Serrano chile peppers are small, finger-shaped peppers you can pick at the green stage while they’re still on the mild side, or wait until they mature fully with peak flavor and a Scoville rating of 10,000 SHU or more. Expect to harvest dozens of fruits per plant. With their medium-thin walls, serrano peppers are great for drying.

Scoville scale rating:

• 10,000 to 25,000 SHU

Sun exposure:

• full sun

Soil pH:

• 6.5 to 7.0

Days to maturity:

• 75 to 90 days after planting out

Spacing:

• 18 inches apart; rows 2 to 3 feet apart

Height and spread:

• 18 to 24 inches tall; 16-inch spread

Moisture:

• 1 inch per week

Notes:

• prefers well-drained soil
• peppers grow to 1 to 2 inches
• good for drying, cooking, and pickling
• unless you live in the Deep South, start your seeds indoors eight to 10 weeks before transplanting, which you should plan for two to three weeks after your expected last frost

Have you ever grown serrano hot peppers? Please tell us about your experiences with serrano peppers.