Guide Growing World's Hot Chili Peppers by Semi Strani di Carlo Martini

Hi Friends, the translation from Italian was done by Google Translate, so sorry for the grammatical errors, the suggested products have all been personally tested and all link to Amazon.co.uk

 

The Chili was used as a food since ancient times, from the testimony of some archaeological finds we know that it was already known in 5.500 BC. in Mexico. It was brought to Europe by Christopher Columbus during his second voyage to the Americas in 1493, there have been many discussions about which Peperoncino he reported, some are convinced that it was a Capsicum Chinense for which most likely it would have been a Habanero Orange, the oldest variety of Habanero, while there are those who are convinced that it was a Capsicum Annuum, in this case it would certainly have been a Jalapeno, the oldest of the Chillies, in fact it seems to be more than 2,000 years old. As soon as it was introduced in Europe by the Spaniards, it was a great success, but the gains were disappointing as the plant spread very well throughout Southern Europe, Africa and China, becoming the mythical "People's Spice" because unlike other spices, such as Cinnamon and Nutmeg, being easily reproducible, were the least expensive and therefore affordable even by the not rich.

 

The Ranking of the Hottest Chillies in the World is given by the Scoville Scale, whose value expressed in SHU (Scoville Heat Units), determines the Spiciness of a Chili Pepper, to make a comparison consider that the classic Red Cayenne Pepper, which you can find in any Supermarket, reaches a maximum of 30,000 SHU, while the Carolina Reaper Red, the Hottest Chili Pepper in the World even reaches 2,200,000 Shu. Always keep the following TABLE OF CHILI PEPPERS FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD at hand by me and updated in March 2022: it shows the position in the ranking of the Official Chillies, for which the Dragon Breath and the Pepper X, which until they are recognized from the Guinness Book of World Records for me they remain hoaxes, they are outside; the spiciness in SHU; the origin; the minimum and maximum temperature to germinate and the days needed for germination, the minimum temperature to be respected is EXTREMELY IMPORTANT during the sowing phase and it must be CONSTANT 22 / 24 Celsius Degree (72 / 75 Fahrenheit Degrees), NO MORE NOR LESS, FOR CAPSICUM CHINENSE and 18 / 24 Celsius Degrees (65 / 75 Fahrenheit Degrees) FOR CAPSICUM ANNUUM, FRUTESCENS, BACCATUM AND PUBESCENS, to remember also the FUNDAMENTAL HUMIDITY which must be between 80% and 99%, a value that can be easily obtained by putting a nylon film, such as that used in the kitchen, on the jars or seedbed.

 

Be very careful not to create an environment that is too hot, an environment of 28 Celsius Degrees (82,4 Fahrenheit Degress) or higher will burn / boil the Seeds !

 

The Temperature of the Table is expressed in Celsius / Fahrenheit Degrees and as a term beyond which it is not worth waiting for the Germination of a Seed let's say 30 Days, after better starting from the beginning, with a new jar, new soil and different temperature. Chillies in which a different color is not indicated are generally considered Red, the various colors of each single variety fall into the classification, even if the taste will be different, for example the values ​​of the Carolina Reaper are supposed to be similar for the Red, Yellow, Mustard, Orange, Chocolate and Caramel variant, in reality in addition to the Flavor the only data that can change a little are the Shu, basically the Red and Chocolate variants are more Spicy / Hot, therefore they have a higher Shu value, lighter variants such as Yellow, White or Caramel so consider always adding "about" to the values ​​expressed in Shu.

