Growing Habanero Peppers Takes Time and Patience

Time and patience (and a little water) make Habanero peppers.

Habaneros thrive in hot weather. However, since peppers belong to the nightshade family, too much sun can be damaging to the leaves and plant. As with all peppers, the habanero does well in an area with good morning sun, in soil with an acidity level around 5-6 pH. The habanero should be watered only when dry. Overly moist soil and roots will produce bitter-tasting peppers.

Habanero bushes are good candidates for a container garden. They can live many years in pots or other growing containers.

The habanero is a perennial flowering plant, meaning that with proper care and growing conditions, it can produce flowers, hence fruit, for many years. However, in temperate climates it's treated as an annual when planted in the ground, dying each winter and being replaced the next spring.

In tropical and sub-tropical regions, the Habanero, like other chiles, will produce year round. As long as conditions are favorable, the plant will set fruit continuously.