When To Pick Cayenne Peppers Off The Plant. When harvesting green peppers wait until the skin has a waxy appearance and is firm to the touch with only a slight give when pressed. If the pepper was beginning to turn red when you picked it then the pepper will continue to ripen to red off the plant.
When to harvest cayenne pepper. When to Pick Cayenne Peppers Mild Spice Cayenne Pepper. When ready cayenne pepper will be 4-6 inches 10 to 15 cm long and easily pull from the stem although it is really better to snip from the plant so you do not cause any damage.
Cayenne pepper is ready to harvest when the fruit is about four to six inches long.
Most gardeners tend to throw away their seed packets but we advise you to keep them until you harvest your plants. However if you picked an under-ripe pepper with a light green color it will almost certainly not turn red no matter how long you wait. They will continue to ripen but will often fall off the plant if left unpicked. This ensures that your plants focus energy on ripening the other peppers.