 

TABLE OF WORLDWIDE CHILI PEPPERS BASED ON THE SCOVILLE SCALE IN 2024: 

NAME - SemiStrani.it	HOTNESS IN SHU	ORIGIN	TEMPERATURE TO GERMINATE	DAYS TO GERMINATE
1) Pepper X (C. Chinense) / Not avaible yet	3.000.000 Shu	Usa	22° x 24° C / 72° x 75° F	08 x 30 Days
2) Carolina Reaper (C. Chinense)	2.200.000 Shu	Usa	22° x 24° C / 72° x 75° F	08 x 30 Days
3) Trinidad Moruga Scorpion (C. Chinense)	2.000.000 Shu	Trinidad & Tobago	22° x 24° C / 72° x 75° F	08 x 30 Days
4) Reaper Moruga, Jay Ghost, Bhutlah, Borg 9 (C. Chinense)	1.800.000 Shu	Usa, Caraibi	22° x 24° C / 72° x 75° F	08 x 30 Days
5) Douglah, Primo, Sepia Serpent, Carolina Tiger (C. Chinense)	1.800.000 Shu	Usa, Caraibi	22° x 24° C / 72° x 75° F	08 x 30 Days
6) Bhut Jolokia / Ghost Chili (C. Chinense x Frutescens)	1.000.000 Shu	India, Bangladesh	22° x 24° C / 72° x 75° F	08 x 30 Days
7) Trinidad Butch Taylor, Big Mama, T-Rex (C. Chinense)	1.000.000 Shu	Usa	22° x 24° C / 72° x 75° F	08 x 30 Days
8) Naga Morich, 7 Pot, Bubblegum, Big Mama (C. Chinense)	800.000 Shu	India, Usa	22° x 24° C / 72° x 75° F	08 x 30 Days
9) Lemon Reaper, Habanero Red Savina, Habalokia (C. Chinense)	600.000 Shu	Italia, Mexico	22° x 24° C / 72° x 75° F	08 x 30 Days
10) Habaneros, Tigers, Fatalii, Puma, Leopard (C. Chinense)	300.000 Shu	Mexico, Usa,	22° x 24° C / 72° x 75° F	08 x 30 Days
11) Jamaican, Goronong, Scotch Bonnet, Cheiro (C. Chinense)	200.000 Shu	Jamaica,Malesia, Us	22° x 24° C / 72° x 75° F	08 - 30 Days
12) Piri Piri African Devil (C. Frutescens)	150.000 Shu	Uganda	20° x 24° C / 68° x 75° F	06 - 30 Days
13) Rocoto (C. Pubescens), Aji Charapita (C. Chinense)	50 / 100.000 Shu	Andes	18° / 22° C / 65° x 73° F	08 - 30 Days
14) Tabasco (C. Frutescens), Chupetinho, CGN (C. Chinense)	30 / 50.000 Shu	Mexico	20° x 24° C / 68° x 75° F	06 - 30 Days
15) Devil Calabrese, Acratà, Black Pearl (C. Annuum)	30 / 50.000 Shu	Italy, Venezuela	18° / 24° C / 65° x 75° F	06 - 30 Days
16) Cayenne, Peter Pepper, Cedrino (C. Annuum)	20 / 30.000 Shu	Mediterranean	18° / 24° C / 65° x 75° F	06 - 30 Days
17) Cherry Bomb, Satan Kiss, Thai, Jalapeno (C. Annuum)	5 / 15.000 Shu	Italy, Mexico	18° / 24° C / 65° x 75° F	06 - 30 Days
18) Ancho Poblano, Mulato, Pasilla Bajio, Chilhuacle (C. Annuum)	1 / 2.000 Shu	Mexico	18° / 24° C / 65° x 75° F	06 - 30 Days

SOWING

All the Chillies classified as Super Hot are Capsicum Chinense and are plants of Caribbean / Tropical origin, used to being born and living in places where it is warm / hot weather all year round, they have a germination and a slow growth, since they are not obliged by Nature to bear fruit quickly due to the arrival of winter, like the Chillies we are used to, like the classic Cayenne Pepper, which are Capsicum Annuum. Once born they are all easy to manage plants, the more complicated thing, especially for beginners, is precisely the Germination phase, that is, the one in which you pass from the Seed to the Seedling. In case of difficulty you can always open a post, or better still consult the old ones, in our legendary Facebook Group: Semi Strani di Carlo Martini on Facebook

 

Sow your Seeds during the months of January, February, March and / or April, if you do not have the opportunity to sow in this period you can still sow until June even if, from May onwards, it will be very likely that the fruiting will get the summer of the following year. The hottest Chilli plants (Capsicum Chinense), if treated as I will explain later, will live for 5 or 6 years and not just for one or two years like our Chillies (Capsicum Annuum).

