Pepper 'Carmen'
2006 AAS Vegetable Award Winner

'Carmen' is an improved sweet pepper with an unusual shape. Most gardeners think of a bell shape when "sweet" peppers are mentioned. Not so any more. 'Carmen' is an Italian bull's horn type which refers to its elongated shape, about 6 inches long. The medium thick flesh is the sweetest when it is ripe red, but 'Carmen' peppers are sweet even when immature or green. One of the improved traits is the earliness to ripe red. Gardeners can look for red peppers about 75 days after transplanting into warm garden soil. The other improved traits are sweet flavor and high yield. The yield of a pepper plant is determined by its adaptability. 'Carmen' proved to be widely adaptable, flowering and setting fruit over a wide temperature range. Like all peppers, 'Carmen' will produce the highest number of peppers when grown in full sun and given proper nutrients and water.

'Carmen' plants are productive with an upright, medium height of 28 to 30 inches. This plant size is perfectly adaptable to larger patio containers. Grow 'Carmen' plants with sun-loving, trailing annuals such as verbena to drape over the edge. This is the most trendy combination planter - growing edibles and annuals together. 'Carmen' is easy to grow in gardens or larger sized containers.

AAS WINNER DATA

Genus species: Capsicum annuum
Common name: Pepper
Fruit size: 2 1/2 inches wide, 6 inches long - about 5 ounces
Color: Green maturing to dark crimson red
Plant type: Upright bush
Width: 16 inches
Garden spacing: 18 inches apart
Unique qualities: Sweeter taste, earlier maturity, widely adapted
Length of time from transplanting to harvest: 75 days, red ripe
Closest comparison(s) on market: 'Giant Marconi,' 'Spanish Spice'