Capsicum Mad Hatter Seeds

Capsicum Mad Hatter Seeds produce distinctive flattened-disc peppers with a delicate floral scent. Their flavour becomes sweeter as fruits ripen from green to red.

View our detailed grow guide: How to Grow Peppers and Chillies from Seed in South Africa — Mad Hatter.

Quick Grow Facts

• Plant type: Frost-tender mild speciality pepper, usually grown as an annual
• Scientific name: Capsicum baccatum
• Seed form: Raw
• Pretreatment: None stated by the breeder; sow as supplied
• Sowing time: Start protected from late winter into spring; transplant after frost danger has passed and soil is warm
• Position: Sun
• Sowing depth and light: Cover lightly; light is optional during the first germination stage, then give strong light
• Germination temperature: 21–26 °C during the first stage
• Germination: 5–7 days under the breeder's controlled conditions
• Final spacing: 61–91 cm
• Growth form: Large, vigorous, mounded and upright; indeterminate
• Mature size: 91–122 cm high and wide
• Support: Grow in the ground with support
• Outcome: Green fruit in about 65–70 days from transplant; ripe red fruit in about 85–90 days from transplant
• Breeder heat rating: 1 (mild)

Why Grow This Variety

• Flattened-disc fruits create an unusual harvest.
• A delicate floral scent adds aromatic interest.
• Flavour sweetens as the peppers mature.
• Fruits can be enjoyed green or fully red.

Garden Uses

Use Mad Hatter peppers fresh or in cooked dishes at either the green stage or once fully ripened to red. In hot, dry climates, the breeder says a small number of fruit may develop some heat close to the seed cavity while the fruit wings remain sweet.

Growing Notes

• Keep the sowing medium evenly moist and aerated, not saturated.
• Pot on after true leaves develop and harden seedlings gradually.
• Transplant only after frost danger has passed and cold soil has warmed.
• Support the large growth form before fruit loads bend stems.

Brought to you by Ubuntuberg Seeds, where our mission is to cultivate humanity & harvest unity. Ubuntuberg Seeds: the highest quality seed stock in all of Southern Africa, sourced from sustainable farms, guaranteeing you the best quality seed stock.