Carolina Reaper Plants Uk? Quick Answer

If you want to grow sun-like heat, there’s nothing wickeder than the Carolina Reaper. This is the hottest pepper in the world, so don’t approach this chili lightly. The oils of this pepper can cause severe chili burns even when still whole on the bush, so exercise caution when planting Carolina Reaper. Use gloves when tending your plants and double up on kitchen glasses when cooking with this pepper. Still here? Ready for the extreme of extremes? Let’s review what you need to know to successfully grow Carolina Reaper peppers.

The Carolina Reaper is one of the hottest peppers in the world – be careful when harvesting

Table of Contents

Carolina Reaper plants fast facts

Scoville Heat Units The Carolina Reaper’s rating on the Scoville scale ranges from 1,400,000 – 2,200,000 SHU. PepperScale Profile Page pepperscale.com/carolina-reaper Buy Carolina Reaper Seeds Buy from Amazon Light Requirements Like most hot peppers, Carolina Reaper require full sun. Soil Requirements You should plant your Carolina Reaper in well-drained soil that is rich in organic matter. 5-10-5 fertilizer is recommended. Space Requirement Plant seedlings about 4 feet from adjacent plants. Water Requirements Plants should be given at least 2 inches of water per week, but be careful to avoid overwatering. Maturity Carolina Reaper plants take about 90 days to reach the point of sexual maturity where they are ready to bear fruit. Plant Size When planted in the ground or in a large enough container, Carolina Reaper plants will grow to about 5 feet tall and 4 feet wide. Chili-sized peppers are 1 to 3 inches long and 1 to 3 inches wide. Container Size The Carolina Reaper is a container friendly plant; You will need a container that is at least three gallons in capacity.

Buy Reaper Seeds Wayland Chiles Carolina Reaper Seeds $6.50 Growing Reaper is definitely something you can do at home. Just handle them very carefully, even if they are fully attached to the plant. Buy Now We earn a commission when you click this link and make a purchase at no additional cost to you.

Location and Season: Where and When is Carolina Reaper Grown?

As with most super hot peppers, you’re better off growing your Carolina Reapers indoors. Move the seedlings outside when there is no longer any danger of frost and they have reached a height of at least 15 cm. You should only do this when daytime temperatures average around 70 degrees Fahrenheit and nighttime temperatures don’t dip below 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Like most peppers, Carolina Reapers do best in warm weather but have little tolerance for weather above 85°F. Too hot weather can cause them to lose flowers and stop producing fruit.

Carolina Reapers prefer soil with a pH of around 6.5.

–> Additional Reading: Fertilizing Pepper Plants: The What, When and How

If you are growing your Carolina Reaper in a container, note that 3 gallons is the minimum container size, but is not optimal. Ideally you should place them in a 5 gallon container, otherwise they may not be as productive as they can be.

Feeding and Watering Carolina Reaper Plants: How Often and How Much

Fish emulsion or 5-10-5 fertilizer works well to fertilize your pepper plant. Don’t start fertilizing until your Carolina Reaper has started flowering. You should also supply your pepper plant with magnesium in the form of Epsom salts. You should avoid fertilizing with nitrogen-rich fertilizers; these will not be beneficial for fruit production.

Optimally Balanced Fertilizer Howard Johnson’s 5-10-5 Fertilizer (15 lbs) $34.03 Buy Now We earn a commission if you click through this link and make a purchase at no additional cost to you.

Give the pepper plant about 2 inches of water weekly, but reduce that amount once fruit is on the plant. Water stress can help increase the spiciness of your peppers.

-> Learn more: How to grow hot peppers

Carolina Reaper Harvest: When to Pick

You can pick your Carolina Reapers while they’re green, but you’ll get more pungency and flavor if you wait until they’re ripe. Reapers turn bright red when ripe.

Note that these are very hot peppers, so it’s best to handle them with care. Consider wearing disposable latex gloves when harvesting. Otherwise, you can get a bad case of chili burn from the oils in these peppers (even if you just touch them). Also, learn how to treat chili burn beforehand.

