- Home »
- Information »
- Chimayo Pepper
Chimayo Pepper
Capsicum annuum
A famous pepper from the New Mexico town of Chimayo. Well known for its use in local cooking as well as in beautiful decorative ristras popular in the area. The Chimayo pepper s well appreciated for its excellent flavor and moderate to hot heat content. The preservation of this heirloom is of particular importance in New Mexico. The pepper maintains considerable popularity in addition to being a source of local and cultural pride.
Seed Availability
Seeds are not available for the Chimayo Pepper. Please visit our seed store to view current selections. Seeds were last available in July 2014.
Days to Maturity
80-90 days.
Heat Level
4000-6000 Scoville.
Origin
Heirloom pepper from Chimayo, New Mexico.
Germination Info
Start seeds in small containers from 8-10 weeks prior to the last frost date. Plant seeds approximately 1/4-1/2" deep in moist, well drained potting soil. Most standard soil mixes are suitable for pepper seeds. Soil temperature must be kept at 75-90F for proper germination. Cool soil, particularly at night can inhibit or significantly delay germination. To keep soil temperature warm, start seeds indoors, in a greenhouse and/or use a seed starting heat mat. Keep soil moderately moist, though not overly, dripping wet. Water soil when the soil surface just begins to dry. Allow proper air circulation for containers.
Optionally, seeds can be dipped in a dilute hydrogen peroxide mix (1 tsp hydrogen peroxide per cup water) for one minute to disinfect seeds prior to planting. If your soil or seed setup is susceptible to mold growth this can be useful to kill mold spores.
Once seedlings have sprouted, keep in small containers until a few sets of leaves have developed. Transplant to larger containers or outdoors. If transplanting outdoors, make sure to harden off seedlings by exposing them to only filtered sunlight for up to 1-2 weeks. Thin plants to 3-4 ft and rows to 6-10 ft.
Estimated germination time under optimal conditions: 2-6 weeks