Cayenne Blend Chile Pepper is a compact, productive cultivar that matures in just 68 days, making it one of the faster routes to homegrown hot peppers. Plants grow to a tidy 18, 24 inches, producing the classic slender cayenne fruits beloved by cooks and hot sauce makers. In hardiness zones 9, 11, this variety thrives in full sun and moderate water, rewarding gardeners with a reliable harvest of heat-packed peppers perfect for fresh use, drying, or processing.
Full Sun
Moderate
9-11
24in H x ?in W
—
Moderate
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With a 68-day harvest window, Cayenne Blend delivers peppers faster than many other hot varieties. The compact 18, 24 inch plant habit makes it equally at home in garden beds or containers, while the moderate water needs and full-sun preference keep it low-fuss once established. Starting seeds indoors 8, 10 weeks before your last frost and transplanting after nighttime temperatures stay above 55°F sets you up for a strong season of productive plants.
Cayenne peppers are the backbone of hot sauce production and drying for ground cayenne powder, a staple in spice racks worldwide. Fresh cayenne peppers add fiery punch to salsas, stir-fries, and curries. Their slender shape and prolific production on compact plants make them particularly well suited to processing by home cooks who want to make their own hot pepper condiments or dried spice blends.
No timeline data available yet for this variety.
Start seeds indoors 8, 10 weeks before your planned transplant date. Sow seeds 1/4 inch deep in soil kept at 70°F for germination (temperatures between 70, 90°F are ideal). Transplant seedlings outdoors 2, 4 weeks after your average last frost date, once daytime temperatures reach at least 70°F and nighttime temperatures stay above 55°F.
Transplant seedlings 2, 4 weeks after your average last frost date when daytime temperatures are at least 70°F and nighttime temperatures remain above 55°F. Space plants 24 inches apart in rows 24 inches apart.
In mild climates, direct sow seeds in late summer for a fall or winter crop.
Cayenne peppers reach harvest readiness around 68 days after transplanting. Pick peppers when they are firm and fully mature; they can be harvested at the green stage for a milder bite or left on the plant to turn red for maximum heat and sweetness. Use a sharp knife or pruners to cleanly remove peppers from the plant.
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