"Jimmy Nardello" Sweet Red Pepper

Capsicum annuum

A treasured family heirloom of Giuseppe and Angela Nardello grown in their gardens in the village of Ruoti, in Southern Italy. In 1887 they immigrated to the U.S. with one-year-old daughter, Anna, settling and soon gardening in Naugatuck, Connecticut. From the seeds that traveled with them, they grew this pepper that was named for their fourth son, Jimmy. Jimmy Nardello himself passed the seeds on to Seed Savers Exchange just before his passing. “Jimmy Nardello” is the sweetest of peppers with intense and rich fruity flavor. It is generally regarded as one of the most flavorful and sweetest peppers available. Plants are very high yielding, vigorous, disease resistant and early to ripen.

Growing Instructions:

Sow indoors 6-8 weeks before last frost.

Transplant as soon as the last chance of frost has passed being sure to add plenty of rich compost at time of planting. We also recommend to do a fall or spring cover crop of of peas or other annual legumes to fix nitrogen in the growing space.

Plant spacing: 12-18 “ apart

Row spacing: 18-24 “ apart

Mulching peppers is a good idea, however mulching in mid spring will keep soil temperature cooler and may slow growth. Mulching can be done once soil has warmed.

Make sure soil pH is between 5.8 and 7.0. If plant needs a growing boost, water with nitrogen tea or compost tea a few times. If trace minerals are inadequate, sprinkle a small amount of woodash or azomite in each planting hole.

Harvest:

“Jimmy Nardello” peppers will begin ripening in 80 days from transplant. Sweetest when fully red. With frost advisory pick all you can off of the plant, maturing peppers will ripen off of the vine. Some lesser mature ones may not ripen.