Look for the seeds at your local gardening store or from a reputable online source.
Check to be sure your plastic or clay pot has holes in it for draining. Add a compost to your soil to make it super nutrient-rich.
Avoid pushing the seeds too far down in the soil—place them deep enough so that they’re barely covered by the soil. If both seeds sprout, you’ll need to separate the plants into different pots so they have enough room to continue growing.
Watering the seeds in the morning is best so that they’ll be hydrated during the hottest part of the day.
Keep the plant 6–12 in (15–30 cm) away from the light, depending on how strong it is and whether it emits a lot of heat. If you’re mainly using an artificial light for your plants, keep the light on for 16 hours a day or more.
For example, if it’s currently in a pot that’s 5 in (13 cm) wide, you might transfer it into a new one that’s 10 in (25 cm) wide. This will take about 40 days once the seed is planted.
The water will help compact the soil. If it presses it down a lot, add a little more soil to the pot.
Overwatering your habanero can lead to the plant getting diseases or tasting super bitter.
Try using 11-3-8 mix fertilizer on your habanero. Some fertilizers recommend that you use them once every 2 weeks.
Purchase an insecticidal soap at your local home improvement or gardening store. Insecticidal soaps won’t harm you or most animals if it’s ingested (but you should wash off your peppers with clean water once you pick them!).
The node is the part of the plant where the leaves, stems, or flowers sprout and grow. Use your fingers to pinch off the flowers so the plant focuses its energy on the peppers.
Most plants that are getting at least 6 hours of normal sunlight each day will be okay. Your plant’s leaves will help protect the fruit from sunscald.
During the colder months, you won’t need to water your habanero plant as much.
Your habanero peppers should turn green and be ready for picking about 75 days after you plant the seeds.
When the peppers are ripe, they’ll come off of the plant easily. The peppers will turn orange and red roughly 90 days after you plant the seeds.
If you’re growing your peppers indoors and are using plant lights, you can wait longer to pick the peppers if you’d like.
The peppers will last up to 3 weeks before they start to spoil in a container. It’s also possible to freeze the peppers and store them for several months in the freezer.
