Hot pepper seeds - the best varieties for open ground and reviews

Pepper

Hot peppers are used in virtually every cuisine around the world and are one of the most popular seasonings. They go by many names: hot, bitter, pungent, capsicum, and chili. Thanks to the extensive breeding work of pepper breeders, this vegetable can come in a variety of shapes, sizes, colors, and heat levels. Therefore, inexperienced vegetable growers are often overwhelmed by all this variety.

A selection of the best and most productive varieties of hot peppers This will help gardeners make the right decision when choosing seeds for planting outdoors or in a greenhouse. You can also set up a garden right on your windowsill, where pepper plants will delight you not only with their fruits but also become a unique addition to any interior.

Secrets to choosing hot pepper varieties

Experienced vegetable growers recommend following these guidelines when purchasing seeds:

The spiciness of a vegetable is influenced by its growing conditions. The same variety, planted in different climate zones, will yield fruits with varying degrees of spiciness. Vegetables grown in hot and humid conditions will be significantly spicier than those grown in a cool, dry place.
When choosing seeds, pay attention to the SHU (Scoville Heat Units) rating. The higher the number, the hotter the pepper variety.
Scoville scale
For open ground, it is advisable to select varieties with a short growing season (up to 100 days), since autumn weather conditions are suitable only for certain varieties of this plant.
It's best to buy seeds from a reputable supplier. Sometimes the information on the packaging doesn't match the contents.
Typically, stores only stock common and sought-after varieties. Those wishing to experiment with rare or elite varieties should consider visiting specialized breeding centers.

The wrong choice of planting material usually leads to disappointment, so the moment of choosing seeds is very important in growing vegetables.

The best hot pepper seed varieties according to reviews in 2018

Systematization of reviews from gardeners and amateur gardeners allows us to present a ranking of the best varieties, revealing their individual characteristics, advantages, and disadvantages.

Early-Maturing Crops to Plant in 2019

Double Abundance is a high-yielding hybrid, resistant to viruses and high temperatures. It produces significantly more fruit in greenhouse conditions. A single plant can produce up to 40 peppers. The peppers are long, thick, trunk-shaped, and red-orange in color.

Hot Bouquet is a medium-sized, vigorous plant that requires no staking. This pepper produces fruit equally well in both open fields and greenhouses. The medium-length, cone-shaped fruits are ripe and a rich red hue. The flesh is spicy and has a strong peppery aroma.

Trinidad Small Cherry is an ultra-early variety. It gets its name from the berry-like appearance of its fruits and the cherry-like aroma of its flesh. The bushes are vigorous, tall, and branched. They are literally covered with small, round peppers. The fruits ripen as early as 80 days after germination.

Mid-season peppers for open ground

Astrakhansky-147 is a high-yielding pepper for outdoor cultivation. The bushes are medium-sized and compact, with drooping red fruits. The peppers are small and thin-walled, but very spicy. The fruiting period is extended, lasting from 30 to 60 days.

Ram's Horn peppers are tall, standard bushes, reaching one and a half meters in height. The fruits are long and slender. Ripe peppers have a rich cherry color. The fruit walls are thin, and the flesh is medium-spicy.

Cascabel pepper is a dwarf plant with unusual fruits. The bushes bloom and bear fruit continuously. The small, round peppers are dark red and used for drying and grinding. The flesh is intensely spicy, with a pleasant peppery aroma.

Characteristics of late-ripening varieties

7 Pot Brain Strain Red – large, wrinkled peppers with a unique shape reminiscent of a human brain. The pods are a vibrant scarlet color. They are highly prized for their excellent flavor and unique fruity aroma.

Riot is a medium-sized, branched plant with medium-sized, thin-walled pods. Under favorable conditions, a single plant can yield up to 300 berries. The flesh is pungent and has a pleasant aroma. The peppers are distinguished by their unusual coloring: at the technical stage of ripeness, the pods are bright red, while biologically ripe peppers are a milky white.

Tabasco peppers are tall plants that are resistant to common diseases and pests. The pods are small and medium-sharp. The bushes produce very high yields. The peppers have a classic conical shape. The color of the fruit changes as they ripen: initially green, then turning a transitional yellow, and finally red.

Recommended varieties of hot peppers for planting in open ground

Not all varieties are suitable for open ground. Growing peppers in a garden bed presents certain challenges, as peppers are heat-loving plants that require plenty of light. The climate in Russia's regions cannot provide the plant with the necessary warmth and light. Moreover, sudden temperature fluctuations and cold winds are detrimental to many pepper varieties.

