How to Grow Cayenne 'Long Red Cayenne'
Capsicum annuum 'Long Red Cayenne'
Cayenne 'Long Red Cayenne' is a popular warm-season pepper variety prized for its long, slender shape and vibrant red color. Gardeners cultivate this easy-to-grow heirloom for its reliable yield of spicy fruit that adds heat to dishes while thriving in full sun.
📷 Wikipedia: Capsicum annuumStarting Cayenne 'Long Red Cayenne': indoors or direct sow?
🌾 Sow directly in the garden — Cayenne 'Long Red Cayenne' is not usually started indoors.
Do not direct sow outdoors; instead, start seeds indoors six to eight weeks before the last frost date and transplant only after all danger of frost has passed and soil is warm.
Soil, care & harvest
Prepare your soil with a pH between 6.0 and 7.0 to ensure optimal nutrient availability. Since peppers are frost-sensitive, start seeds indoors six to eight weeks before the last spring frost date when soil temperatures rise. Sow seeds one-quarter inch deep into warm seed-starting mix; expect germination within ten to twenty-one days under consistent warmth.
Space plants twelve to eighteen inches apart in full sun locations to promote air circulation and healthy growth. Water consistently with about one to one-and-a-half inches per week, ensuring the soil stays moist but not waterlogged once established. Apply a light layer of mulch around the base to retain moisture and suppress weeds, feeding regularly during the fruiting phase.
Watch for aphids, spider mites, pepper weevils, and hornworms; inspect leaves frequently and use insecticidal soap or hand-picking for control. Prevent bacterial spot, anthracnose, mosaic virus, and phytophthora blight by rotating crops and avoiding overhead watering. Harvest fruits seventy-five to eighty-five days after transplanting when they turn a deep red.
When to Plant Cayenne 'Long Red Cayenne'
Planting windows vary by USDA hardiness zone. Look up yours by ZIP code.
| Zone | Start Indoors | Direct Sow | Harvest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 1 | May | — | October – August |
| Zone 2 | April – May | — | September |
| Zone 3 | April | — | September – October |
| Zone 4 | March – April | — | August – October |
| Zone 5 | March | — | August – October |
| Zone 6 | March | — | August – October |
| Zone 7 | February – March | — | July – September |
| Zone 8 | February | — | July – September |
| Zone 9 | January | — | June – August |
| Zone 10 | January | — | May – July |
| Zone 11 | January | — | April – June |
| Zone 12 | January | — | April – June |
| Zone 13 | January | — | April – June |
Companion Plants for Cayenne 'Long Red Cayenne'
✓ Good companions
Repels aphids, spider mites, and thrips while potentially improving pepper flavor
Help break up soil around pepper roots and don't compete for nutrients
Repel nematodes, aphids, and whiteflies while attracting beneficial insects
Act as trap crops for aphids and cucumber beetles while repelling squash bugs
Repel aphids, thrips, and other soft-bodied insects that damage peppers
Deters pests like aphids and spider mites with its strong aromatic oils
Attracts beneficial insects like parasitic wasps that control pepper pests
Share similar growing conditions and can help shade pepper plants from intense sun
✗ Keep away from
Produces juglone toxin that inhibits pepper growth and can cause wilting
Compete heavily for nutrients and may inhibit pepper growth through root competition
Releases allelopathic compounds that stunt growth of peppers and most vegetables
Nutrition Facts
Per 100g serving (USDA FoodData Central)
