Description

• The Firecracker pepper plant spreads multiple branches up to 3 feet tall and almost as wide. The dark-green leaves produce flowers along the stem's sides. Originally a tropical-to-semitropical member of the nightshade family, start peppers indoors about eight to 10 weeks before the last winter frost. They prefer temperatures in excess of 70 degrees. Plant the seeds in well-draining soil 14 to 18 inches apart in rows 14 to 18 inches apart. Peppers need good air circulation and moist earth.
  
  

Ripening

• Firecracker peppers grow quickly when planted. The plant is covered with dozens of bright purple blossoms within 70 to 75 days. Once the blossoms set, small, purple, 1-inch chilies appear along the sides of the stems. The 1- to 2-inch fruits pack a spicy wallop. They start out a deep-purple color and slowly mature to orange and then a brilliant red. Eat them at any stage, but they become more nutritious as they mature. One of the larger, mature Firecracker peppers can provide an entire day's worth of vitamin C for an adult.
  
  

Flavor

• As the peppers mature, they become steadily more flavorful, sweeter and hotter. A fully mature red Firecracker pepper is actually sweeter than the orange or purple ones, but it contains a higher concentration of capsaicin, the chemical compound in peppers that makes them hot. You may not notice that the mature pepper is sweeter with your tongue burning. Their not called them "Firecrackers" without reason. At the purple-and-orange stage, the pepper is less sweet, but it's also not as hot.
  
  

Care

• For the best results with your Firecracker peppers, fertilize them transplanting the seedlings with a tomato or pepper-specific fertilizer, something low in nitrogen. Most peppers hate commercial fertilizer, but Firecrackers do well with a light monthly application. Water the plants deeply, so the roots grow down into the soil rather than spreading outward and remaining shallow. The soil should be moist, but never soggy. Avoid leaving puddles behind.
  
  

Harvesting

• Cutting peppers from the plant with a knife or sharp scissors prevents damaging the plant. It's always a good idea to wear gloves since the capsaicin oils can get onto your hands and may be difficult to completely wash away. Touching soft tissue like eyes and lips is painful if you have pepper oils on your hands.