Shishito Peppers – How To Plant From Seed – How To Grow And Care – How To Harvest – How To Harvest – What To Use It For – Pepper Containers – Summary – FAQ
As most people starting out with gardening they begin with easier plants such as basil or rosemary, or perhaps house plants like monstera. But after that most people might want something a little bit more challenging and also larger.
The pepper plant family is great for beginners to explore since most of the plants grow very well in almost any environment and will also be able to produce quite a lot of harvest.
What Is Shishito Peppers
The shishito pepper plant is a Japanese variety that has a nice spiciness to it without being overwhelming. It’s a great option for beginners since it doesn’t need too much effort to get a good amount of harvest. Just making sure the soil is rich in nutrients and the plant gets a lot of sun is more or less all the work needed.
Shishito peppers are bright red when they are ripe but wont have that shiny exterior as other varieties like the thai pepper. Instead the skin of the pepper will be slightly wrinkly, but the concentration of flavor will be great nonetheless.
How To Plant A Shishito Pepper Seed
Growing a shishito pepper plant starts with first planting a seed. We begin by preparing a small container with some good and healthy soil. Using a small dose of fertilizer is great here to really boost the growth quickly and get off to a good start.
Place the seed in the top of the soil and place some soil over it. We don’t need to dig the seed down too deep as it will just make the germination process take longer. Lightly water the surface of the soil and place these containers in a warm and sunny spot. It’s important to note that in each container there should really only be one seed to help avoid competition between the plants.
After about 2 months they should be ready to be transplanted into a new and larger container. At this point they might be about 6 – 8 inches tall.
How To Grow And Care For A Shishito Pepper Seedling
Once you have your seedlings of the shishito pepper they are ready to be transplanted into a new and larger container where they will remain for the rest of its lifespan.
Make a hole in the soil and place the plant in there. Take the soil and pat down around the seedling and make sure it’s stable. The last thing we want is the plant falling over and breaking the stem or something.
Keep the soil slightly damp all the time in order to help the roots grow quickly. You can fertilize the soil about every other month or so to help boost the nutritional value of it. This helps benefit the plant greatly and you might even get a few more peppers growing because of it.
Once the plant begins to develop peppers it’s important that it also gets a good amount of sunlight all the time, otherwise you might not have them ripen fully by the end of it. That would result in peppers which have a slight bitterness to them.
How To Harvest Shishito Peppers
Harvesting the shishito peppers is really simple. It’s our favorite part about growing this plant. They aren’t that large but pack quite the punch in terms of spiciness and flavor.
They will be fully ripened when the color is bright red and the skin is slightly dry and wrinkled. That’s when they have gotten all of their flavors developed and are ready to be harvested. They really are great to dry and use in stir frys or in chili oils.
What Can You Use The Plant For
There are a number of different applications you can use the shishito peppers for. Some of our favorite methods of extracting the most flavor of the peppers is by making chili oil. The peppers are normally a little bit dried up when they are ripe, meaning they are perfect for making chili oil.
Warm some oil and then pour over the chopped shishito peppers. Leave that to infuse overnight and you will have a really strong and flavourful oil to use in stir fries or perhaps as a dip for dumplings.
Growing Peppers In Containers
Growing peppers in containers is definitely possible, but eventually you will want to upgrade into larger pots. Having seedlings growing in containers is a great way of cultivating a large amount of them at the same time. But the growth will slow down if the plant does not have space to expand its root system.
Summary
The shishito pepper plant is perhaps not the most common variety out there but is despite that worth explosting. It packs quite the punch in terms of flavor and spiciness. It likes a place with lots of sunlight and warmth, but also a soil rich in nutrients.
FAQ
How Long Do Shishito Peppers Take To Grow
Starting to harvest the shishito pepper will take about 5 months or so. That timeline accounts for the plant having the best possible environment to grow in and also a soil which gets fertilized every now and again.
How Many Peppers Does A Shishito Plant Yield
You can expect about 30 peppers or so at least from one plant of shishito. But you might get more too if you treat the plant well. Might seem low but we struggle to get through that amount in a year since the peppers are quite spicy.
Can Shishito Peppers Be Grown Indoors
The shishito pepper plant can definitely be grown indoors since it’s a relatively small plant. We like to keep it in a window in a large pot where it can really indulge in the sunlight and prosper.
