How to Grow a Datil Pepper

Incorporate 2 pounds of 5-10-5 fertilizer per 100 square feet, 6 inches into the ground. Rake the surface to smooth it for planting.

Sow datil pepper seeds outside when the temperature begins to hold at 70 degrees Fahrenheit in spring. Select a site in full sun, and bury the seeds 1/4 inch deep. The peppers need five months of frost-free weather to fully ripen.

Thin datil pepper seedlings to one plant per 1 1/2 feet of row. Space multiple rows 18 inches apart.

Water the pepper plants consistently to maintain ground moisture. You may find that 1 inch of water weekly is sufficient. Apply less water whenever it rains, and increase the irrigation during hot droughts.

Weed the pepper bed regularly to prevent foreign vegetation from becoming established. Pull weeds by hand to protect the pepper plants' shallow roots from hoe damage. Build a 2- to 3-inch-deep mulch ring at the base of each plant. Use compost, straw, or dead leaves, for example, to choke weeds and slow water evaporation.

Pinch the tips of datil pepper plants when they reach 8 inches in height. This light pruning encourages vigorous growth.

Stake datil pepper plants located in breezy areas to keep the stems from breaking. Tie the plant loosely to the support with a strip of soft cloth. Thin, rough string might cut into the stem.

Make a narrow band of granular fertilizer 2 inches from the rows of pepper plants, after the plants set their first fruit. The strip of plant food should run along the entire length of each row. Select a product with equal percentages of nitrogen, phosphorous and nitrogen. Apply it at the rate listed on the product label. Water in the fertilizer.

Harvest datil peppers at any stage of development. For a hot pepper, wait until the pod reaches a ripe color about five months after you plant the seeds. Datil peppers are yellow or orange when ripe. Cut the peppers off the plant with garden scissors or shears.