(Capsicum anuum) If you’ve ever seen Edward Weston’s pepper still lifes from the 1920s (if not, you should look them up), this is the pepper subject he dreamed of! A study in organic form and beauty, the 4” fist-sized fruits wrinkle and twist in sinewy ripples and waves. Its thin-walled flesh is very aromatic and full-flavored, perfect for dishes that benefit from red pepper as a flavor rather than big, sweet, fleshy pepper bites. 'Criolla di Cochina' hails from Nicaragua, where sweet peppers are known as chiltoma, and where some hypothesize the oldest sweet peppers may have first been bred from their spicier relatives. We’ve read that the classic use in its homeland is the sweet/sour salsa criolla campesino. We often slice one up and add it to a pot of cooking rice to infuse it with its delicious flavor. Upright plants are sturdy and productive. A unique and very lovely pepper, certainly one of the most beautiful we’ve seen.
80-90 days. UO

Packet: 30 seeds

[split]

Growing Info

SOWING:

Indoors, 6-8 weeks before your last frost date.

Transplant out after danger of frost (50+ nighttime temps).

Note: Protect well from the cold!

PLANTING DEPTH:

1/4"

SPACING:

12-24" spacing in rows 24-36" apart.

EMERGENCE:

7-14 days @ soil temp 70-85F

LIGHT:

Full sun

FERTILITY:

Moderate-Heavy. Prefer well-drained, fertile soil with ample phosphorous and calcium (too little calcium can cause blossom end rot) and a pH between 6.5-6.8.

ADDITIONAL NOTES:

Pepper seeds germinate very slowly and poorly in cold soil. Keep soil temperatures at 80-90F while germinating, and grow plants at 70F.

After transplanting, use a floating row cover to keep plants warmer during the day and protect them from cold nights. Remove as temperatures increase. Too much heat can cause blossom drop.

Taller varieties benefit from staking.

Harvesting ripe fruit consistently encourages fruit production.

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Pkt		$4.50
100 seeds		$8.00
250 seeds		$14.00
1000 seeds		$44.00

Sweet Pepper, 'Criolla di Cochina'