Pepper Seeds - Sweet - Red Cherry Sweet
85 Days to maturity (from transplant). Capsicum annuum. Red Cherry Sweet Pepper Seeds. Non-GMO, annual, open-pollinated, heirloom, high-yielding, drought tolerant, sweet pepper with mild heat levels. 0 to 100 Scoville Heat Units. Suitable for growing in containers, garden plots, raised beds, and greenhouses. These pepper bushes produce rounded oblate fruits that are 1-1.5 inches in diameter. Cherry peppers start green and turn red as they mature. The red cherry sweet pepper variety continually produces sweet fruit. This is a great variety to grow at home when space is an issue. ~6,800 seeds/oz.
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Growing Red Cherry Sweet Peppers in the Vegetable Garden
To start the germination process, you'll need a seed-starting tray or small pots, and a seed-starting mix, which is a light, nutrient-rich soil designed for sprouting seeds. Fill your trays or pots with the mix, plant the seeds about a quarter-inch deep, and gently water them. Keep the soil consistently moist but not waterlogged. Peppers love warmth, so place the tray in a warm spot or use a heat mat to maintain a soil temperature around 70°F (21°C). With the right conditions, your seeds should sprout in 1-3 weeks.
Once your pepper seeds have sprouted, they'll need plenty of light to grow strong. If you’re growing them indoors, position your seedlings by a sunny window or use a grow light, ensuring they receive at least 8-10 hours of light each day. Keep the soil moist and maintain a comfortable room temperature. As your seedlings grow, you will notice the first set of leaves (cotyledons) giving way to true leaves. This is a sign your plants are developing properly.
Before moving your plants outdoors, they need to be acclimated to their new environment, a process known as "hardening off." This involves gradually exposing the seedlings to outdoor conditions over a week. Start by placing them outside in a shaded, sheltered area for a few hours each day, slowly increasing their time outdoors. This helps prevent transplant shock, which can occur if plants are moved directly from a controlled indoor environment to the outdoor elements.
Once your seedlings are hardened off and the danger of frost has passed, it’s time to transplant them into the garden. Choose a sunny spot with well-draining soil. Space the plants about 18-24 inches apart to give them room to grow. Dig a hole for each plant, gently remove it from its pot, and place it in the hole, covering the roots with soil. Water them well after planting to help settle the soil around the roots.
After transplanting, continue watering your pepper plants regularly, keeping the soil moist but not soggy. Mulching around the plants can help retain soil moisture and suppress weeds. As your peppers grow, they may need support to stay upright, especially as they begin to bear fruit. Stake the plants or use cages to provide support. You may also want to apply a balanced, slow-release fertilizer to encourage healthy growth and fruit production.
Harvesting Red Cherry Sweet Peppers
These peppers will be ready to harvest around 85 days after transplantation. They are best harvested when red but can finish ripening indoors if necessary. Use shears or a knife to remove the peppers from the plant carefully. Store them in the refrigerator for up to two weeks to avoid over-ripening before eating or processing.
About Red Cherry Sweet Pepper Garden Seeds
Red Cherry Sweet peppers are a high-yielding, heirloom variety dating back to 1860. They are perfect for growing in smaller spaces. The rounded fruits resemble the shape of a cherry and are 1-1.5 inches wide. They come on green and turn red as they finish maturing.
Transplant red cherry sweet pepper after the threat of frost is over. Growing about 3 feet tall and wide, cherry peppers are relatively low maintenance. They will begin to flower, and their flowers will eventually produce peppers the size of cherries. Considered everbearing by most gardeners, there is no shortage of pepper production while this plant is in season.
Red Cherry Sweet Peppers are delicious fresh or pickled. Fresh cherry peppers are delicious when sliced onto pizzas, in salads, or as a crisp snack. Pickled cherry peppers are excellent on sandwiches, hoagies, or a part of the charcuterie board. Try stuffing red cherry sweet peppers with cheese and placing them on a smoker. This variety of peppers can also be frozen.