The following varieties are suitable for growing in open beds:

Zmey Gorynych is a drought-resistant, but light-demanding mid-season variety that produces large, hot peppers.
Serpent Gorynych
Cayenne pepper is one of the most popular varieties of hot pepper, characterized by large pods with hot flesh and a spicy aroma.
Mother-in-law's tongue is a drought-resistant, early-ripening variety with bright red, medium-sized peppers.
Ukrainian is a mid-season, high-yielding pepper with good immunity that easily tolerates adverse weather conditions.
Chinese Fire is considered one of the best varieties of this plant. It is highly resistant to various diseases.
Chinese fire
Habanero is a very popular pepper with unusual round fruits.
Jalapeños are large, thick-walled, bright green peppers with very spicy flesh.
Dinosaur is a drought-resistant variety with thick-walled, moderately spicy, medium-sized fruits.
Vizier is a high-yielding, late-ripening pepper with an unusual turban-shaped form.
Magic Bouquet is a high-yielding, early-ripening variety with a bouquet-like arrangement of small, semi-sharp fruits.

Remember!

The fruits of varieties adapted for garden beds may not have time to ripen due to the short summer. Therefore, when choosing seeds, gardeners should pay attention to the plant's growing season.

Popular varieties of hot peppers for growing indoors

There are several varieties of this crop suitable for growing indoors. These are typically perennials that require special care. The fruits of indoor peppers are smaller than their garden counterparts, but they are just as pungent in flavor.

The following plants are suitable for an apartment:

Ogonyok is a mid-season hybrid with classic capsicum peppers. The tips of the pods are slightly curved. The fruits are small and fiery red. They are distinguished by their pungency and distinct peppery aroma.
Ogonyok
Ryabinushka is an ultra-early, high-yielding hybrid. The fruits are bright red and spherical, resembling clusters of rowan berries. The peppers have a strong spiciness and a distinct aroma.
Aladdin is a compact plant that produces small, multicolored peppers. They are cone-shaped and pointed upward. A single plant produces fruits in shades of light green, dark green, dark pink, beige, red, and purple. The pods are excellent for canning.
Confetti are dwarf ornamental bushes, no taller than 35 cm. The fruits are relatively large, ranging from 3 to 7 cm in length. They feature a classic cone-shaped form and come in a variety of colors: as they ripen, the green peppers turn yellow, then purple. Ripe fruits are a rich red.
Confetti
Salute is an early-ripening ornamental pepper that grows as dwarf, spreading bushes. The cone-shaped fruits change color from dark green to bright orange as they ripen. These peppers are eaten fresh and canned.

Indoor hybrids have high ornamental value. Their exotic appearance is in no way inferior to that of houseplants.

What varieties should be planted in a greenhouse?

A greenhouse is the best place to grow pepper plants. Greenhouse conditions can satisfy every whim of this tropical vegetable. The most common varieties grown in greenhouses are:

Hungarian Yellow – small, neat bushes with tiny yellow peppers. The plant's compact size allows for space-saving greenhouse cultivation.
Hungarian yellow
Astrakhan 628 is a mid-season, high-yielding pepper with medium-sized, cone-shaped fruits. As they ripen, the peppers change color from bright green to deep red. The bushes are half a meter tall, compact, and neat.
The Yubileyny VNIISSOK variety produces tall, spreading plants with early ripening fruit. The peppers are dark red and moderately hot.
Filius Blue is a dwarf pepper that takes up little space in a greenhouse. Its fruits are multicolored and very spicy. They are used in a variety of culinary dishes and as a peppery seasoning.
Filius Blue
Little Miracle is a fast-growing and completely unpretentious variety that requires little care. The bushes produce abundant, but very small, peppers. The fruits are distinguished by their excellent taste and pleasant peppery aroma.

Reviews of the best varieties of hot peppers

Beginner and experienced gardeners are happy to share their experiences growing this spicy vegetable:

MarinaGerasimenko: "I'm growing the 'Astrakhan' variety at home. The second harvest is now in full swing. I loved the peppers—they're very hot. Of the two plants, only one survived. I don't take it outside—it's still growing in a pot. I've previously transplanted outdoor peppers indoors. All the plants died. Therefore, I don't recommend transplanting peppers from the garden into pots."

MariaSadovnikova: "Hot peppers are highly revered in our family. We eat them raw, dried, pickled, and add them to all kinds of preserves. Every year, I grow several varieties (half of the greenhouse is dedicated to peppers). My favorite variety is 'Ram's Horn' – beautiful, easy-to-grow, delicious, and always productive."

user_6334: "Of all the varieties I know, I'd single out the Tsytsak pepper. It's moderately hot. I don't like overly hot peppers, which can turn a dish into liquid fire. The fruits are beautiful and large. It's easy to care for. The plants produce an excellent harvest every year."

Compared to sweet peppers, the variety of hot peppers is limited. On the other hand, this limited number of varieties makes it easier to select seeds for planting.