When to Pick Serrano Peppers? – The best time to Harvest them! 

Have you grown serrano peppers in your home garden? Do you know how to pick them? If yes, that’s great. But if you’re not familiar with the process, stay connected, and you’ll learn all about it.

For plant lovers, it’s crucial to understand when, how, and how much to water them to achieve optimal production. Additionally, for maintenance and proper utilization, keep scrolling.

In this guide, I’ve detailed all the methods I’ve used to harvest serrano peppers, including the best time to do so, ensuring you get the desired spicy results. What more could you ask for?

Quick takeaways:

• It originated from the Mexican states of Puebla and Hidalgo.
• This crop is grown in almost every gardener’s area in the United States.
• You just need to know the right time to pick serrano peppers.
• It is suggested to pick serrano peppers when they attain green color as it shows that they are becoming mature.

What Are Serranos?

Serrano peppers are chili peppers that belong to the capsicum genus. People call serranos peppers but it is not true, they are the chilies. Serranos are one of the famous crops to be grown in the garden.

These chilies are green in color and give a spicier taste. They attain a height of about 3-4 as long as chili peppers. People eat them when they become green in color. 

Common Name	Serrano pepper
Botanical Name	Capsicum annuum ‘Serrano’
Family	Solanaceae
Plant Type	Perennial, vegetable
Size	2–3 ft. tall, 1.5 ft. wide
Sun Exposure	Full sun
Soil Type	Loamy, moist, well-drained
Soil pH	Mildly acidic, neutral (6.0 to 7)
Bloom Time	Summer, Fall
Hardiness Zones	9–12 (USDA)
Native Areas	Central America

When To Pick Serrano Peppers? 

Growing serrano peppers is good, but you need to know when you have to pick them. If you know when to pick them, then it’s great but if not, no worries! We will make you understand. These peppers will start to develop in green color. They will attain a length of 3-4 inches. Guys, you can eat the yummy chilies any time when you want to in their growing season. 

With the growing change in the peppers, serranos will change their color too, from green to red then brown, orange, etc. After this stage, the peppers will start to fall from the plant and some of them might get destroyed. So it is recommended to pick the serrano peppers when they are green in color or when they tend to change color. 

When you easily pull them when they grow at their best or when they are ready. You can get their long-lasting effect and get their light sweet taste. 

What is the best time to harvest the Serrano peppers? 

If you plant your serrano peppers in the right way, then they will be prepared to harvest in around 80 days. Their harvesting time will vary depending on their style. You have to wait so that they can attain their mature size and then it will give you the flavor. 

You are suggested to harvest the serrano peppers when they become green in color, at that time, they will be more productive. You can cut them with the help of shears.

Make sure not to pull them as it will injure the stem. Moreover, you can wear any gloves and pull them. Then for future use or storage, you can put them in the freezer. They will be better there. 

How can you care for the serrano peppers? 

Caring for any plant just like the Woodland Phlox plant is very important as they won’t give you the results if you don’t maintain them. So, below are the caring tips for the serrano peppers: 

1. Sunlight needs 

They tend to grow in the place where they receive full sun for their growth. You can provide them with 6 hours of sunlight in a day. 

2. Water needs 

You have to water your plant when the soil gets dry about 1-2 inches deep down.

Try not to overwater the plants. You can water the bottom of the plants as it will help them in preventing diseases. 

3. Fertilizer needs 

Serrano peppers need heavy fertilizers for their growing and production. You have to provide them with a balanced vegetable fertilizer at the time of planting them. 

4. Soil needs 

Serrano peppers will grow the best in organic soil and well-drained soil. So, provide them so that they can grow at their best. 

Types of Serrano Peppers:

The following are some different varieties of serrano peppers that have their own specification and quality:

‘Serrano Del Sol’:

They used to have large peppers and are known for their notoriously prolific.  

‘Serrano Purple’:

These are varieties that get mature to a purple color which is longer than other varieties.

‘Serrano Tampiqueno’:

These peppers come under hot and flavorful types which are used to grow in a distinctive club shape.

Serrano Peppers vs. Jalapeno Peppers:

The Serrano Peppers and Jalapeno Peppers do belong to the same species and look mostly the same in appearance and flavor which may get you confused. The serranos pepper does have a higher heat rate as compared to jalapeno peppers which rate between 10,000 to 23,000 Scoville units for heat. 

Ways to Plant Serrano Peppers:

Capsaicin is the substance present in peppers which are responsible for the heat that is produced by peppers. The following are some steps for planting serrano peppers:

Secure growing conditions:

To grow serrano pepper seeds you need to fulfill all the growing requirements such as:

• They need rich, loamy soil, full sun, and ample space to grow. 
• You need to provide water to the seeds to maintain the soil moisture.
• Must put the seeds in a well-draining pot.

Enrich the soil:

• You need to meet nutrient requirements so that the seeds germinate.
• The seeds need to be grown in organic matter or you can add fertilizers to condition the soil. 

Plant after the last frost:

• The perfect time for planting the seeds is overcast but that should be a dry day.
• The seeds need to be sowed during warmer weather.

Choose a sunny spot:

• The place to pot should be in a way that the seeds get direct sun.
• The plants will grow best if you provide them at least 6 hours of full sunlight per day.

Space out accordingly:

• In the case of the serrano plant per plant is able to hold fifty pepper pods so you need to give the space about food and a half so that they grow best.
• You need to water the seeds thoroughly after sowing them.

Concluding lines 

In this guide, you come to know about serrano peppers. Serrano peppers are chili peppers that belong to the capsicum genus. People call serranos peppers but it is not true, they are the chilies. Serranos are one of the famous crops to be grown in the garden.  I hope you are clear with the information about when you have to pick and harvest them.

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