 

Let's get serious! Let's take as an example the Hottest Chili Pepper in the World, entered in the Guinness Book of Records in December 2013, the legendary Carolina Reaper: as you can see from the Table, the Seeds will germinate at a temperature of at least 22 Constant Degrees Celsius (72° F), it is very important to underline the concept of CONSTANT TEMPERATURE BETWEEN 22 / 24 C. DEGREES - 72 / 75 F. DEGREES, means that the temperature must always be the same 24 hours a day!

 

Here comes the main difficulty: creating such a warm environment in January, February, March or April. My advice is to buy a Grow Box Tent complete with a Heating Mat, Seedstrays, Soil for sowing and Thermometer / Hygrometer. The Grow Tent creates a small environment, a warm and humid microcosm, with this heat that I suggest to keep between 22 / 24 C° degrees - 72 / 75 F° degrees, the ideal temperature for all types of Chilli, neither one degree more nor one degree less, it is certain that the Seeds germinate and that they do so more quickly.

 

In the following photo you can see a glimpse of one of my Grow Tents with a Grow Lamp Sunlike, Thermo-Hygrometer, Seedbeds for hundreds of various seedlings, Fan and Chili Pepper Seedlings born a few days ago, you can find all the links to the purchase of these same objects here: Equipment for the Cultivation of Chilli and Tomato

 

All products can be purchased directly on Amazon.co.uk, I recommend only items that I have used in first person and that I am sure they work perfectly, the plank is updated to January 2024 take a look, you will surely find what is right for you and at the most competitive price.

 

 

 

 

In case you do not want to buy a Grow Tent and a Heating Mat, the FREE solution is the following, sow your Seeds in some pots or seedbeds and place them with the nylon film, over a modem or a decoder, that constant heat will be perfect for make your seeds germinate, as you can see in the following photo:

 

 

 

 

As soon as the Chili Pepper Seedlings are born you will have to pierce the Nylon Film on their alveolus and that's it, while waiting for the other plants to be born you can continue to keep the heat source on, as you can see in the following photo:

 

 

 

 

In the following photo of the Friend Cristian Gozzi you see instead a DIY Grow Box created with a simple box, a mercury thermometer and 6,500k cold light bulbs, although this may seem like an 80's grow box is getting excellent results, the Moisture underneath the nylon film is a good sign that the humidity is high:

 

 

 

 

This is another beautiful grow box with 6,500k bulbs from my friend Tommaso Ammannati, as you can see he achieved some beautiful results:

 

 

 

 

I explain in an exhaustive way how to Sow Chilli in these following Videos of mine, put on the English Sub:

 

How to Sow Chilli Seeds: Soil, Heating Wire, Humidity and Temperature

 

How to Sow Chilli Pepper Tips and Useful Tools by Semi Strani by Carlo Martini

 

 

I would like to underline the fact that any info, videos and photos you see here must serve as inspiration for your situation, your space and time, you must therefore be inspired to adapt everything: if you do not want to buy a grow box / tent for various reasons you can create one with a simple plastic box bought at the Chinese shop, or adapt an old aquarium or a small cabinet, what I want to push you to, because it is an integral if not fundamental part of all the fun ... it is really re inventing a suitable situation to all your characteristics and peculiarities given by your budget, your space and above all the time you can dedicate to this hobby.

 

There are various types of Capsicum with different peculiarities but the main ones are five. The Capsicum Chinense to which all the super hots belong such as Carolina Reaper, Trinidad Scorpion Moruga, T-Rex Mustard, Moruga Brain, Naga Morich, Bhut Jolokia, Habanero Red Savina and so on which are Caribbean plants and the least easy to germinate, but they are also those that can live up to 5 or 6 years, while the peppers accustomed to the Mediterranean climate are usually Capsicum Annuum such as Cayenne, Little Devil Calabrese, Jalapeno and so on which are much less spicy, they are easier to sprout but they do not live for more than two years. Furthermore, the Chinense take 5 or 6 months to go from Seed to Pod, they initially have a very slow growth and this is the reason why they are planted first.

