The Padron pepper is a well-known, robust, and highly productive Spanish variety throughout the season. Per plant, yields 20 fruits, each about 5-10 cm long at maturity. They are immature and green in 60 days and ripe and red 75 days after planting. Weighing about 30 grams, the conical-shaped fruit has a thick, fleshy, refreshing, and pleasant taste.

Harvested immature, the flavor will be rather strong (2/10). Larger and redder, it will be more spicy, reaching 5/10 on the Scoville scale (strength equivalent to Tabasco sauce).

They are mainly used in tapas, sautéed in olive oil or grilled.

How to successfully sow chili peppers

Sow in February-March in pots of fine seed compost in a heated greenhouse (25°C). Peppers need a high temperature at the beginning of their development as well as a little humidity but not too much. Germination within 3 weeks.
Plant out in May in deep, loose soil, in a warm, sunny location, sheltered from the wind, 50 cm apart in all directions. Hoeing, watering and mulching.
If you do not live in a warm region, greenhouse cultivation is highly recommended.

Good associations

Peppers will appreciate cohabitation with other nightshades: Peruvian groundcherry, Balbis nightshade, peppers, tomatoes, etc.

Harvesting chili peppers

5 to 6 months after sowing when the peppers are fully ripe.
Pick as needed or dry in the sun or oven.

Height 0.9 to 1 m white flower green stem. Leaf about 7/8 cm long and 4 cm wide. Conical fruit about 5/10 cm long when ripe, green when immature turning red when ripe, with 2 locules. More than 20 fruits per plant. Fruit not erect on the plant. Fine flesh, rather quite spicy when ripe like Espelette pepper. Fruit of about 30 grams, robust, very productive throughout the season. Harvest of fruits of about 3-5 cm, immature and green in 60 days and ripe and red in 75 days after planting. The conical fruit has a very thick flesh. Harvested immature the flavor will be rather sweet, larger and red it will be more spicy to reach 5/10 on the Scoville scale.