Variety field guide
What to expect from TAM Mild Jalapeño-1 Pepper Seeds
TAM Mild Jalapeño-1 pepper seeds produce green mild chile pepper fruit about 3 in long, thick-walled jalapeño type on upright, erect plants reaching 25–30 in; maturity is 60-69 Days.
Read the complete product descriptionTraits, flavor, garden use, variety notes, and the full catalog record
TAM Mild Jalapeño-1 pepper seeds grow into upright, erect plants reaching 25–30 in, bearing green fruit about 3 in long, thick-walled jalapeño type. Heat category: Hot. It is especially suited to mild jalapeño flavor, pickling, stuffing, salsa, nacho rings, and warm-climate production. Maturity is 60-69 Days.
About TAM Mild Jalapeño-1
TAM Mild Jalapeño-1 is a mild chile pepper grown as Capsicum annuum L. Plants have an upright, erect habit and reach 25–30 in; support is listed as stake. The principal mature or market color is Green, with fruit described as about 3 in long, thick-walled jalapeño type. Reproductive classification: Open-Pollinated (OP). Maturity: 60-69 Days. Names associated with this variety include TAM Mild Jalapeño-1 pepper, Pepper Seeds - Hot - Tam Jalapeño.
- Scientific name:Capsicum annuum L.
- Life cycle:Annual
- Planting season:Spring
- Growth habit:Upright/Erect
- Plant height:25–30 in
- Sunlight:Full sun
- Seed depth:1/4 in
- Germination:7–14 Days at 75–90 °F
- Spacing:18 in between plants; 24 in between rows
- Soil:Loamy; pH 6.0–6.5
- Water:Moderate
- Support:Stake
- Reproductive type:Open-Pollinated (OP)
- Fruit:Green; About 3 in long, thick-walled jalapeño type
- Heat:Hot; About 1,100 SHU
History and seedkeeping context
TAM Mild Jalapeño-1 was developed by the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station at Weslaco and released in 1981. The published release identifies it as an open-pollinated Veracruz-type jalapeño selected for mild pungency, compact plant form, concentrated early fruit set, high-temperature fruit setting, and resistance to several important pepper viruses. Its parentage included USDA PI 342947, Avelar, and Jalapeño L.
“TAM” refers to the Texas A&M agricultural system and should not be treated as a generic label for every mild jalapeño. The cultivar belongs to modern public plant breeding, while the jalapeño crop type itself rests within the much older history of chile domestication and cultivation in Mexico. Keeping those two histories separate preserves both the breeding record and the deeper crop history without assigning unsupported cultural claims to a modern cultivar.
The available sources do not establish a named person’s tribal identity.
Fruit, flavor, and kitchen use
TAM Mild Jalapeño-1 is best suited to mild jalapeño flavor, pickling, stuffing, salsa, nacho rings, and warm-climate production. Its flavor is classic green jalapeño flavor with deliberately mild heat. Harvest stage matters: immature fruit is usually firmer and greener in flavor, while fully colored fruit is generally softer, sweeter, or more aromatic. Use hot varieties carefully and measure them according to the needs of the recipe rather than assuming one pod equals another. TAM Mild Jalapeño-1 is especially useful for mild jalapeño flavor, pickling, stuffing, salsa, nacho rings, and warm-climate production. Flavor and eating quality are described as classic green jalapeño flavor with deliberately mild heat. Heat classification: Hot; listed range: About 1,100 SHU. Pungency can shift with genetics, weather, water stress, and ripeness.
How to grow TAM Mild Jalapeño-1
Start TAM Mild Jalapeño-1 indoors about 8 to 10 weeks before the last expected frost. Sow 1/4 in deep in a warm, evenly moist seed-starting mix; expect 7–14 Days near 75–90 °F. Provide strong light as soon as seedlings emerge, pot up before roots become crowded, and harden plants gradually before transplanting after nights are reliably warm.
Plant in full sun with loamy soil near pH 6.0–6.5. Space plants 18 in apart and rows 24 in apart. Maintain moderate moisture, mulch after the soil warms, and avoid excessive nitrogen. Install stake early where the upright, erect plant or fruit load warrants it. Mature height is 25–30 in.
Season care
• Warmth matters most during germination; keep TAM Mild Jalapeño-1 seed warm without leaving the medium saturated. • Harden seedlings gradually and wait for warm nights before transplanting, because cold soil and wind can stall peppers for weeks. • Install stake before branches carry a heavy crop, and keep moisture even while fruit is setting. • Harvest at the color stage suited to the recipe, but leave fruit fully mature on selected plants when saving seed. • Use 60-69 Days as a planning range rather than a guaranteed calendar date; weather and transplant stress can shift first harvest.
Harvest and maturity
60-69 Days from transplant to first representative harvest; the same value is used in every description. Peppers can often be used at an immature green or transitional color, but fully ripe color is required for mature seed.
Saving seed
Peppers are largely self-pollinating but insect movement can produce crosses. To save TAM Mild Jalapeño-1 true to type, grow several healthy representative plants, isolate them from compatible pepper varieties or use blossom bags or cages, and remove clear off-types before flowering. Allow selected fruit to reach full biological color, handle hot fruit with gloves, remove the seed, dry it in a thin labeled layer until fully hard and dry, then store it cool, dark, and dry. Keep the harvest year, source, isolation method, and selection notes with the lot.
Common questions
When is TAM Mild Jalapeño-1 ready?
Plan around 60-69 Days. The listed range is a planning guide, and weather, transplant stress, and harvest stage can shift the actual date.
How long does germination take?
Expect 7–14 Days near 75–90 °F. Cooler media, excess water, old seed, or uneven moisture can delay emergence.
How large does it grow?
Expect about 25–30 in. Growth habit: Upright/Erect. Support: Stake.
How is it used?
Mild jalapeño flavor, pickling, stuffing, salsa, nacho rings, and warm-climate production
Can I save seed?
Peppers are largely self-pollinating but insect movement can produce crosses.





