Red Ember Cayenne Pepper is a compact hybrid that delivers genuine cayenne flavor in just 55 days from transplant, making it one of the fastest routes to fresh peppers for home gardeners. Johnny's Selected Seeds describes it as their most versatile and flavorful cayenne, a hybrid bred to combine earliness with the authentic heat and taste that defines this iconic hot pepper. The plant's compact growth habit fits containers and small gardens, while its productivity ensures you'll have plenty of peppers for fresh use, drying, or processing into hot sauce.
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This F1 hybrid cuts the typical cayenne timeline dramatically, reaching harvest in 55 days from transplants rather than the 70-90 days many traditional varieties demand. The compact growth habit means it thrives in containers or tight garden spaces without sacrificing yield or flavor. Johnny's calls it their most versatile cayenne, suggesting it performs equally well whether you're planning to use fresh peppers, dry them whole, or grind them into powder.
Red Ember Cayenne Pepper is grown for its fresh and dried cayenne peppers, the signature ingredient in cayenne powder and hot sauce. The peppers can be harvested green for a slightly less intense heat, or left on the plant to mature fully to red for maximum pungency and deeper flavor. Gardeners often dry the mature red pods whole and then grind them for cayenne powder, or use fresh peppers in salsas, marinades, and spicy condiments.
No timeline data available yet for this variety.
Sow seeds in flats or shallow containers at a density of 4 seeds per inch, pressing seeds 1/4 inch deep into moist seed-starting mix. Maintain soil temperature between 80 and 90°F for reliable germination, as pepper seeds germinate very slowly in cooler soil. Sow in late March, about 8 weeks before your planned transplant date. Once the first true leaves appear, transplant seedlings into 2-inch cell packs or 4-inch individual pots. Grow seedlings at approximately 70°F during the day and 60°F at night.
Transplant outdoors after the last frost date when soil has warmed and weather is settled. Space plants 12 inches apart. Ideally, select seedlings that have visible flower buds but no open blossoms at transplant time. Using black plastic mulch and row covers in cooler regions will accelerate growth and earliness.
Red Ember cayenne peppers reach harvest 55 days after transplanting, when fruits are mature and bright red. Peppers can be picked at any stage, but waiting until they turn fully red develops maximum heat and authentic cayenne flavor. Use a sharp knife or pruning shears to cleanly cut peppers from the stem rather than yanking them, which can damage branches. For drying, allow peppers to fully mature and dry on the plant if weather permits, then harvest and continue the drying process indoors.
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