Carolina Reaper Plant Care: What to look out for

Mosaic is a common pepper disease transmitted by aphids and whitefly. Pepper Mosaic gives narrow, thickened leaves. For heavily infested plants, only uprooting and discarding the plants will help prevent healthy plants from becoming infected. To control an aphid problem, consider getting ladybugs as they are predators of the aphid. Learn more about controlling aphids here.

Other control methods include spraying water to manually remove them from the plant and using insecticidal soap.

Read our Carolina Reaper comparisons

Our showdowns compare two chillies in heat, taste and use. How similar are they? Different?

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If you don’t want to bother with spring seed starting, or if you have a particular pepper plant that you love, try overwintering it and you’ll have more peppers earlier in the season. With some indoor pepper winter care, you can keep your pepper plants alive through the winter freezes. If your peppers are in the garden, you need to dig them up, plant them in a container and bring them indoors. If you are planning to overwinter pepper plants, be aware that this will keep the plant alive but will not produce fruit. To produce fruit, peppers require higher temperatures and more light than average US homes can provide during the winter. Overwintering peppers isn’t overly complicated, but below are a few tips to make the process successful.

Note: If you live in a warmer climate that doesn’t experience frost and doesn’t get too cold, your plants should do well outside over the winter. I’m in Southern California and keep my container grown plants outside all winter. I just water them every now and then, and they’re ready to pick up right where they left off once spring rolls around.

For places that experience frost, here are the steps to keep these plants alive.

Planting peppers is a time-consuming but rewarding process. Watching your peppers grow to produce the highest possible yield brings a sense of accomplishment that all the hard work has totally paid off. Of course, knowing if your pepper yield is good, bad, or somewhere in between is an open-ended question. So how many peppers per plant can you count on?

With all the different types of peppers on the market, it is impossible to get the same yield from every plant at harvest. The number of fruits produced depends, among other things, on the type of peppers planted, the watering schedule, the temperature and time for planting, and the success of pollination. However, the following is a guide to a general number of peppers per plant among some of the most common types. We look at both the amount of fruit on a plant at any given time, as well as the potential total seasonal yield when your grow and harvest are fully optimized.

Jalapeños can carry an average of 25 to 35 chilies on one plant at a time

Table of Contents

Expected peppers per plant (at a time and per season)

paprika

A pepper is one of the largest fruits among the pepper varieties. In general, peppers with larger fruits often tend to have lower yields than smaller ones. Therefore, on average, a healthy large pepper will produce 2 to 4 fruits per plant at any given time and 8 to 10 bells in a season.

banana pepper

Given the right growing conditions and care, a banana pepper plant can produce anywhere from 25 to 50 pods that will eventually grow into bell peppers. In the course of the season, with an optimal harvest, this means 100 to 150 banana peppers.

Poblano pepper

A poblano pepper can grow up to 5 feet tall and so wide that you may need to tie its branches together to prevent them from breaking. On average, a poblano plant in a typical container or garden (2 feet tall) will yield 4 to 8 chilies per plant at any one time and up to 20 to 40 per season. But a poblano pepper plant allowed to grow to full size (5+ feet) can produce over 145 peppers in a season.

Anaheim Pepper

Anaheim pepper is a perennial plant that can grow up to 1.5 feet tall and produces peppers continuously for about three years. Because of their size, there are about 4 to 8 peppers per plant at any one time, and you will harvest about 20-40 Anaheim peppers per plant in one season.

Jalapeno chilli

The jalapeño is a medium-sized chili pepper that can grow up to three inches when ripe. A jalapeño plant will produce between 25 and 35 chilies at a time, and when picked green, a jalapeño plant can produce 100 chilies over a season. If you prefer ripe red jalapeños, this yield will decrease as each jalapeño requires more time on the bush before harvest.

Serrano pepper

Serrano peppers are similar in size to jalapeños, but the plants can grow up to 5 feet tall. Each serrano plant produces between 30 and 50 peppers at a time, and over a season a serrano plant can produce upwards of 100 to 150 chilies. Again, it depends heavily on whether you choose green or red, among other things.

cayenne pepper

Cayenne is a chili pepper plant native to South America that can grow anywhere from 2 to 5 feet tall. Since most cayenne peppers use red, the yield suffers compared to other chilies on this list, but it’s still quite a yield. On average, a healthy cayenne plant will produce between 30 and 80 ripe red cayenne peppers over the course of a season.

