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Peter Peppers belong to the genus Capsicum, meaning "to bite" from the Greek word kapto. This is in reference to the biting hot taste of these fruits. Not all capsicums are fiery hot some are sweet but, what make them different, are the weird and wonderful shapes they grow into. The Peter Pepper is phallic shaped and somewhat bumpy looking; it really does look like a male member. This makes it popular as a strange gift, and it has such a delicious medium hot taste, that it is also very popular in Cajun dishes, and chili dishes. All of this has made getting Peter Pepper seeds quite difficult, and yet the plants themselves are easy to grow indoors, but tricky to grow in large quantities.
Varieties of Peter Peppers
The way that these plants grow is that they require pollination, and if it is left to insects to do the job, cross-pollination with other varieties can occur and create new strains and hybrids. The main difference in these plants is the color of their fruits, red, yellow green or orange, the color spectrum of all capsicums. However, the novelty and selling point of these peppers is the twisted knobby phallic shape of the peter pepper variety, so be sure to buy a named variety, Capsicum annuum 'Peter Pepper', of Peter Pepper seeds and not just chili seeds or pepper seeds. Certainly when you see Peter Pepper seeds for sale they will be amongst the most expensive prices charged for chili seeds.
Growing Peter Peppers from seed
Whether you buy your seeds or try collecting them from the fruit, they need warmth to germinate and light misting of the growing compost. You can plant them in pots or trays, but do not cover with more than about 5mm of soil. An airing cupboard is a good place to germinate your Peter Pepper seeds, or in your greenhouse, if you have one; keep the temperature between 80 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit. Once they germinate, between 10 and 21 days, and you have stalks with two green leaves, put them on the windowsill as they need light to develop further. Keep misting, the top of the soil needs to be damp not soggy. Transplant them to larger pots as they grow out of each one, and do not put outside until all danger of frost has passed. Once the fruit start to appear, feed your Peter Pepper with a fertilizer that has high Phosphorus content and low Nitrogen content. Your Peter Pepper seeds may have been more expensive than other chili seeds but, the result is a highly amusing plant.
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Author Bio Box: Patricia Wainwright
Get all the facts about seeds and gardening articles at GreenThumbArticles.com!
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