Jalapeño M Pepper Seeds

Days to Maturity: 73

This is the pungent little dark green pepper found in rings atop nachos and chopped in Mexican sauces—both sweet and hot, with an addictive flavor that has made it one of the most popular seasonings in American dishes.

Just 3½ inches long and about 1½ inches wide, these rounded, thick-walled fruits are borne in great numbers on very vigorous 26-inch plants. They are ready to pick when dark green, delivering 4,750 Scovilles of heat.

Start seeds indoors or, in climate with short growing seasons, outdoors at least one week after last frost. If starting indoors, allow 7 to 10 weeks for the seeds to mature into seedlings large enough to transplant safely. Fertilize when the blooms appear, and water well. Fruit is most nutritious if allowed to ripen on the plant.