Thai pepper

Thai peppers are tiny, between 2 and 3 inches. Thai pepper plants can therefore accommodate up to 40 to 75 chili peppers at a time. This is a chilli that is often picked red, so the yield can easily be reduced over a season. However, it is still a big producer. Expect a total of 100 to 150 chilies over the course of a season when picked optimally for yield.

Habanero Pepper

A habanero plant typically grows tall and can reach up to 36 inches. Because habanero peppers are small, they produce higher yields than peppers and Anaheim peppers. Expect the habanero pepper to have 30 to 40 chilies per plant at any given time. Expect between 80 and 90 habaneros per plant per season.

spirit pepper

Ghost peppers have a longer growing season than many chillies, so their seasonal cycle can be a round shorter than many other chilies. A healthy ghost pepper plant can produce anywhere from 40 to 50 ghost peppers per plant and up to 80 to 100 ghost peppers over a season.

7 pot pepper

The Trinidad 7 Pot Pepper plant has strikingly large leaves and grows between 2 and 4 feet tall. It is also slow growing and the chilies are usually picked when they are ripe. The 7 hot pepper plant will produce up to 40 to 50 chilies at a time. Expect a total yield of 80 to 100 7-pot peppers over a season.

Scorpion Pepper

A mature scorpion plant will grow up to 4 feet tall. Expect an average sized scorpion pepper plant to produce 30 to 40 chilies at a time and 60 to 80 over a season (since they are picked at full red maturity). If it is a larger plant, the amounts can vary quite a bit.

Carolina Reaper

Known as the hottest pepper in the world, Carolina Reaper requires extreme care when planting and harvesting. With the right growing conditions and care, a fully grown Carolina reaper will produce between 20 and 30 chilies per plant at any one time. Expect a yield of 50 to 70 chilies over a season.

How can you multiply your peppers per plant?

Nothing can be more frustrating than waiting all season for your peppers only to end up with 3 or 4 sickly looking chilies. If you’ve been there before, you can try these four simple steps to give your pepper production a big boost in the future.

Start planting your peppers indoors: Depending on your location, start planting your peppers indoors 6-8 weeks before frost. This gives your plants the longer growing season they need for multiple harvests in a season and allows them to fully mature and produce outdoors.

: Depending on your location, start planting your peppers indoors 6-8 weeks before frost. This gives your plants the longer growing season they need for multiple harvests in a season and allows them to fully mature and produce outdoors. Use Appropriate Soil for Planting Peppers: Growing healthy pepper plants starts with a healthy environment. If you want to start planting indoors before taking your plant outside, you will need two different soils, one for planting the seedlings and one for transplanting.

: Growing healthy pepper plants starts with a healthy environment. If you want to start planting indoors before taking your plant outside, you will need two different soils, one for planting the seedlings and one for transplanting. Keep Peppers at Their Ideal Temperatures: Peppers tend to thrive in warmer temperatures, between 70 and 80 degrees F. Extreme cold or hot temperatures reduce pepper yield due to stress.

: Peppers typically thrive well in warmer temperatures, between 70 and 80 degrees F. Extreme cold or hot temperatures reduce pepper yields due to stress. Mulching: Mulching the bases of pepper plants keeps them moist and protected while improving their overall health. Once your plants start the transition from flowering to fruiting, add some compost as fertilizer.

Reasons why your pepper plant is not producing

There can be many reasons why you’re not seeing great pepper yields, and it could be a mixture of a few that are causing the problem. Here are the most common reasons to consider if you don’t see the per-plant peppers you prefer.

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If your pepper plant crops have been particularly successful, it can be tempting to try to keep them from dying off over the winter. It’s especially tempting if you live somewhere where winters really aren’t that bad.

Unfortunately for pepper lovers, pepper plants in most regions of North America will die during the winter if left outdoors. However, with proper housekeeping and variety, you may be able to overwinter your pepper plants successfully.

This may surprise gardeners with experience growing peppers. However, the key to success with peppers — indoors or out — is temperature.

