Shishito Chile Pepper Seeds

Organic, Heirloom

#3092

This packet yields approximately 16 plants when started indoors.

(13 reviews)

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The 'Shishito' is finding its way into many restaurants as a popular appetizer. The 2"–4" slender peppers have a citrusy, slightly smoky flavor enhanced by grilling or sautéing, and can be the life of the party when an occasional hot one passes the mouth of the unsuspecting. Highly productive plants. 50–200 Scoville heat units (mild).

$3.49 20 seeds

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Botanical Name: Capsicum annuum

Days to Maturity: 60–75 days from transplanting

Family: Solanaceae

Native: Americas

Hardiness: Frost-sensitive perennial grown as an annual

Plant Dimensions: 24"–36" tall

Variety Information: 2"–4" long, thin, medium green, slightly wrinkled, some curved. Flavor is citrusy and slightly smoky. About 90 percent of shishitos will be mild, but the others will be slightly hot. Scoville heat units for 'Shishito' are 50–200, making the occasional hot pepper quite mild.

When to Sow Outside: For Mild Climates only: 2 to 4 weeks after average last frost, when soil temperature is at least 70°F.

When to Start Inside: RECOMMENDED. 8 to 10 weeks before transplanting. Ideal soil temperature for germination is 70°–90°F. Transplant seedlings outside 2 to 4 weeks after your average last frost date, and when daytime temperatures are at least 70°F, and nighttime temperatures are at least 55°F. Mild Climates: May be sown in late summer for fall/winter crop.

Days to Emerge: 10–25 days

Seed Depth: ¼"

Seed Spacing: Start indoors

Row Spacing: 24"–36"

Thinning: Start indoors, plant seedlings 18"–24" apart outside

Harvesting: Generally harvested when green, at 2"–4" long, but can also be left on the plant to mature to red. When harvesting, take care to avoid touching the interior of any broken peppers, as the capsaicin is an extreme irritant, especially to the eyes. Wash hands thoroughly after harvesting or wear gloves to harvest peppers.

Pepper: Sow and Grow Guide

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Shishito Chile Pepper Seeds Reviews

13 reviews

Shishito peppers

Jul 21, 2018

I've been growing Shishito peppers since I first heard of them five years ago. The seeds from BI had the best germination rate of all other sources I've tried. Plantes are full of peppers, next year I'll only have to plant half as many plants to get the same amout of prppers as before. Botanical Interests, my go to seed source!

Jim Rohling from CO

An amazing pepper

Jul 22, 2018

I grew theses peppers this and and they were AMAZING!! A productive plant. The peppers taste great especially when they are roasted.

Elishah Flores from TX

Best Pepper Ever - Even Non Pepper People love them

Jan 22, 2019

These hands down are the best peppers I've ever eaten, mild and unique. They were vigorous and tolerated lots of rain and produced well into October. Everyone we gave plants to had great success in a variety of growing conditions, all in Western PA. We couldn't keep up eating them with our three plants. Great blistered on the grill and placed directly in the bun with a sausage or hotdog. Looking forward to growing them again.

Haley French from PA

Buck

Apr 6, 2020

Tried growing these peppers from their own seed -- no luck. But the BI shishito pepper seeds had high germination and the plants produced lots of small peppers.

Roger Grossel from FL

Ryd

Jun 12, 2020

I have had great experiences with BI seeds in the past but I had a 25% germination rate with these seeds. Hopefully I'll still get more peppers than I'll know what to do with. I love the company, and how dedicated they are in educating gardeners on their seeds. Will have to give these another try next year with my fingers crossed.

Rushie Dave from OH

Owner Response: Hi Dave, We are sorry your germination rate was not higher. Peppers, in particular, require higher soil temperatures to germinate which is why we suggest sowing them indoors and using a heat mat. Our seeds are tested frequently by a third-party laboratory to ensure the germination rate exceeds both federal and our own standards. A customer service agent will be with you shortly to help.

Great shishito peppers

Jul 16, 2020

These are wonderful. Many plants germinated. I've kept 7 and we are getting 20-30 harvestable peppers every two days from EVERY plant and, they are just delicious. I high heat saute' them after they've been tossed in a large bowl with olive oil, till they are blistered and soft all over and then sprinkle with sea salt. Oh my goodness, they are good!

Geoffrey Selling from PA

Delightful

Sep 27, 2020

I received these seeds weeks after planting several other pepper varieties this year. Not only did the two little shishitos "catch up" quickly, they produced before - and are still producing (in Zone 4a, in late September) - better than the other varieties.

Michelle from MN

Shishito peppers

Jun 17, 2021

Great germination and delicious.

Tom from CT

Best Shisito Peppers

Nov 30, 2021

These will now be a staple in our home. Thank you for the wonderful seeds. We shared some with a friend who will now grow these Shisisitos in her garden every year as well.

Beth from VA

Great Success

Dec 8, 2021

I had great success this year with these Shishito peppers. I started them indoors. Very heavy producers kept me in peppers until November when a frost finally got them. Will definitely grow these again.

Cindi from GA

Most prolific

Dec 18, 2021

We had 4 shishito plants this year and once they started producing we harvested over and over into November.

Gretchen from PA

Best to buy young plants than start from seed

Jan 15, 2022

I was able to get them to germinate, bu growth was very slow. It did not mature for some reason. I have been more successful buying young Shishitos plants and transplanting, than starting with seed.

Carolyn from CA

Owner Response: Hi Carolyn, It is important to start any pepper seeds indoors for two reasons. 1) The soil needs to be very warm (70 to 90 degrees F) to get strong germination, and 2) they need to be started ahead of time to ensure they have enough time to mature (peppers take a long time to mature). This rings true for all peppers, not just this cultivar. We sure hope you will try peppers again and start them indoors 8 to 10 weeks before transplanting out as recommended. Happy gardening!

100% gerrmination

Feb 13, 2022

First time growing these guys and the seeds had 100% germination. We ended up keeping four plants (a couple weren't strong, and gave some away) and ended up with bushels of peppers. When I tell you bushels, I mean we got about 12 meals out of those four plants, and some of those meals were for four people. Re-ordering again.

Steve P from NY