Seed Savers Exchange
Pepper, Grandma Kirksey
Capsicum annuum
- From the Collection for 2022
- Organic
- Colorful fruits grow to 3/4-1 inch
- Bushy plants have dark purple leaves and small conical peppers
- Hot pepper
- 100 days from transplant
- Packet of 25 Seeds
This stunning ornamental pepper makes a splash in both borders and containers. Bushy plants produce a dense canopy of dark-purple leaves and myriad small, conical peppers that ripen from purple to orange to dark red. The peppers measure about 3/4" long and stand erect on the plant; they are edible but very pungent and somewhat bitter. ‘Grandma Kirksey’ is named for Willie Jane (Pulley) Kirksey, who received the variety during the Great Depression and grew the peppers in her flower beds. 100 days to ripe fruit from transplant. Hot. Organic.
Learn To Grow It
You should start plants indoors 8-12 weeks before the last frost date for transplanting them into the garden. Plant them outdoors 2-4 weeks after your last expected frost.
Plant your seeds 1/4-1/2 in. deep in soil trays or pots. Transfer them to 3-4 in. pots when their true leaves appear. When transplanting, bury seedlings up the stems up to their leaves.
Make sure that your soil is well fertilized as this crop is a heavy feeder and takes a lot of nutrients from the soil. Consider adding compost to the soil the year before you plant.
These plants prefer warm weather and soil so they should be grown when temperatures are over 68 degrees F.