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Bell peppers are a warm-season crop that thrives in mild springs and warm summers. If that doesn’t describe your climate, don’t be discouraged! Peppers can also be a rewarding crop in zones with a wide temperature range.

Optimal growth conditions for peppers

Whether you want to grow sweet peppers or hot, hot chili peppers, the optimal growing conditions are very similar.

temperature

It will surprise many North American gardeners to learn that pepper plants are perennials; After a period of rest, they return in the spring.

However, in the United States and other temperate zones around the world, peppers are grown as annuals because they cannot adapt to low winter temperatures and less daylight (source).

Peppers are not frost tolerant at all, but winter temperatures don’t even have to hover around freezing to be fatal to peppers. Once temperatures are consistently below 50℉, pepper plants will die before dying entirely (source). Seeds planted directly into the ground will not germinate at all at temperatures below 55℉ (source).

Peppers are related to tomatoes but grow more slowly. This can be frustrating for gardeners in northern zones where temperatures below 55℉ are common by May or June. Because those low temperatures can return by September, pepper growers in these areas have a relatively short growing season.

The bottom line is that if you live in an area where temperatures regularly dip below 50-55℉, you can expect your peppers to behave more like annuals than perennials. You can help the soil retain some heat by laying down black plastic mulch or other untreated mulch.

soil and fertilizer

Peppers do well in very slightly acidic soil (pH 6.5-7). Before transplanting seedlings, break up the soil to allow their roots to establish (source).

The soil should retain moisture but drain well. Breaking up the soil before transplanting should help with this.

Compost is the best fertilizer for peppers. If a soil test reveals that your soil is low in phosphorus, you can apply a fertilizer containing phosphorus; If not, phosphorus is not required.

Nitrogen should be used with caution when adding it to the soil of your peppers. Over-feeding with nitrogen will cause your peppers to become bushy and can delay fruit set.

Peppers are also susceptible to the weed killers in some weed and feed fertilizers, so avoid fertilizing your peppers with them.

If you’re planting seedlings directly in the ground instead of growing them in a container or raised bed, avoid planting in soil where other nightshade crops (eggplant, potato, tomato, tomatillo, or other peppers) have grown in the last three or four years years have grown.

This protects your new pepper plants from harmful bacteria or soil-borne diseases that affect nightshades (source).

sunlight and water requirements

Peppers require full sun (6-8 hours per day). If growing peppers from seed indoors, use a grow light and try to maintain a soil temperature of around 80°C (source).

Constant, thorough moisture is ideal for peppers. Avoid waterlogging the soil, but water deep enough to encourage healthy root development. If your region receives at least an inch of rainfall per week during the growing season, you may not need to water much more.

Peppers planted in sandy soil will need more frequent watering, since sand does not retain moisture as well as loam or clay.

Overwinter peppers

Advantages of Hibernation

Overwintering peppers is definitely worth the effort if you do some pre-planning and care during the dormant period.

Overwintering allows your plants to maintain their mature root system, allowing them to recover faster in spring. It also gives you a better return on the time and effort you’ve already put into your pepper crops – a win-win!

Before planting

If you want to try overwintering your peppers, it’s much easier to plant them in containers or portable raised beds. Mature plants can be removed from the ground and replanted, but growers who choose this approach will likely damage the roots of their peppers quite severely.

When to move your peppers

Peppers are not frost tolerant at all and will begin to die off before temperatures get anywhere near freezing. Because of this, it is important to move them to a shelter once temperatures are consistently between 55-65℉.

Another indicator that it’s time to move your peppers is the amount of sunlight they get each day. If you’re having a warm fall, or are just experiencing unseasonably warm temperatures, your peppers will still die if they don’t get 6-8 hours of direct sun a day (source).

How to store your peppers

Start by cutting back your peppers. This reduces the need for nutrients and sunlight in winter.

If you have a greenhouse, you can take your peppers there as long as the temperature in the greenhouse stays around 50-55℉.

Keeping your peppers in a greenhouse isn’t the only way to overwinter them. You can also keep them in a garage or some other sheltered place with a grow light.

