Tabasco Pepper Plant

Tabasco Peppers are the variety of hot Peppers used in the world-famous Tabasco® Hot Sauce recipe. These medium-spicy peppers are ten times hotter than a jalapeno and retain a fruity flavor. The bright red fruit grows up to 2 inches long with a distinctive thin shape, growing straight above the foliage, making it easy to harvest. Tabasco Peppers have a Scoville rating between 30,000 and 50,000 units and are hot at all stages of ripeness, from green to yellow.

Tabasco Pepper Plant Care  

Peppers can be grown in the ground or containers equally well. Plant peppers after the nighttime temperatures reach 50 degrees F. Well-draining soil with an average texture is perfect. Amend soil with 1-2 inches of organic compost or a granular, slow-release fertilizer formulated for tomatoes. Water pepper plants sparingly but consistently. Allow the top 2-3 inches of soil to dry between sessions. Space Tabasco plants 16 inches apart to allow good air circulation. No pinching or deadheading is needed for these naturally branching plants. Temperatures above 95 F will slow the development of fruit and ripening. 

Growing Tabasco Pepper Plant

Tabasco Pepper is a late-season fruit that matures 80 days after transplanting. The plants are incredibly productive and develop fruit until the first frost. Peppers can be brought indoors or into a frost-free greenhouse to extend the fruiting season into the fall. As the light levels fade in the winter, peppers will stop producing flowers for 2-3 months.

Tabasco Peppers reach a mature height of 24 inches with a spread of 15-18 inches. Pots need at least a 1-gallon capacity and a diameter of 8 inches to house peppers all season. Containers need excellent drainage and soil-based potting mix. Tabasco is considered a perennial plant in USDA growing zones 9-12. Repot your plant each spring if growing it as a perennial.

Watering Tabasco Pepper Plant

Tabasco Pepper appreciates consistently moist soil that dries slightly between waterings. Allow for 1 inch of water per week from supplemental watering or natural rain. Water once weekly when the top 2-3 inches of soil are dry.

Feeding Tabasco Pepper Plant

Fertilize plants every two weeks with a diluted liquid seaweed or fish emulsion. Stop fertilizing when the fruit begins to form.

Tabasco Pepper Plant Information