All the floral sweetness of the famous habanero, minus the burn. You can eat them green and unripe for a potent hit of aroma. Slice, puree or pickle to savor the habanadas’ full potential as a bright orange flavor bomb. Just remember to leave the white ribs in; that’s where the flavor is hiding.

Plant Details:

• 20 seeds per packet
• Produced in NY
• 2-3” bright orange fruit, longer and more tapered than a traditional habanero
• Maturity: 100 days or 70 days for green peppers.
• Organic

Field Notes:

• Soil Requirements: Fertile, well-drained soils with an optimal pH of 6.5. Little to no additional fertilization needed. Avoid high nitrogen prior to flowering, as it will delay fruiting. Phosphorus and calcium will boost yields and prevent blossom end rot.
• Support required: Provide trellising or other support to increase yield and ease of harvest.
• Row Covers: Row cover young plants. Remove row covers when temperatures go above 85˚F to prevent damage to plants. Monitor for aphids.

Spacing After Transplanting

• Plant Spacing: 15” single row; 18-24” double row
• Row Spacing: 24-36” 

Transplanting

• Start seeds indoors 8-10 weeks before transplanting. Sow seeds ¼” deep in trays or shallow flats, 4 seeds per inch.
• Germinate with heat mat for 10+ days, alternating 82˚F for 8 hours and 90˚F for 16 hours.
• 10-15 days to emergence.
• At true leaf stage (4 weeks), transplant (bump up) to 2”-cell flats or 4” pots.
• Move transplants outdoors to harden off gradually for 3-5 days, protecting seedlings from wind, strong sun, hard rain and cold.
• Transplant 2-4 weeks after last frost, when soil temperatures reach at least 70˚F.

Direct Seeding

• Not recommended.

Harvest

• Fruits can be harvested green, but to reach Habanada’s flavor potential, harvest when the 2-3” fruit turn orange.

Storage

• Habanadas will store 1-2 weeks maintaining flavor and crispness. Store whole and dry under plastic in a refrigerated environment.

Pest + Disease Info

• Insect Pests: Climbing cutworms, tarnished plant bugs, aphids, flea beetles. Control insect pests with organic insecticide such as pyrethrin, spinosad, soaps, etc. as appropriate.
• Diseases: Use best management practices such as drip irrigation and moisture management, crop rotation, removal of post-harvest crop debris and proper air circulation to prevent common pepper diseases such as phytopthora and bacterial spot.