Brazilian Red Hots

To keep this spicy plant looking its best and producing plenty of fiery fruits, provide consistent moisture in the growing season, usually about once a week depending on the climate. As the winter and resting season rolls around, cut water back to about every 9-15 days as needed. Thoroughly soak the soil after periods of dryness.

A three foot tall Brazilian Red Hots has the perfect height to sit on your kitchen or dining room windowsill. During the growing season, 6-8 hours of direct sunlight and bright, indirect, natural light for the remainder of the day will be best. During the winter and resting period, they can easily sit in a corner with minimal light.

Brazilian Red Hots prefer a temperate climate with temperatures between 70-90°F (21-32°C). Anything colder than 60°F (16°C) risks stalling growth, and temperatures over 90°F (32°C) will give it a nasty sunburn. To ensure consistent temperatures, always keep in doors for the best results.

These plants thrive in medium to slightly high levels of humidity, so be sure to mist the plant during the growing season and keep the leaves regularly cleaned with a damp cloth or paper towel. Use a humidifier or place nearby a bowl of water during the winter and resting period.

A well-draining and nutrient rich soil is key to keep your Brazilian Red Hots happy. A blend of potting soil, perlite, and coco coir works well for cayenne peppers, and can be amended with compost for extra nutrients.

To keep your Brazilian Red Hots fruit-bearers, regular fertilization is necessary. Once a month during the growing season, use a nitrogen-rich liquid fertilizer diluted to half strength and applied directly to the soil. During the winter resting period, forgo all fertilizer.

Unfortunately, pests love fiery peppers. Aphids will be the main culprit for an infestation, and can be spotted as small green and yellow, slow moving colonies on the base and undersides of leaves along with sticky 'honeydew' secretions. Spider mites may also find their way to the cayenne peppers in the warmer months. Treatment against aphids can be made with insecticidal soap or neem oil, while horticulture oils can be used to keep spider mites at bay.

Your Brazilian Red Hots will usually be happy to stay in the same pot for two to three years, or until the soil starts looking compact and drained. At this point, when new growth begins to slow, it's time to repot. Picking a pot one size larger should be enough, and use fresh, nutrient rich potting mix.

Brazilian Red Hots inherently have a bushy shape, but to aid their overall structure and fruits production benefit from some light pruning and shaping. Cut back more long branches to give it a better form while promoting new growth coming out near the base of the plant, and to make harvesting easier.

The summer heat can easily cause Brazilian Red Hots to become wilted and over-heated. A few centimeters of mulch or organic material in the pot will help retain moisture and prevent humidity levels from dropping.

Brazilian Red Hots are extremely easy to propagate. Cuttings can be taken in the spring, with every stem successfully rooted given a minimum of 4-5 leaves. After 4-6 weeks of available light, the cuttings will have grown and in about 2 months can be transplanted into individual pots with fresh, nutrient-filled soil.

The bushy habit and lack of central stem should keep this fiery pepper self-standing, but trellising or staking may be necessary in times of robust growth and high fruits production.

Just like most peppers, Brazilian Red Hots will naturally enter a resting period when temperatures average 60°F (16°C) and below. During the winter months, growth will virtually come to a standstill and therefore much less energy or water is necessary.

No, Brazilian Red Hots are not toxic to pets.