Growing Jalapeño Peppers in the Home Garden
Jalapenos bring the right heat.
Jalapeños offer a heat that’s neither too hot nor too mild. In fact, it’s just right, which makes jalapeños an essential ingredient in many dishes. On the Scoville scale, which determines the spiciness of chili peppers based on capsaicin concentration, they’re ranked mild to moderate, with cultivars ranging from 2,500 to 8,000 Scoville heat units.
Growing Jalapeño Peppers
Hot peppers love hot weather. They can’t be transplanted into the garden until after the last spring frost. I wait until the soil temperature has warmed to at least 65˚(F).
Jalapeños need a sunny site with well-draining, fertile soil. Deep watering once or twice a week maintains a lightly moist soil that will promote healthy growth. You can also mulch the soil with straw to hold moisture and reduce weeds.
Related: Read more advice, including tips on harvesting peppers, in "Growing Peppers in Pots or a Vegetable Garden."
Good Jalapeños to Grow
I’ve been trying different jalapeños for years to discover which ones grow best in my USDA Zone 5 garden. Here are three standouts that are ideal for garden beds or containers:
‘Jedi’ is my favorite jalapeño variety to grow. The plants stand tall and vigorous, yielding a heavy crop of jumbo-sized fruits. Each deep green pepper measures four to four-and-a-half inches long with thick, juicy walls. ‘Jedi’ also offers excellent disease resistance.
An All-America Selections award winner, ‘Pot-a-peno’ matures early on compact growth that makes it perfect for pots and hanging baskets. The plants grow just 15 inches tall, but they reach up to 20 inches across. They produce a bounty of three-inch-long fruits from mid- to late summer.
‘La Bomba II’ proves itself a good choice for short-season gardens, as it starts to produce green fruits just two months after transplanting. The plants grow up to two feet tall, with each yielding several dozen peppers.
Related: Learn how to grow jalapeños in a themed garden, plus more tips, in "Assessing the Vegetable Garden and Planting with More Purpose."
Image credits, top to bottom: Niki Jabbour; All-America Selections; PanAmerican Seed.
