• Do you need help identifying a 🌶?
    Is your plant suffering from an unknown issue? 🤧
    Then ask in Identification and Diagnosis.

Pepper Ripening Length

SpeakPolish

SpeakPolish

I am currently growing peppers that take a lot of time to ripen. Baccatums and Superhots. Its been about a month and there have been no signs of ripening. So how long does it take for peppers to ripen. I have a Ghost, Reaper, Bishops Crown, Lemon Drop and (PDN x BMJ and Aji WLB). So can you guys give a guesstimate on how long they take to ripen.
 
Depending on conditions....the later end of your growing season.

My growing season is done for most plants by late Oct.

But if weather is mild and temps in 40's I have had late Chinense and Bacs ripen late Dec.


So....3 to 5 mos

Or, longer.

:cheers:
 
Lemon drop are slow (at first) but when the first one turns more will follow soon after. They change fast once it starts. A pod with say 1/4 yellow only takes a few days to turn completely yellow. Very obvious if you watch a pod daily once it starts to turn.
 
Be thankful you are not growing aji panca. Full size green pods take months to ripen.
 
I grew my first Baccatum last year; a single Bishop's Crown . The pods took stupidly long to set fruit beyond two or three early pods. And those early pods took forever to turn red. By late August, the plant was festooned with zillions of pods. Those took forever to ripen, too. And when they did ripen, it seemed like they did it almost simultaneously, which was actually really convenient.

This year, I'm growing Brazil Starfish, Lemon Drops, and Sugar Rush Peach. The Sugar Rush set fruit very early, and the Lemon Drops followed close behind. But they are also taking forever to ripen. The Starfish are just now starting to set fruit.

So, yes, Baccatums take a long time.
But so do many Chinense. Some SuperHots are worse than others. To me, it seems like Ghost/Naga types take longer than 7Pot/Scorp types. Primos took particularly long for me, 2 years in a row.

But like 'DaSauce said, Aji Pancas take the longest..... They're a mild Chinense, but they take a long time to set fruit, and the ripening is extremely delayed. I rather like them, how they taste, and the plant becomes an impressively big tree, but I'll likely never grow them again. They just take too long.

My strategy has been to include early varieties (many annuums, even normal Habs are relatively early...) with the later stuff. Most of my favorites require plenty of patience, but having piles of Jalapeños to snack on while I wait for the late stuff makes it easier to tolerate.

Hth
 
All my Sugar Rush are starting to produce too. I probably planted more than i needed just in case. Last year i had bonnets ready in July but the mother load did happen later. IIRC i had some ghosts ready in mid July too
 
I got a good head start on aji panca and they went in ground this time. Might put an extra in a fabric pot just to see if there is a big difference.
 
SpeakPolish said:
Is it usual that lemon drops take so long to ripen that they get sun burn?
Click to expand...
I got no clue what's "usual," as this is my first year growing Lemon Drops, but both of my plants got several pods each, with most of them sun,-burnt to a purple color on the sides facing the sun.

Can't wait to try these.
 
SpeakPolish said:
I am currently growing peppers that take a lot of time to ripen. Baccatums and Superhots. Its been about a month and there have been no signs of ripening. So how long does it take for peppers to ripen. I have a Ghost, Reaper, Bishops Crown, Lemon Drop and (PDN x BMJ and Aji WLB). So can you guys give a guesstimate on how long they take to ripen.
Click to expand...
 
Thanks for the post.  My first reaper fruit just set so I will follow you to see how long yours takes as a guide for mine!
 
Well, I don't need to worry about reaper ripening time now as my one pepper fell yesterday at only 3/4" long.  Bummer.  I am assuming its the day after day of heat in the mid 90s / 35c range.  I have my peppers getting about 4 hours of morning light, then filtered light under a big pecan tree throughout the day with another hour or so direct in the evening.  But it is just soooooo hot.  Still have some habaneros and scotch bonnets fruited and growing.  I hope they don't suffer the same fate.
 
I have 2 Reaper pods since about one month, current (final?) size since maybe 2 weeks, and one of them started yellowing today. The other one still solid green. South of France.
 
It varies but for the super hots I would say around 60 days from pedal drop to ripe pod on average.
 
Unless you're talking about the first pods of the season, those typically take a full year it feels like 
 
Patiently waiting for my first habs and scotch bonnets to turn.  Been a couple weeks since they have grown to full size.
 
So once a pepper begins to ripen, is there any benefit to letting it finish color change on the plant rather than just picking at the first sign of color change? Will the taste be affected?
 
Yeah, I don't pick them until I'm ready to eat/use them, and I try to eat/use then ASAFP.

If you pick them before they ripen, they will likely take longer to become fully ripe, of they even have time to do so. As soon as a pepper is picked, it begins to decompose.

I really should take data on how long these things take to ripen. I feel like the latter pods ripen more quickly, but until I actually count the days, I'm just guessing...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top