Days to Maturity: 90
An organic habanero pepper, Magnum is a fruit vegetable. The plant sets small, star-shaped "perfect" flowers, followed by uniform, 1- to 2-inch, bright orange fruits. These Mexican chilies are extremely hot, rating 210,000 units on the Scoville scale. Use fresh or dried and ground as a spice. Hot peppers are a good source of vitamin C.
Typically grown as an annual, this herbaceous, frost-tender, short-lived evergreen perennial is a member of the nightshade family (Solanaceae). A classic type, similar to a Scotch bonnet, Magnum grows rapidly, forming a compact, well-branched plant with ovate, smooth-margined, dark green leaves. It produces heavy yields all season.
Magnum Organic Habanero Pepper is easy to grow from seed. It prefers full sun and fertile, organically rich, moist, well-drained soil but is adaptable to a wide range of soils. It is a low maintenance plant, but pinching back young plants encourages bushiness. Magnum, like all capsicums, is deer resistant and heat and drought tolerant, but it is also remarkably tolerant of cool conditions.
A warm-season vegetable, sensitive to cold temperatures and frost, habanero pepper seeds can be direct sown into warm spring soil after all threat of frost has passed. For an earlier harvest, seeds can be started indoors 6 to 8 weeks before transplanting. Flowers begin to set fruit with night temperatures between 55 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit. Protect plants with row covers if temperatures are expected to dip below 50 degrees F. Mulching helps to moderate soil temperature as well as to maintain soil moisture and control weeds.
If you plan to start your seeds indoors, be sure to check out our Bio Dome Seed Starter Kit. With the Bio Dome, you can control the temperature, light, and soil mix to ensure your seeds become strong for transplant.
