Shishito peppers are a mild Asian variety of pepper. When sautéed, they make for a delicious, healthy appetizer. As a result, they’re quickly gaining popularity with vegetable gardeners and foodies alike. Shishito peppers are small and green, with a thin skin. They appear similar to the Spanish Padrón pepper (which is served the same way) but are less spicy and more wrinkled. Though shishito peppers are usually very mild, one in every ten is spicy. The larger shishito peppers grow, the more potential they have for heat.
Do not overwater. Pepper plants don’t like their soil constantly moist. Water once every 4 – 5 days, allowing soil to dry between waterings. During hot summers, you may need to water every other day.
Shishito peppers require full sun, meaning a south-facing garden, or for indoor plants under lights, 18 hours on, 6 hours off.
Start providing nutrients once your shishito pepper has developed a few sets of true leaves. You’ll want to add fertilizer every month. The plant will need nitrogen for foliage growth and later will need phosphorous to flower.
Shishito peppers prefer temperatures between 60 and 90°F. Pepper plants die in a freeze, and wilt in extreme heat (110°F).
