Photo: "Jimmy Nardellos" by GreenHouse17 · CC BY 2.0

Pepper · Frying-heirloom

Jimmy Nardello Peppers

Open-pollinated · Solanaceae

Slow Food Ark of Taste heirloom. Named for the Nardello family who brought seeds from Ruoti, Italy in 1887. MUST be harvested fully red — green fruit is bland and unremarkable. Intensely sweet when red. Long slender 8-10 inch wrinkled fruit. Thin walls dry easily on a string. Exceptional fried or roasted. Longer DTM makes it marginal in short seasons. Open-pollinated.

At a Glance

Days to Maturity

80–90 days

Sun

6+ hours

8-10 hours

Spacing

18–24 "

Seed Start

8–10 weeks

before transplant

Container

Yes

3+ gallon pot

Height

2–2.5 ft

Zone Planting Guide

Your USDA Zone:

Growing Guide

Germination

Germination Time 7–14 days

Optimal Temp 85°F

Seed Depth 0.25"

Transplanting

Min Soil Temp 65°F

Harden Off 10 days

Watering

Weekly Water 1–1.5 "

Needs Consistent

Method Drip or base watering

Soil

pH Range 6–6.8

Soil Type Well-draining

Resilience

Heat: Moderate Cold: Very-low Drought: Low

Common Problems

blossom-drop

Cause: Standard pepper thresholds.

Prevention: Standard management.

anthracnose

Cause: Ripe (red) fruit is most susceptible. Jimmy Nardello is always harvested red.

Prevention: Harvest promptly when red. Don't leave overripe on plant.

Nutrition

Feeding Intensity Moderate feeder

Recommended Recipes Root drench, Worm castings topdress

Harvest

MUST be fully red. 8-10 inches long, 1-2 oz, wrinkled skin, deeply red. Green = bland, unremarkable. Do NOT harvest green.

Expected Yield 2–4 lbs/plant

Storage 5 days — Crisper drawer. Use promptly — thin-walled red fruit doesn't store as long.

Companion Planting

Good Companions

Genovese basil Repels aphids

French marigold Repels nematodes

Avoid Planting Near

Herb fennel Inhibits most plants

Sources

seed_catalog Baker Creek / Rare Seeds reference Slow Food Foundation — Ark of Taste university Cornell Extension

More Peppers

Jimmy Nardello Peppers Planting Dates by Zone

Planting dates for Jimmy Nardello Peppers vary by USDA hardiness zone. Select your zone below for frost dates, start-indoors timing, and a full monthly planting calendar.

Zone 5A Zone 5B Zone 6A Zone 6B Zone 7A Zone 7B Zone 8A Zone 8B Zone 9A Zone 9B

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