Spitfire Anaheim is an F1 hybrid pepper bred for speed and disease resistance, reaching harvestable maturity in just 65 days from transplants. This compact plant produces classic Anaheim-type peppers while carrying resistance to Phytophthora, a serious soil-borne threat that has plagued pepper growers for generations. In the garden, it grows as a tidy, manageable plant that won't sprawl across your beds, making it excellent for containers or tight spacing. With moderate water needs and preference for slightly acidic soil (pH 6.0 to 6.8), it's straightforward to grow once established.
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The real draw here is the combination of earliness and disease resistance. Sixty-five days from transplant to harvest is genuinely fast for a pepper, and the Phytophthora resistance means you're not gambling with root rot that can wipe out entire plantings. The compact growth habit keeps the plant tidy without sacrificing yield, and the Anaheim genetics deliver the elongated peppers home gardeners love for roasting, stuffing, and drying.
Spitfire Anaheims are the pepper you want for roasting and charring. Their elongated shape and relatively thin walls make them ideal for blistering over flame, peeling back the skin, and using in salsas, rajas, and chile rellenos. They're also excellent fresh, and many gardeners dry them for chile powder or string them as traditional ristras.
No timeline data available yet for this variety.
Sow seeds indoors about 8 weeks before your transplant-out date, typically in late March in most regions. Place seeds 1/4 inch deep in trays or shallow flats at a density of about 4 seeds per inch. Maintain soil temperatures between 80 and 90°F (27 to 32°C) for consistent, steady germination; pepper seeds are notoriously slow to sprout in cooler soil. Once the first true leaves emerge, transplant seedlings into 2-inch cell-type containers or 4-inch pots and grow them at approximately 70°F (21°C) during the day and 60°F (16°C) at night.
Transplant outdoors only after all danger of frost has passed and the soil is warm. Ideal transplants already have buds, which indicates they're ready to establish and flower quickly. Plant on cloudy days or in the evening if possible to reduce transplant shock. Space plants 12 inches apart in rows.
Harvest Spitfire Anaheim peppers 65 days after transplanting, when they reach full size and develop their characteristic elongated shape. You can pick them at the mature green stage for roasting, or wait for color development if you prefer riper peppers. Cut peppers from the plant rather than pulling to avoid damaging the compact stems.
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