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

The Pumpkin pepper belongs to the Annuum pepper variety, named so because the peppers take on a shape close to a pumpkin as they grow, ripening from green to red through Orange and a very beautiful bright Purple! The fruits can reach 6 cm long once mature. The heat level of this pepper is rather moderate but can vary from one pepper to another, ranging from 5,000 units up to 30,000 units on the Scoville scale. You'll need to germinate the seeds between the months of January and March ideally. The plant is sensitive to frost and must therefore remain in a pot indoors until all risk is eliminated.

• heat level: 20,000 on the Scoville scale.
• plant size approximately 70 cm.
• medium-sized fruit, approximately 6cm long.
• fruit color: Green, then Orange, then Purple during growth, Red at maturity.
• genus: Capsicum Annuum.
• ideal germination: between January and March.
• harvest: between September and November.

What Equipment for Growing My Chili Peppers?

To optimize your results, we recommend equipping yourself with:

Pumpkin Chili Pepper Seeds.
An enclosed growing space such as a mini greenhouse.
Coco coir 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 flowering potting soil which will also work.
Fertilizer for Chili 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 the beginning before using 10-liter pots or larger depending on the pepper for repotting

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

How to Germinate My Chili Pepper Seeds?

Planting Chili Peppers is a process that requires patience and some knowledge, but don't panic, we'll explain everything you need to know to germinate your chili pepper seeds!

Chili pepper sowing is generally done at the beginning of the year, typically between January at the earliest and March for the beginning of spring. To do this, you'll need the equipment listed above.

You then have 2 options:
Plant directly in a pot full of potting soil, placing your seed half a centimeter deep
Place a seed on a coco coir pellet or on a piece of cotton.

In both cases, once the seed is in place, you'll need to spray enough water to moisten the soil or cotton without soaking it, then place your coco coir pellet or cotton in a container like a mini greenhouse that will retain heat and humidity, thus providing oxygen. If you're using 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 store 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 ventilate your growing area from time to time to prevent the appearance of fungi while keeping the soil moist. Once the first leaves appear, you'll need to make sure your seedlings get enough sunlight for 12 to 14 hours per day. Once the second set of leaves is well developed, you can then repot them.

Once in a pot, 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 chili 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 Pumpkin Pepper?

When watering your Pumpkin 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 drowning of the plant.

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 (however, be careful not to abuse this technique, it would be a shame to let your chili pepper plant die).

How to Properly Prepare My Harvest?

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

When your chili pepper plant reaches a height of 15 to 20 cm, 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 chili pepper plant is outdoors, insects will take care of pollinating the plant which will then produce peppers. If your plant is indoors, you'll 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 a rod to support your plant.

When to Harvest My Pumpkin Pepper?

To harvest your Pumpkin pepper, as with others, you'll need to watch its color! This pepper is harvested once it's Red, but feel free to taste it at its other stages of maturation, bite into the pepper and form your own opinion!