 

We remind you that to reach the FUNDAMENTAL HUMIDITY OF 90% / 99% TO SPROUT THE SEEDS just put a film of nyon over the seedbed or jar as seen in the previous photos and videos.

 

This is what you need to know depending on the Capsicum you plant:

 

- CAPSICUM CHINENSE: sow from January to March, the minimum temperature must be 22 C. degrees (72 F.), the maximum must not exceed 26 C. degrees (76 F.), humidity around 90%, time to germinate from a week to a month.

 

- CAPSICUM ANNUUM: sow from February to April, the minimum temperature must be above 18 C. degrees (65 F.) and not exceed 24 C. degrees (74 F.), the humidity always at 90%, this is the data that never changes, time to germinate from 5 days to 20 days.

 

- CAPSICUM BACCATUM: sow from February to April, minimum temperature 20 C. degrees (68 F.), do not exceed 24 C. degrees (74 F.), humidity at 90%, to germinate it takes from one to three weeks.

 

- CAPSICUM PUBESCENS: sow from January to April, these are the legendary Rocoto peppers of the Andes with black seeds, often generate difficulties in germination, to me personally never, I simply put them in the cooler corner of the grow tent and not above the source of heat like a mat or heating wire, these are the peppers that best tolerate the cold and therefore, unlike the Caribbean ones, they love the shade, cultivation in the hills and cool temperatures. They are very slow in the initial stages so usually I plant them first, minimum temperature 18 C. degrees (65 F.) and no higher than 22 C. degrees (72 F.), humidity 90%, take from 1 week to 4 weeks to germinate.

 

- CAPSICUM FRUTESCENS: sow from February to April, to this category belong the Tabasco, the Malagueta and the Piri Piri African Devil, temperature between 20 C. degrees ( 70 F.) and 26 C. degrees (75 F.) max, humidity always around 90% and take from one to 3 weeks to germinate

 

 

I also link this video in which I show how the temperature of the grow tent can be different from the actual one of the Seed in the soil under the nylon film, take a look because there are various tips, put on the sub in English: Video on Temperature and Humidity in the Cultivation of all types of Chili Peppers - SemiStrani.it

 

If you are going to sow a lot of Seeds then you will need a Propagator Trays

 

Once you have decided which seedbed / propagator is for you, since you already know where to buy the Seeds and that is from Hot Chili Peppers Seeds by SemiStrani.it ah ah ah you just need the soil to start, you can find it here: Compost Soil for Sowing Vegetables

 

When you sow, remember these fundamental points that have already been addressed several times:

 

- The temperature to be sure that any Pepper Seed sprouts must be between 22 and 24 C. degrees (72 / 75 F.) CONSTANT, neither more nor less.

 

- The humidity must be around 90% / 99%, which can be achieved by placing a nylon kitchen film over the seedbed.

 

But let's finally move on to Practice! Take your Seeds and put them in a glass of water, or better still chamomile infusion, consider two or three sachets of chamomile for the equivalent of a glass of water, for the 48 - 72 hours prior to sowing, in doing so you will do understand to the Seed that it is time to Sprout and you will soften the Integument, if you choose the Chamomile option it goes without saying that it must be cold and not hot otherwise you will burn the Seeds. After soaking, take your seedbed or pot or propagator and fill it with sowing soil / compost. You must be absolutely sure that in the soil / compost you will use there is no trace of fertilizer, it must therefore be Light, otherwise you will risk burning the seeds. AND I RECOMMEND, since I am now an expert in all the classic beginner mistakes, do not use Soil from Supermarkets that are full of sawdust, nor use a Soil taken from the garden or from the countryside as it will be full of mushrooms and / or other kinds of pests and pathogens that will only create damage, so I REPEAT buy yourself a good Compost Vegetable Soil and you will not take any risks.

