New year, new (to me) varieties. Opinions on these?
New year, new (to me) varieties. Opinions on these?
by fishlore123
17 Comments
fishlore123
Not pictured: MOA scotch bonnet
Sudden_Marketing_976
I’ll have a go: 1. Good and tasty treat! 2. Good and tasty and nice heat too. 3. My favorite Jalapeño. Hot and delicious. 4. Can’t go wrong with the MOA for a great Bonnet! Happy growing for 2026!
Leading_Impress_350
That’s great choices! All will make good sauce and powders! Enjoy
Pretend_Order1217
The Zapotec jalapeños are a great choice, but let them get ripe and red. Lemon Starburst is also a great pepper, but significantly hotter.
ZestyPubis
My experience growing these in zone 7a:
Charapita never ripens in time. Grows into a 3ft x 3ft bush with 1000 green peppers and a handful of orange. Tastes great. Packs some heat. Our early 100+ degree summer is tough on them and delays fruit set, they can’t catch up before freezing temps set in.
Lemon Starrburst produced really well. Tastes good fresh with habanero level heat which is perfect. Vibrant yellow really stands out. Thicker walls compared to other similarly shaped peppers such as Jamaican mushroom. Definitely growing again and will be picking up the other red + orange varieties. Fermented and made a tasty hot sauce.
Zapotec – these plants were quite small and so were the peppers. Spicier than regular jalapeno, but I prefer growing NuMex Lemon/Orange Spice for bigger jalapenos with higher spice level.
miguel-122
I’ve grown aji charapita. Good flavor and a little hot, i want to grow more of those. Short bushy plants. The first months, they grow slow, so start seeds early if your grow season is short.
FznCheese
Can’t comment on any past history with those but wanted to say I’ve got a similar selection in mind for 2026. It’s my 2nd year growing and last year I had way too many super hots. It was hard to find a use for them. My goal this year is to target growing more peppers in the mid range between jalapeno and habanero heat level.
KSLS is a lock for me this year. Also planning to do some basics like jalapeno, cayenne, and scotch bonnet. The last new one will be some sort of aji lemon like pepper (still trying to nail this one down). Then rounding it out with my 3 favorites from last year: chocolate jalapeno reaper hybrid, ghost jalapeno hybrid, and Peppapeach stripey.
always-be-here
Aji charapita is one of my favorite hot peppers. They’re super fussy to start, and hate water. Do not grow hydroponically, they will suffer. The year I got the most fruit was the year I had a pronounced, severe drought and 10+ degrees hotter temps in the fall than normal. They’re fine with lower light as long as it’s hot and dry. Start early, by the end of January, allow them a ton of time to get big inside, under-water compared to your other peppers, and you’ll have a billion tasty ball bearings by August.
Embarrassed-Part-805
I know I may sound off base here because jalapeños aren’t hot . But I got some Jedi jalapeños and I’m here in Vegas . It’s freezing tonight but they are still putting out peppers and they are amazing . I got them from johnnys seeds and they are incredible pants . Have had problems w peppers in our high heat and low humidity but these things are amazing ! Recommended!
CoffeeAndCandle
Ajis are good. I grew them a couple years ago.
I just struggled to actually use them in anything because of their weird spice/flavor/flesh ratio.
rupicolous
I aim for larger fruited and more colorful selections. Also, those prices are a bit too high for me unless it’s a variety I must have from only one seller. For a starter aji, I’d recommend Aji Limon or similar, as it has special flavor and is extremely prolific. For jals, I like to go big and unique with something like Giant Yellow Jalapeno or NuMex Pumpkin Spice. For Chinese/hab, there are so many great colors available, like peach, mustard, etc. Plus many with beautiful purple leaves and blushing fruit.
ScubaScoop
You may want a heat mat for the Charapitas. They can be difficult/slow to start.
Hyperica
I’m never doing charapita again, I’m too lazy to pick a million tiny little peppers.
Starrburst is a great choice! I always love it when a pepper has a citrusy flavor. Plus they look cute.
I don’t have any experience with that specific jalapeño, but I’m sure it’s fine. I’ve never had a bad jalapeño.
skelli_terps
Aji charapita was a fantastic choice. Get ready for several 45 minute long harvest sesh!!
Critical_Valuable_19
Great choices. Especially KSLS. IMO literally every single pepper lover should be growing them.
lenminh
Good varieties, prices are pretty high though.
