515 · Sweet Pimento type

About this plant

The heart-shaped, extra-thick-walled pepper behind pimento cheese and stuffed olives — sweeter and more succulent than a bell, with almost no bitterness. Fedco calls it early and prolific with a rich fruity taste, at 15–20 fruit per plant. Let it go fully deep red; the green stage is not worth picking.

Planting it at home

When to plant out

Wait until after our last frost (about mid-February) and warm soil — usually March. Until then keep the pot in a sunny, sheltered spot and bring it in on cold nights.

Where

Full-sun bed or 5-gal+ container; afternoon shade Jun–Aug

Spacing

18–24 in (Growing In The Garden)

Size

18–30 in tall, sturdy upright (St. Clare Seeds)

Support

Bush / compact — little or no support

Care

Sun

Full sun, 6–8 hr; afternoon shade in peak summer

Water

Consistent deep moisture; drip ideal

Feed

Every 3–4 weeks with a balanced vegetable fertilizer; go light on nitrogen so plants set fruit (general guide).

Pick / harvest

Fully deep red — sweetness depends on it

Good to know

Grown from

Seed — sown by FHCG volunteers

Uses

Pimento cheese, roasting, stuffing, canning, paprika

Spice level

No heat / Sweet (trace) (100–500 SHU (median ~300) Scoville)

Life cycle

Tender perennial grown as annual; often lives year-round in the low desert

Heirloom or hybrid

Heirloom — saved seeds grow true

Pollinators

Yes — bees visit the flowers

Days to harvest

75–80 days from transplant

Heat (our summer)

Moderate; set pauses above 90°F (Growing In The Garden)

Color

Deep red

Edible

Yes — fruit