This Long Cayenne hot twisted fruit, about 5 inches long, is a deep green when young and ripens to a brilliant red. Cayenne peppers can be harvested at any time during this process, although the color of the pepper will affect its flavor and heat level.
Starts seed indoors 8 weeks before planting outdoors. Keep seed moist in full sunlight or sow directly in garden in sunny location. Plant 2 seeds every 18 inches. Thin or transplant to 1 plant every 18 inches when 3 inches tall.
Use a balanced fertilizer when 6 inches tall to increase production. Cayenne peppers are easy to grow; depending on your climate, they can be grown as annuals or perennials.
Green cayenne peppers are ready to pick once they reach full size, which is about 4 or 5 inches long. They should be firm, medium- to dark-green, and have a slightly waxy texture. Normally, peppers are ready to pick 75-90 days from planting.
To get hotter pepper, cut back on watering and fertilizing once the peppers are visible.
A mature and fully ripened cayenne pepper should be able to be picked easily. They can be pulled from the plant with just a slight twist of the wrist. Be sure to hold the plant when picking cayenne peppers to avoid damage.
Pick Peppers regularly for increased yields.
Cayenne peppers will continue to mature slightly for a few days after being picked; the process can be accelerated by placing the picked peppers in a paper bag.
Cayenne peppers grow like wildfire. Once you harvest a pepper, another flower will grow in its place, later being replaced by another pepper. One plant can produce fifty to a hundred peppers.