Ok-Counter8990
Zapotec jalapenos are REAL jalapenos… not the huge, bland, nasty tasting garbage they sell in stores and off the Sysco truck to chain restaurants the last 5 years or so.
17 Comments
Not pictured: MOA scotch bonnet
I’ll have a go:
1. Good and tasty treat!
2. Good and tasty and nice heat too.
3. My favorite Jalapeño. Hot and delicious.
4. Can’t go wrong with the MOA for a great Bonnet!
Happy growing for 2026!
That’s great choices! All will make good sauce and powders! Enjoy
The Zapotec jalapeños are a great choice, but let them get ripe and red. Lemon Starburst is also a great pepper, but significantly hotter.
My experience growing these in zone 7a:
Charapita never ripens in time. Grows into a 3ft x 3ft bush with 1000 green peppers and a handful of orange. Tastes great. Packs some heat. Our early 100+ degree summer is tough on them and delays fruit set, they can’t catch up before freezing temps set in.
Lemon Starrburst produced really well. Tastes good fresh with habanero level heat which is perfect. Vibrant yellow really stands out. Thicker walls compared to other similarly shaped peppers such as Jamaican mushroom. Definitely growing again and will be picking up the other red + orange varieties. Fermented and made a tasty hot sauce.
Zapotec – these plants were quite small and so were the peppers. Spicier than regular jalapeno, but I prefer growing NuMex Lemon/Orange Spice for bigger jalapenos with higher spice level.
I’ve grown aji charapita. Good flavor and a little hot, i want to grow more of those. Short bushy plants. The first months, they grow slow, so start seeds early if your grow season is short.
Can’t comment on any past history with those but wanted to say I’ve got a similar selection in mind for 2026. It’s my 2nd year growing and last year I had way too many super hots. It was hard to find a use for them. My goal this year is to target growing more peppers in the mid range between jalapeno and habanero heat level.
KSLS is a lock for me this year. Also planning to do some basics like jalapeno, cayenne, and scotch bonnet. The last new one will be some sort of aji lemon like pepper (still trying to nail this one down). Then rounding it out with my 3 favorites from last year: chocolate jalapeno reaper hybrid, ghost jalapeno hybrid, and Peppapeach stripey.
Aji charapita is one of my favorite hot peppers. They’re super fussy to start, and hate water. Do not grow hydroponically, they will suffer. The year I got the most fruit was the year I had a pronounced, severe drought and 10+ degrees hotter temps in the fall than normal. They’re fine with lower light as long as it’s hot and dry. Start early, by the end of January, allow them a ton of time to get big inside, under-water compared to your other peppers, and you’ll have a billion tasty ball bearings by August.
I know I may sound off base here because jalapeños aren’t hot . But I got some Jedi jalapeños and I’m here in Vegas . It’s freezing tonight but they are still putting out peppers and they are amazing . I got them from johnnys seeds and they are incredible pants . Have had problems w peppers in our high heat and low humidity but these things are amazing ! Recommended!
Ajis are good. I grew them a couple years ago.
I just struggled to actually use them in anything because of their weird spice/flavor/flesh ratio.
I aim for larger fruited and more colorful selections. Also, those prices are a bit too high for me unless it’s a variety I must have from only one seller. For a starter aji, I’d recommend Aji Limon or similar, as it has special flavor and is extremely prolific. For jals, I like to go big and unique with something like Giant Yellow Jalapeno or NuMex Pumpkin Spice. For Chinese/hab, there are so many great colors available, like peach, mustard, etc. Plus many with beautiful purple leaves and blushing fruit.
You may want a heat mat for the Charapitas. They can be difficult/slow to start.
I’m never doing charapita again, I’m too lazy to pick a million tiny little peppers.
Starrburst is a great choice! I always love it when a pepper has a citrusy flavor. Plus they look cute.
I don’t have any experience with that specific jalapeño, but I’m sure it’s fine. I’ve never had a bad jalapeño.
Aji charapita was a fantastic choice. Get ready for several 45 minute long harvest sesh!!
Great choices. Especially KSLS. IMO literally every single pepper lover should be growing them.
Good varieties, prices are pretty high though.
Zapotec jalapenos are REAL jalapenos… not the huge, bland, nasty tasting garbage they sell in stores and off the Sysco truck to chain restaurants the last 5 years or so.