you wish, or leave it in a pot and place it on a balcony, a windowsill or even along a wall, preferably on the south side.

How to water my Dulce Estrella Pepper?

When watering your Dulce Estrella pepper, be careful not to overwater - too much water can drown the plant and lead to its demise. You simply need to let the soil dry out between each watering to prevent insect proliferation and plant drowning.

Once the plant is well developed (once your plant reaches about thirty centimeters), you can cause water stress by stopping watering the plant for several days before resuming watering (be careful not to overuse this technique though, it would be a shame to let your pepper plant die).

How to properly prepare my harvest?

Once your pepper plant is in place, here are our tips to optimize your future harvest:

When your pepper plant reaches 15 to 20 cm in height, you can pinch the top of the stem (without breaking it) which should allow the plant to grow bushier and produce a little more.

If flowering is early for one of your plants, remove the first flowers to prevent them from demanding too much energy from the plant.

If your pepper plant is outdoors, insects will take care of pollinating the plant which will then produce peppers. If your plant is indoors, you will need to do this manually - take your clean finger and rub it lightly against each flower from one to another.

Don't hesitate to use a bamboo stake or rod to support your plant.

When to harvest my Dulce Estrella Pepper?

To harvest your Dulce Estrella pepper, as with others, you will need to look at its color! This pepper is harvested once it turns Yellow.