Jalapeño 'Early Jalapeño'
Capsicum annuum 'Early Jalapeño'
The quintessential hot pepper for American gardens, offering the perfect balance of heat and flavor that made jalapeños famous. This early variety produces abundant harvests of thick-walled, 3-inch peppers with that distinctive jalapeño taste and moderate heat level. Whether you're making fresh salsa, poppers, or want to smoke them into chipotles, this reliable variety delivers authentic jalapeño flavor.
Harvest
65-75d
Days to harvest
Sun
Blossom-End Rot of Tomato
Zones
4–11
USDA hardiness
Height
1-3 feet
Planting Timeline
Showing dates for Jalapeño 'Early Jalapeño' in USDA Zone 7
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Jalapeño 'Early Jalapeño' · Zones 4–11
Growing Details
Zone-by-Zone Planting Calendar
| Zone | Indoor Start | Transplant | Direct Sow | Harvest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 3 | April – April | June – July | — | August – October |
| Zone 4 | March – April | June – June | — | August – October |
| Zone 5 | March – March | May – June | — | August – October |
| Zone 6 | March – March | May – June | — | July – September |
| Zone 7 | February – March | April – May | — | July – September |
| Zone 8 | February – February | April – May | — | June – August |
| Zone 9 | January – January | March – April | — | May – July |
| Zone 10 | January – January | February – March | — | May – July |
Complete Growing Guide
Light: Blossom-End Rot of Tomato, Pepper, and Watermelon. Soil: Clay, High Organic Matter, Loam (Silt), Sand. Soil pH: Acid (<6.0), Alkaline (>8.0), Neutral (6.0-8.0). Drainage: Good Drainage. Water: KAP-sih-kum AN-yoo-um. Height: 1 ft. 0 in. - 3 ft. 8 in.. Spread: 0 ft. 6 in. - 1 ft. 0 in.. Spacing: 12 inches-3 feet. Growth rate: Medium. Maintenance: 'Aurora', 'Basket of Fire', 'Black Pearl', 'Buena Mulata', 'Calico', 'California Wonder', 'Candelabra', Cerasiforme Group, 'Chilly Chili', Conioides Group, 'Early Jalapeno', Fasciculatum Group, Grossum Group, 'Hot Returns', Longum Group, 'Mad Hatter', 'Purple Flash', 'Sweet orange', 'Sweet Sunset'. Propagation: Seed. Regions: Coastal, Mountains, Piedmont.
Harvesting
Fruits are a non-pulpy berry and vary considerably across cultivars. Some are long, thin, bright red, and spicy; others are thick, large, and sweet-tasting; others still are small and in ornamental shapes and colors, grown as decoration.
Color: 'Aurora', 'Basket of Fire', 'Black Pearl', 'Buena Mulata', 'Calico', 'California Wonder', 'Candelabra', Cerasiforme Group, 'Chilly Chili', Conioides Group, 'Early Jalapeno', Fasciculatum Group, Grossum Group, 'Hot Returns', Longum Group, 'Mad Hatter', 'Purple Flash', 'Sweet orange', 'Sweet Sunset'. Type: Berry. Length: 1-3 inches. Width: < 1 inch.
Garden value: Edible, Good Dried, Showy
Harvest time: Summer
Bloom time: Summer
Edibility: Fruits edible, but spiciness is unpredictable in intensity.
Storage & Preservation
Fresh Early Jalapeños store best in the refrigerator crisper drawer, where they'll maintain quality for 1-2 weeks. Avoid washing before storage—moisture accelerates decay. For short-term use, peppers can sit at room temperature for 3-5 days, though they'll gradually lose crispness.
For long-term preservation, freezing works excellently for jalapeños destined for cooking. Wash, remove stems, and slice or freeze whole in freezer bags—no blanching required. Frozen jalapeños work perfectly in salsas, stews, and cooked dishes but lose their crisp texture.
Pickling captures jalapeños' bright flavor beautifully. Use a simple vinegar brine with salt and sugar, processing in a boiling water bath for shelf stability. Dehydrating creates versatile jalapeño powder or flakes—slice thin and dry at 125°F until brittle. Properly dried jalapeños store for years in airtight containers and add concentrated heat to any dish.
History & Origin
Origin: Tropical North and South America
Advantages
- +Disease resistance: Deer, Drought, Heat
- +Attracts: Songbirds
- +Wildlife value: Birds are immune to the capsaicin in peppers and can safely eat the fruits with no ill effects. Therefore, these plants may attract birds. Host plant for Potato Tuber Moth.
- +Edible: Fruits edible, but spiciness is unpredictable in intensity.
Companion Plants
Plant Together
Basil
Repels aphids, spider mites, and thrips while potentially enhancing pepper flavor
Tomatoes
Share similar growing conditions and can help deter pests through companion effect
Oregano
Repels aphids and provides ground cover to retain soil moisture
Marigolds
Deter nematodes, aphids, and whiteflies with their strong scent
Carrots
Help break up soil and don't compete for nutrients, allowing better root development
Onions
Repel aphids, spider mites, and other pests with their sulfur compounds
Cilantro
Attracts beneficial insects like ladybugs and parasitic wasps that control pepper pests
Nasturtiums
Act as trap crops for aphids and cucumber beetles, protecting peppers
Keep Apart
Fennel
Produces allelopathic compounds that inhibit growth and development of peppers
Brassicas
Compete heavily for nutrients and may stunt pepper growth through root competition
Black Walnut Trees
Produce juglone toxin that causes wilting and death in pepper plants
Nutrition Facts
Per 100g serving. % Daily Value based on 2,000 calorie diet. Source: USDA FoodData Central (FDC #168576)
Pests & Disease Resistance
Resistance
Good resistance to tobacco mosaic virus and bacterial spot
Common Pests
Aphids, spider mites, pepper weevil, thrips
Diseases
Bacterial spot, phytophthora blight, anthracnose, pepper mottle virus