Red cherry sweet peppers are loaded with vitamin C, and this is a great nutrient that helps boost the immune system. It also has a small amount of capsaicin, a nutrient with anti-inflammatory properties for the body.
Tips From Our Gardeners
"Peppers can be planted near chives, marigolds, garlic, and squash as companion plants. Biodiversity is critical for pest prevention."
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- Lara Wadsworth, True Leaf Market Writer |
Other Resources
Red Cherry Sweet Pepper Seeds Per Package:
- 500 mg - Packet - Approximately 120 Seeds
- .25 oz - Wholesale - Approximately 1,700 Seeds
- 1 oz - Bulk Seeds - Approximately 6,800 Seeds
- 4 oz - Bulk Seeds - Approximately 27,000 Seeds
- 1 lb - Bulk Seeds - Approximately 108,000 Seeds
- 5 lb - Bulk Seeds - Approximately 544,000 Seeds
Non-GMO Red Cherry Sweet Pepper seeds are available for Fast Free Shipping on qualifying orders.
Basic Info
| Latin Name: | Capsicum annuum |
| Pepper Type: | Sweet - These peppers (think Bell Peppers) are almost all at 0 on the Scoville Scale, meaning that they have no heat at all. A handful of sweet peppers do register very low on the Scoville scale but are still classed as sweet peppers. For example, Pepperoncinis are sweet peppers but usually rank around 100 to 500 on the Scoville Scale. |
| Red Cherry Sweet Pepper Color: | Red |
| Red Cherry Sweet Pepper Flavor: | Sweet |
Growing Info
| Hardiness Zone: | 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 Technically a tender perennial, but commonly grown as an annual. Perennial in zones 10 and 11. |
| Days to Maturity: | 85 (from transplant) |
| Days to Germination: | 7-10 |
| Seeding Depth: | 0.25 inch |
| Plant Spacing: | 12-18 inches |
| Row Spacing: | 24-36 inches |
| Plant Height: | 18-24 inches |
| Growth Habit: | Upright |
| Soil Preference: | Well-draining, loose (sandy loam), slightly acidic (6.5 pH), and moisture retaining. Too much nitrogen in the soil may lead to more foliage production and less fruiting, similar to tomatoes. Peppers also need sufficient amounts of phosphorus and calcium. We recommend using a balanced fertilizer for the best results. |
| Temperature Preference: | Warmer (70-85 F). During high heat, foliar and flower development slow or pause until temperatures return to the preferred range. |
| Light Preference: | Full Sun |
Other
| Direct Sow: | No |
| Start Indoors: | Yes. Start Indoors 6-8 weeks before your last spring frost date. Harden off and transplant when seedlings are 6-8 inches tall. Bury the stem slightly deeper than the root ball. Avoid planting hot and sweet peppers right next to each other, as they can cross-pollinate, potentially affecting the flavors of your harvested peppers. |
| Pepper Pollination: | Peppers have perfect flowers (male and female parts) and will self-pollinate. However, wind and pollinator activity may increase success rates of fertilization and fruit production. |
| Plant Width: | 12-18 inches |
| Deer Resistant: | No |
| Scoville Heat Units: | 0 to 100 |
| Heat Level: | Mild - 100 to 2,500 on the Scoville Scale. Example: Poblano Ancho or Pepperoncini |
| Growth Speed: | Mid - Ready for harvest around 76 to 90 days from transplant. |
| Germination Temperature: | 80-90 F |
| Pests and Diseases: | Peppers are commonly susceptible to cutworms, aphids, flea beetles, bacterial spot, Phytophthora, sunscald, and blossom end rot. To avoid or reduce problems with pests and diseases, stick to a regular watering schedule (drip irrigation is preferred), plant into well-draining soils, and utilize practices such as crop rotation. When taking pest control measures, consider utilizing integrated pest management principles by using mechanical removal, biological control, and other cultural practices before turning to chemical agents. |
| Garden Size: | Container, Greenhouse, Garden Plot, Raised Bed |
| Pepper Use: | Salads, fresh, slicing, pickling |
| Climate Tolerance: | Drought Tolerant |