 

Take your Propagator and / or small glasses with a hole in the bottom and fill them with compost / soil up to one cm from the top, with a pen make a small hole in the surface of the compost about half a cm deep, sprinkle a little water, possibly warm, and lay a Seed by pulling it out directly from the bain-marie that you have made for the previous 48 - 72 hours in water or Chamomile, cover it delicately with compost and then plug the glass with the kitchen nylon film, to have a humidity that varies between 90% and 99%, at this point put the pot in your grow tent or on top of a decoder, modem or on your heating mat, you can also create a rudimentary mini-grow tent or mini-grow box with a plastic box and a heating mat. A classic mistake is to put the propagator on top of a radiator, DON'T DO IT, you will boil the Seeds. Another classic mistake is to sow them in a vase and expose them to direct sunlight, DON'T DO IT, you will burn the Seeds, which you will have to put in the dark or in dim light.

 

The critical point for Beginners is always the Temperature and Humidity, which I REPEAT UNTIL BORED must be at least 22 CONSTANT Celsius Degrees (72 F) for Capsicum Chinense and at least 18 Constant Celsius degrees (70 F.) for all the others, while the humidity must be by at least 80% to 99%. Another FUNDAMENTAL aspect is the CONSTANCE of the Temperature, a "Constant Temperature of at least 22 degrees" means that it must be at least 22 degrees ALWAYS, CONSTANTLY 24 hours a day, I know most of you will laugh to hear me say what CONSTANT means , but you have no idea how many times they said to me "Look the Seeds were not born to me yet I followed the directions of the Guide to the LETTER and my uncle / father / grandfather helped me who has been a Farmer all his life, but nothing nothing was born "and I answer" Ok, listen to how many degrees were the propagators? " answer, "eh during the day about 20-25 degrees" and I "yes but at night?" answer "eh at night about 10 degrees" my answer "do you know what constant temperature of at least 22 degrees means?" answer "oh yes but how do I do it we are not summer" ... this kind of conversation with different variations I have heard it do dozens of times, I even heard one complain because he had not born the super hot seeds sow in cold greenhouse in February, claiming that its south Italians chili seeds, however, have always been sprout like this ... if you know a little bit, but if you are reading this Guide maybe not, at this point you should burst into a thunderous laugh ... these Characters are then the ones who go to put the negative feedback on Amazon saying that the seeds were not good, actually and I know it well because I check the seeds one by one personally, ALL MY SEEDS ARE 100% VITAL, if they do not sprout it is because there is a structural error in the sowing, ALWAYS attributable to the temperature or humidity.

 

Here are some interesting Heating Mats suitable for Germination.

 

But back to the Practice: once you have prepared your propagators give a last sprinkle of water and cover with the nylon film, at this point put it all over your source of CONSTANT HEAT whether it is in the Grow Tent, Heating Mat, Modem or Decoder and do not touch anything for 3 or 4 days, then lift the film and sprinkle some water, be careful not to overdo it, the compost must be damp but NEVER wet and if there will be some condensation on the film nylon is a good sign. Cover again with the film and leave everything there, always at the CONSTANT TEMPERATURE of at least 22 degrees for another 3 or 4 days more and if you have done everything right you will begin to see your beloved Super Hot Chilli Pepper seedlings appear! Isn't that a huge joy? Obviously, as soon as the seedling has germinated, remove the nylon film.

 

To monitor the Temperature and Humidity the best thing is a Thermo-Hygrometer with Probe like this one: Thermometer Hygrometer with Probe

 

As soon as the Seeds have germinated, especially if you are still in January or February, you may need light for your seedlings, otherwise they will not grow, for this purpose you can place them near a south-facing window or put them under a Grow Lamp or 6,500 k cold light bulbs with as much lumens as possible, I explain it well in this special Guide to choosing the Grow Lamp.

 

In case you do not have or do not want to buy a Grow Lamp, the FREE solution to give light to your Peppers is to expose them to a window that has a lot of light and a few hours of sunshine as you can see in these photo:

 

 

 

 

The following photo by the great Luca Dasso shows how the chilli plants exposed to a south window enjoy the sun. As you can see, they are sheltered behind the glass that protects them from the cold while enjoying the sun that makes them grow.

