The serrano pepper (Capsicum annuum) is a type of chili pepper that originated in the mountainous regions of the Mexican states of Puebla and Hidalgo. The name of the pepper is a reference to the mountains (sierras) of these regions.
| Common Name | Serrano |
| Botanical Name | Capsicum annuum |
| Family | Solanaceae |
| Plant Type | Perennial, vegetable |
| Size | 1–4 ft. tall, 1–2 ft. wide |
| Sun Exposure | Full sun |
| Soil Type | Moist, well-drained |
| Soil pH | Acidic, neutral |
| Bloom Time | Summer |
| Hardiness Zones | 9–11 (USDA) |
When to Plant?
This will be determined by your planting zone. There is a final frost date for each area. As a result, you can plan your gardening activities around this date. Check our Frost Dates Across North America: First & Last Frost Dates Chart. However, the date will not be the same for every plant.
How to Plant
Only home gardeners who enjoy long growing seasons in the Deep South should attempt to sow pepper seeds directly in the vegetable garden. Most of us must start our own pepper plants indoors about 8-10 weeks before transplanting, which should be done 2-3 weeks after the expected last frost.
As soon as seedlings emerge, provide plenty of light on a sunny windowsill or grow seedlings 3-4 inches beneath fluorescent plant lights turned on 16 hours per day, off for 8 hours at night. Raise the lights as the plants grow taller. Incandescent bulbs will not work for this process because they will get too hot. Most plants require a dark period to grow, do not leave lights on for 24 hours.
Seedlings do not need much fertilizer, feed when they are 3-4 weeks old using a starter solution (half strength of a complete indoor houseplant food) according to manufacturer’s directions.
If you are growing in small cells, you may need to transplant the seedlings to 3 or 4 inch pots when seedlings have at least 3 pairs of leaves before transplanting to the garden so they have enough room to develop strong roots.
Before planting in the garden, seedling plants need to be “hardened off”. Accustom young plants to outdoor conditions by moving them to a sheltered place outside for a week. Be sure to protect them from wind and hot sun at first. If frost threatens at night, cover or bring containers indoors, then take them out again in the morning. This hardening off process toughens the plant’s cell structure and reduces transplant shock and scalding.
How to Cultivate
Keep weeds under control during the growing season. Weeds compete with plants for water, space and nutrients, so control them by either cultivating often or use a mulch to prevent their seeds from germinating.
Mulches also help retain soil moisture and maintain even soil temperatures. This is especially important for peppers as their roots may be easily damaged when weeding, and this can lead to blossom end rot.
Keep plants well-watered during the growing season, especially during dry spells. Plants need about 1-2″ of rain per week during the growing season. Use a rain gauge to check to see if you need to add water. It’s best to water with a drip or trickle system that delivers water at low pressure at the soil level. If you water with overhead sprinklers, water early in the day so the foliage has time to dry off before evening, to minimize disease problems. Keep the soil moist but not saturated.
Note that hot peppers tend to be hotter when they have less water and fertilizer. If they receive plenty of water and fertilizer they may be more mild than expected. Monitor for pests and diseases. Check with your local Cooperative Extension Service for pest controls recommended for your area.
Try planting pepper plants near tomatoes, parsley, basil, and carrots in your home vegetable garden. Don’t plant them near fennel or kohlrabi. Peppers are very colorful when in full fruit and combine well with green herbs, okra, beans and cucumber fences in the garden bed.
How to Harvest
Peppers will turn green when starting to approach maturity. They can be harvested at this point, or allowed to ripen on the plant. If collected early, plants will continue to flower and fruit more frequently, though this early collection might result in differences in flavor if used fresh.
Use scissors or snip to cut branches and harvest peppers. Do not remove by hand as plants can be easily damaged.
Hydroponics
Germination: Start by germinating Serrano pepper seeds using a seed starter kit or by placing them in a damp paper towel until they sprout. Once the seeds have sprouted, you can transfer them to your hydroponic setup.
pH range: The pH range for hydroponically grown Serrano peppers is between 5.5 and 6.5. This ensures that the plants can take up nutrients effectively.
EC: The electrical conductivity (EC) of your hydroponic solution should be between 1.5 and 2.5 mS/cm for Serrano peppers. This ensures that the plants receive the right amount of nutrients without being overfed.
PPM: The ideal PPM (parts per million) range for Serrano peppers grown hydroponically is between 800 and 1200 ppm. This will provide the plants with the necessary nutrients to grow and produce fruit.
Humidity: The ideal humidity range for hydroponic Serrano pepper plants is between 50% and 70%. You can maintain this by using a humidifier or by placing a tray of water near the plants.
Light hours: Serrano peppers require at least 8 hours of direct sunlight or artificial light per day to thrive. Ideally, you should provide them with 12-16 hours of light per day for optimal growth and fruit production.
Temperature air: The ideal temperature range for Serrano pepper plants is between 70 and 85°F during the day and 60 to 70°F at night. High humidity levels should be maintained to prevent the plants from drying out.
Temperature water: Water temperature for hydroponic Serrano pepper plants is between 65 and 75°F. This ensures that the plants can take up nutrients efficiently without being too cold or too hot.
With these guidelines, you should be able to grow healthy plants hydroponically. Good luck, and happy growing!
Common Pests and Diseases
Gray leaf spot (Stemphylium spp.)
Symptoms: Fruit symptoms are the most common although stem, leaves and roots can also be infected; disease causes characteristic sunken circular lesions on the fruit; the indentations on may have visible concentric brown and yellow rings; lesion centers turn tan in color as they mature and become dotted with small black fungal fruiting bodies (microsclerotia); lesions can grow very large
Cause: Fungus
Management
As pepper nursery beds seem to be more susceptible to gray leaf spot infection, control relies on good management of the beds; beds should be well ventilated and all crop debris should be promptly removed; beds should not be planted next to pepper or tomato fields; if disease is present and spreading then application of appropriate fumigant fungicides should be effective at eradicating the pathogen; lesions on plants in an established field usually do not warrant treatment
We’ve compiled a list of videos that will teach you how to grow serrano pepper.
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