Growing Chilli Pepper Tabasco Seeds

Chilli Pepper Tabasco Seeds produce the famous peppers used to make Tabasco hot sauce. This Capsicum frutescens variety yields small, upright pods that ripen from greeny-yellow to orange to vibrant red. Prized for their fiery, smoky flavour, these chillies are perfect for crafting hot sauces, spicing up dishes, or drying for year-round use.

Sowing and Germination

To cultivate Tabasco Chilli Peppers, sow seeds indoors from January to April. Plant seeds 0.5cm (1/4 in) deep in trays or small pots filled with moist seed compost. Place in a warm area at 18-25°C (64-77°F). Germination usually takes 7-14 days. Light aids germination, so do not exclude it.

Planting and Care

When seedlings are large enough to handle, transplant them into individual 7.5cm (3″) pots. Grow on in cooler conditions. Once all risk of frost has passed, plant them out in their final positions, spacing plants 50cm (20″) apart. Tabasco Chilli Peppers thrive in containers, grow bags, or well-draining soil. They are ideal for greenhouse cultivation but can also be grown outdoors in a warm, sheltered spot.

Maintenance and Harvesting

When plants reach 15cm (6″), pinch out the growing tips to promote bushier growth. As plants develop, they may require support. Maintain consistently moist soil, but avoid waterlogging. Once fruits begin to form, feed plants with a balanced fertiliser. Harvest chillies in 90 days, from August to October.

Growing Conditions

• Position: Full sun
• Soil: Well-draining, fertile soil
• Rate of growth: Average
• Hardiness: Perennial in UK zone 9, often grown as an annual
• Sow: January to April
• Harvest: August to October
• Heat level: Very hot (30,000-50,000 Scoville units)