Leutschauer pepper
$4.00 – $10.00
(Capsicum annuum)
A paprika pepper. Plants are 2-3’/60-90 cm tall, with lots of medium-sized fruit. If you have never tasted a fresh paprika pepper before, our best description would be a flavour distinctly like a bell pepper with the bite of a hot pepper (be careful; they really are quite hot, though not like cayenne).
This variety originated in Leutschau, now Levoča, Slovakia, which was a trading centre on the route between Poland to the north and Hungary to the south; however, the peppers migrated across the border to Mátrafüred, Hungary in the 1800s.
Start indoors 6-10 weeks before last frost; sow 1/4” deep. Harden off for 10 days before transplanting. Prepare planting holes by adding manure and eggshell and covering it with a bit of soil. You can work in aged manure or compost 2 weeks before transplanting out and cover the site with a coldframe to warm the soil. Plant in the hottest spot you have available. Transplant 6-10” apart and topdress.
Cover with coldframe for cool nights until nights are consistently above 55 degrees F/13 degrees C.