Capsicum annuum, known under a multitude of names such as bell pepper, paprika, chili or bell pepper, is a perennial herbaceous species whose popular fruit can be found in kitchens around the world. It's great variability in terms of shapes, sizes and colors is what gives it great culinary value in countless recipes. Originally from Mesoamerica, it is estimated that it has been cultivated by man for more than 6,000 years. Today, the world's largest producer of peppers is China, a crop that exceeds global production year after year.
The pepper is one of the most used garden seeds throughout the world, hugely popular in it's many hot, spicy varieties as well as the multitude of sweet varieties. It is often added to salads and other raw dishes such as gazpacho, although we can also find it cooked in thousands of recipes and, of course, in powder form as paprika. They are rich in carbohydrates, vitamins and folic acid, in addition to containing minerals such as potassium, calcium, phosphorus and magnesium, among others.
The pepper likes medium-high temperatures (minimum of 20ºC) with low humidity, and plenty of sunlight -the more, the better. It prefers spongy, well-drained soils with abundant organic matter. Due to these growing requirements, it is widely cultivated in greenhouses, where the more stable conditions with less thermal variation are ideal for its development. They are sown in early spring and are harvested (even the green ones) around 12-14 weeks after germination.
In this section you'll find some of the best varieties of pepper seeds on the market, from the delicious Italian sweet pepper to the spicy Republic pepper or the classic horn pepper... have fun choosing and happy growing!