Early Jalapeño Chile Pepper lives up to its name, delivering ripe peppers in just 63 days from transplant. This Capsicum annuum cultivar grows into a compact plant 18 to 36 inches tall, making it manageable in gardens and containers alike. The variety thrives in full sun and produces the classic jalapeño heat and flavor gardeners expect, but on a timeline that lets you harvest before many other peppers are even flowering.
Full Sun
Moderate
9-11
36in H x 24in W
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Moderate
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Sixty-three days to harvest sets this variety apart for gardeners impatient for fresh peppers. The compact 18 to 36 inch height means you can fit multiple plants into modest spaces or grow them in pots near the kitchen door. Start seeds indoors 8 to 10 weeks before your last frost, transplant once nighttime temperatures reliably stay above 55°F, and you'll be picking peppers weeks ahead of standard jalapeño varieties.
Early Jalapeño peppers are sliced fresh into salsas, nachos, and cornbread, or pickled whole for a shelf-stable condiment. Their medium heat works well in hot sauce blends, and they can be smoked for a quick jalapeño popper filling. The compact plant size and early maturity make this variety especially useful for gardeners in shorter growing seasons who want genuine jalapeño flavor without waiting until late summer.
No timeline data available yet for this variety.
Start seeds indoors 8 to 10 weeks before your anticipated transplant date. Maintain soil temperature between 70°F and 90°F for optimal germination; 70°F is the absolute minimum. Sow seeds ¼ inch deep in sterile seed-starting mix.
Transplant seedlings outdoors 2 to 4 weeks after your average last frost date, once daytime temperatures are consistently 70°F or warmer and nighttime temperatures stay above 55°F. Space plants 24 inches apart in rows also spaced 24 inches apart. Harden off seedlings by gradually exposing them to outdoor conditions over 7 to 10 days before planting.
Jalapeños are ready to harvest when they reach full size and turn from green to red, though most gardeners pick them at the mature green stage around 63 days. At green maturity, peppers will be firm and about 2 to 3 inches long. Twist or cut peppers from the plant; do not yank, as this can damage branches. For hotter peppers, leave them on the plant longer to red-ripe, though this extends the harvest window beyond the 63-day baseline.
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