Image of Pequin or Piquin Pepper at Google
Pequin (or Piquin) pepper which is also known as bird pepper is a hot chile pepper.
Overview
• This pepper is commonly used as a spice.
• Pequin grows typically around 0.3 – 0.6 meters tall.
• This plant has bright green, ovate leaves and small fruits.
• These fruits rarely exceed 2 cm in length.
• These fruits start out green and brilliant red at maturity.
• Pequin peppers are very hot, often 13-40 times hotter than jalapenos.
• On the Scoville scale: 100,000-140,000 units.
• It has citrusy, smoky and nutty flovor.
Other common names:
• pinhead pepper
• chile petin
• chile pequin
• chile del monte
• chile mosquito
Common uses of Pequin Pepper
• Pickling
• Salsas
• Sauces
• Soups
• Vinegars
Growing/Caring conditions for Piquín
• Sow seedlings indoors.
• It prefers well-drained soils, such as silty or sandy loams, and 800–2,000 mm (31–79 in) of annual precipitation.
• Sow them late spring to early summer.
• A soil pH of 7.0 – 8.5 is good for this plant.
• The plant requires full sun.
• This plant needs temperatures to be at least 64 degrees F to germinate.
• Sow those eight to ten weeks before the last frost date for your area.
• They are a difficult in germination and seedlings grow slowly at first.
• Provide bottom heat or heat lamps to raise the soil temperature to 80 degrees.
• This will promote better and quicker germination.
• A heated germination mat works well.
• While your seedlings are growing, get your garden ready.
• Add plenty of compost, manure, and a general fertilizer.
• Peppers like hot weather.
• Transplant young seedlings outdoors after the last chance of frost.
• If the weather is still cool, delay transplanting a few days.
• Keep them in a cold frame, indoors.
• Space 18-24 inches apart, in rows 24 to 30 inches apart.
• Mulching around the peppers to keep down weeds, retain moisture, and help to feed the plant.
• As the peppers develop, use a fertilizer higher in Phosphorous and Potassium.
• Providing too much nitrogen will result in a great looking bushy, green plant, but few fruits.
• Peppers can be picked as soon as they reach a size which is edible.
• Continuous harvesting encourages the fruit to produce new flowers.
• Spider mites and aphids are the most common problems.
• An occasional borer insect is also known to attack this plant.
• Try an organic insecticide or dust.
• Fungal infections can be treated with fungicides. Apply treatment as soon as you see it.
• Potential pests include aphids, white flies, cutworms, pepper maggots, and Colorado potato beetles.
• Diseases include Verticillium wilt and mosaic virus.
• Frost will stunt or kill the plants.
• Cold weather can cause the plant to slow down or stunt it.
• Use a hot cap in on cold and frosty spring nights.
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