 

 

 

 

THE VEGETATIVE PHASE

 

The Vegetative Phase is the moment that goes from Germination to the birth of the first flowers, then to Fruiting. In this period that goes more or less from spring to June, you will have to transplant the Chili Pepper Seedling from the initial Jar in which the Seed was born into a larger Pot, with a diameter of about 10 Cm by a height of about 10 Cm. Remove the seedling from the previous jar with extreme delicacy, possibly leaving the compost around the roots INTACT and place it in the new jar. In the new jar you will have to use a compost with fertilizer like this one.

 

About Fertilization, I recommend to use also something Bio like Chili Focus or Bio Grow Biobizz, I deal with every single topic in a specific way in the various Cultivation Guides. Start giving it when the plant has the fourth leaf in the quantity of 1 ml per liter of water once a week and continue increasing the dose, up to 5 ml of Bio Fertilizer, per liter of water, when the plant is adult up to a maximum of 10 ml per liter of water when the plant is in bloom, obviously on the label it says to do 5ml per liter of water because it is the dosage for an adult plant, you listen to me and start from the fourth leaf giving only one ml per liter of water. In the Bio Fertilizers indicated above there is everything that a Chilli Pepper plant needs and remember that a potted plant without fertilizer obviously does not find the nutrients it would find if it were in the Garden because its whole microcosm is the Pot, therefore without fertilizer it will turn yellow and will not grow, so it is essential and only you feed it, you are the "god of your pepper plant".

 

How to use Biobizz Bio-Grow Fertilizer and Bio Nitrozym Rooting when the Chili Pepper Seedlings are just born, put the English Sub on: How to use Organic Fertilizer and Rooting, doses and tricks

 

Here is a video of mine in which I show you (put the English Sub on) How to Transplant the Chili Pepper seedlings, especially when they are many and all close together, in this other video instead I show you what to do when they "spin": What to do when the chili pepper seedlings get too long, in jargon "spin".

 

There are usually 2 or 3 steps in the jar, starting from the initial seedbed or jar, as large as a plastic cup, then moving on to the intermediate vase that goes from 10 to 15 cm in diameter, usually carrying one liter to a one liter and half of compost, at that point when the intermediate pot is full of roots and is therefore ready for the final decanting, usually between the end of April and the end of May, you can decide to put the Chilli Pepper Plant in the Vegetable garden, therefore in full ground or if you put it in the final jar, which must be at least 7 or 8 liters for Capsicum Chinense and Capiscum Baccatum (the optimal one is 15/20 liters, but I personally have obtained good results even with 3 liters, if alas you don't have space) and jars of at least 5 liters for Capsicum Annuum, Pubescens and Frutescens (for them the optimal jar would be 12 - 15 liters).

 

 

REMEMBER:

 

- All the Chili Plants below 10 Celsius degrees die (50 F), so when you are in the phase where the day is hot and the night is cold, you will do well to expose the seedlings to the Sun in the morning and bring them back to the house in the warm in the evening. usually between March and May. You will be able to keep the Plants out all day starting from late May.

 

- All Chilli Plants below 20 Celsius degrees do not grow (35 F), the Sun is FUNDAMENTAL for them, without the Sun there is no Life, once adult the ideal situation would be to expose them to the Sun from sunrise to sunset, if this is not possible and you have your pots on the terrace make sure they stay in the sun for at least half a day otherwise, as mentioned, they will not grow.

 

- Expose the Chili Plants to the Sun as much as possible BUT be very careful to get used to them gradually so as not to risk burning them especially if they are still small. You have to be very careful the first days when there is full sun, usually from mid-March onwards, start getting used to the seedlings by putting them outside but in the shade, for example under a tree or under a table, this for a few days. , then start by leaving the plant in the direct sun for half an hour and see how it reacts, when it is big and accustomed you will have to leave it in the sun as much as possible, remember that the smaller the pot is, the more the sun lion will be a potential lethal weapon. To understand this concept well, watch my following video and put the English Sub on: How to gradually accustom the Chilli Plants to the Sun: the 4 day rule

 

