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Santaka Pepper
Capsicum annuum
A classic Asian pepper, the Santaka is a versatile and popular cooking pepper having a fairly hot flavor. Pods are 2-4" long, red, tapered, in a typical hot pepper shape. Plants tend to bear heavily and when in full fruit make for nice ornamentals, with clusters of the red pods contrasting against the green foliage.
Seed Availability
Seeds are not available for the Santaka Pepper. Please visit our seed store to view current selections. Seeds were last available in September 2013.
Days to Maturity
70-75 days.
Heat Level
Up to 50,000 Scoville.
Origin
From Japan.
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