Fire Away Hot and Heavy Hot Pepper

Fire Away® Hot and Heavy is a compact, productive hot pepper grown for both harvest and colorful container display. Proven Winners describes a mild, noticeable heat of about 2,100 Scoville units and fruit that passes through green, yellow, orange, and red. [Proven Winners](https://www.provenwinners.com/plants/capsicum/fire-away-hot-and-heavy-dwarf-hot-pepper-capsicum-annuum) ## Landscape Use Use it in a sunny vegetable bed or a substantial patio pot. The breeder lists plants about 16–24 inches tall and 12–18 inches wide; for containers, it recommends at least a 12-inch diameter pot, with 14–18 inches preferred. Glossy foliage and fruit at several ripening stages make the plant useful as an edible accent. The Proven Harvest grower guide describes 2½–3½ inch snack peppers and 65–72 days from liner to red fruit. [Proven Harvest grower guide](https://www.provenwinners.com/sites/provenwinners.com/files/catalogs_pdfs/s-6_proven_harvest_2023_canada.pdf) ## Growing Conditions Grow in full sun after frost risk has passed. This is a warm-season pepper; cold, wet soil slows growth. Choose fertile, well-drained soil and keep moisture steady as fruit develops. Proven Winners notes relatively low water needs for this selection, but Illinois Extension cautions that dry soil can reduce fruit set, so do not let a container dry to the point of wilting. [Illinois Extension](https://extension.illinois.edu/gardening/peppers) ## Harvest Harvest at any stage of color, or wait until fruit is fully red. The breeder notes that fruit color and heat increase with ripening; individual peppers can vary in heat. Cut rather than tug fruit from the branches and handle ripe peppers carefully. ## Maintenance Provide a stake if heavy fruit loads lean the stems. Remove damaged foliage, keep weeds down in garden beds, and watch for aphids under young leaves. Wear gloves when harvesting, then wash hands before touching the face.