How to Grow Cherry Bomb
Capsicum annuum 'Cherry Bomb'
Cherry Bomb is a popular hybrid hot pepper known for its vibrant red fruit and spicy kick. Gardeners prize this variety for its reliable yield and disease resistance, making it an excellent choice for home gardens seeking both flavor and ease of cultivation.
📷 Wikipedia: Capsicum annuumStarting Cherry Bomb: indoors or direct sow?
🌾 Sow directly in the garden — Cherry Bomb is not usually started indoors.
Do not start indoors; plant seeds directly into the garden only after all danger of frost has passed and the soil has warmed up.
Soil, care & harvest
Prepare well-draining soil with a pH between 6.0 and 7.0 before planting. As a warm-season crop, you must wait until after the last spring frost when the soil is consistently warm to sow seeds directly or transplant seedlings. Bury seeds about 1/4 inch deep; they typically germinate within 10 to 14 days.
Space plants 12 to 15 inches apart in a sunny location receiving at least six hours of light daily. Provide consistent moisture, as these peppers require high water levels for healthy growth. Apply mulch around the base to retain soil moisture and feed regularly with balanced fertilizer during the fruiting stage.
Watch for aphids, spider mites, pepper weevils, and cutworms; inspect leaves frequently and treat infestations early. Prevent bacterial leaf spot, anthracnose, and blossom end rot by ensuring good air circulation and watering at the soil line. Harvest fruits approximately 64 days after planting when they reach full color.
When to Plant Cherry Bomb
Planting windows vary by USDA hardiness zone. Look up yours by ZIP code.
| Zone | Start Indoors | Direct Sow | Harvest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 1 | May | — | September – 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 Cherry Bomb
✓ Good companions
Repels aphids, spider mites, and thrips while potentially improving pepper flavor
Loosens soil around pepper roots and doesn't compete for nutrients
Repels aphids and may improve pepper growth and flavor
Deters nematodes, aphids, and whiteflies with natural compounds
Acts as trap crop for aphids and cucumber beetles, drawing them away from peppers
Repels cucumber beetles and provides ground cover to retain soil moisture
Attracts beneficial insects like hoverflies and parasitic wasps
Share similar growing requirements and can confuse pests through companion cropping
✗ Keep away from
Compete heavily for nutrients and may stunt pepper growth through root competition
Releases allelopathic compounds that inhibit pepper growth and development
Produce juglone toxin that causes wilting and stunted growth in peppers
Nutrition Facts
Per 100g serving (USDA FoodData Central)