- When you water the plants, do it by giving water directly to the base of the stem and NEVER nebulising on the leaves, the Chillies hate having wet leaves, especially if there is the sun. Coppery or any other anti-fungal agent. Watch this video of mine on this topic: How and When to Water Chillies

 

- Avoid watering too much, remember that Super Hot are used to being in very hot conditions and with sandy soils, if you water too much the leaves will turn whitish and the seedlings will die from drowning, let the soil dry and leave in that situation for one or two days and then water again. Obviously, the smaller the pot is, the more the soil will dry out quickly, especially if exposed to the sun, so it's up to you to understand in your particular situation when to water, in this experience plays a decisive role.

 

In case you decide to give the plants a chemical boost, use a Fertilizer with NPK 20-20-20 giving it one or two days before the Full Moon because that is the moment that they grow more, a maximum of 4 o 5 times a season. Remember to give an anti-fungal such as Copper Sulfate Powder 4 or 5 times a season immediately after the rain to protect the plants from leaf diseases.

 

Finally the last topic to be discussed is the defense from the hated Aphids, commonly called lice, even here there are various schools of thought, the rightly Bio, which uses Neem Oil or solutions with Marseille Soap and Garlic, especially in the preventive phase, or the one that uses chemistry, much easier to manage, if you have a plant strongly attacked by aphids and you want to save it, alas, you will only have to use a chemical insecticide.

 

Watch my following Video to defend the Chilli plants in an organic way from Insects and Leaf Diseases, put the English subs on: Neem Oil + Potassium Soft Soap, Bio Treatment against Aphids and Fungi for all vegetable plants

 

I repeat that I cover every single topic regarding every single aspect such as Grow Box, Heating Mat, Bio and Chemical Fertilizers, Compost, Leaf Diseases and Anti Fungicides, Aphids and Bio and Chemical Remedies in all the other Growing Guides.

 

 

FLOWERING AND COLLECTION OF CHILI PEPPERS

 

We are more or less in the period from May to June and the first flowers begin to bloom on our beautiful Chilli Plants. It is a great satisfaction right? Good! At this stage you will only have to remember to water your plants, not too much, in case some flowers fall without attaching it is normal, it is called Cascola, you will see that with the first real heat the situation will improve, otherwise ask for advice in the Facebook Group Semi Strani.

 

Towards July the Chillies will take shape and as soon as they have changed color they will be ready to be picked and eaten, usually this takes place between August and October, fruiting could arrive depending on where you live until late November.

 

Now, after so much effort, you have reached the point of having lots of Chillies and what to do with them? You can make Spicy Oil of Olive, Spicy Powders, Pastas of all kinds, Spicy Sauces, Stuffed Peppers, Hot Burgers and Sausages and so on ... take a look at the Spicy Recipes Page.

 

Also check out my Video and put the English subs on: How to make a bottle of Super Spicy Oil of Olive

 

 

WHAT TO DO WITH PLANTS AFTER THE HARVEST

 

These Pepper Plants (Capsicum Chinense) are tropical plants, they live for 5 or 6 years if treated properly. In their natural environment, that is, where winter never comes, once they are large, after about 5 or 6 months from Germination, being in a perennial summer they continually continue to make flowers and fruits to eat, unfortunately it is not possible here. because when temperatures drop below 10 degrees the plants slowly begin to die. So what to do if you are fond of your favorite Chilli Pepper Plant? You can try to "overwinter it", that is you can do a nice pruning leaving only the main trunk and a few leaves and put the plant in a smaller pot and keep it warm indoors, possibly near a window exposed to south and you will see that around February of the following year it will throw back and be ready to give you some nice Chillies, in the following Video I'll show you how to do it: How to make the Chili Plants over winter, pruning and advice

 

If you manage to overwinter the Chilli Plants, watch the Video that explains what to do then: How to treat the Chilli Plants overwintered the following spring

 

Alternatively, my passion of the last few months, you can try to transform your Adult Chilli Pepper Plants into Bonsai to keep at home ... I talk about it in this Video: How to make a Bonsai of a Chili Pepper Plant