Reduce watering. Your plants won’t need as much because they don’t use nearly as much.

Avoid fertilizing until spring. Some die-off is normal and nothing to panic about.

What to expect from your peppers in winter

If you choose to overwinter your peppers, your goal is simply to keep them alive.

With temperatures around 50-55℉, your mature plants will stay alive under a grow light, but they will enter a period of ‘stasis’. This means you won’t see active growth, but your plants won’t die either.

This may seem disappointing to growers hoping to harvest fresh peppers all winter. But even if you maintained ideal growing temperatures with grow lights and heaters (which could get very expensive), your peppers still wouldn’t fruit without a pollinator. (See Why aren’t my pepper plants producing? for more tips on troubleshooting production issues.)

Bring your peppers back outside once spring temperatures consistently return to 55℉ or higher (source).

Hardy varieties

You can increase your chances of overwintering success by looking for pepper varieties that can tolerate cooler temperatures. Some nurseries and seed catalogs offer pepper varieties that are hardy, broadly adapted, or precocious. These are great options for gardeners in northern regions with shorter growing seasons.

Most hardy peppers are sweet or mild. You may also have better luck with varieties that produce small fruits that are generally more tolerant of both cold and heat.

Cold-tolerant varieties include:

Obriy, a relatively new pepper variety. Obriy tolerates both cold and heat and bears fruit in about 80 days.

Ratund, another pepper. She produces small red fruits in about 90 days.

Ace, an excellent choice for short growing seasons. Ace bears fruit in just 50-70 days.

Highlander, an Anaheim hot pepper that ripens in 65 days.

Carmen, a sweet Italian variety that bears fruit in 60-80 days.

Doorknob, a very sweet heirloom pepper. Doorknob matures in about 85 days.

King of the North, a very productive pepper that ripens in 70-75 days.

Conclusion

Pepper plants can be successfully grown as annuals in all regions of the United States, but overwintering may allow you to maintain your peppers as perennials. With some sheltered space, a grow light, and a little care, you can enjoy your favorite peppers for years!

How long do chili plants live?

It depends on growing conditions, strain, location, weather and your zone. In tropical climates without cold winters, peppers can live for many years and grow into small trees or shrubs.

Here are the five main varieties of peppers and their typical lifespans when grown in tropical or indoor conditions all year round:

Capsicum annuum: 1.5-3 years

These are the shortest lived peppers and are best grown as annuals every year. Although “annum” is Latin for “annual,” these can still be perennial plants when grown in tropical climates. These include Bell Peppers sweet/Italian Peppers, Serrano Cayenne Paprika Hatch Chile Peppers NuMex Twilight pepper Jalapeños New Mexican Chile These are the shortest lived peppers and are best grown as an annual each year. Although “annum” is Latin for “annual,” these can still be perennial plants when grown in tropical climates. These include ornamental peppers like the gorgeous ones and all fast growing ones. These pepper plants can live between 1.5 and 3 years. We find that the strains really do produce best in the first year, they don’t produce much when grown longer, so planting fresh plants each season is best for the biggest harvests.

However, many people report that peppers grow much longer than the average lifespan. Here are what some other chili plant growers had to say:

They say chiltepins can live 35-50 years if not exposed to harsh frosts.

I have seen 10 year old chili plants protected from frost.

I have seen bird pepper “trees” on some Pacific islands that were 10-15 cm in diameter in their woody trunks.

Production usually falls off after about 5 or 6 years, but they can live a few decades or more.

Many people have mentioned more than a decade, but an article I read said that 20-25 years is not out of the realm of possibility

I had a Trinidad Scorpion in the ground in Arizona for three years until a hard freeze came one winter.

I think it varies by variety, but I know someone who kept a hot pepper alive for 7 years. It was big!

We would like to know something about your pepper plants. How long have you been growing pepper plants?

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Pepper plants are perennial in nature, which means that given the right conditions, they can live for many years. However, many occasional gardeners simply start with sowing each year – but that’s not necessary!

Overwintering pepper plants is a (pretty) easy way to keep your pepper plants alive longer. Winter weather is inhospitable to pepper plants, so some space must be created indoors for them to overwinter for a few months.

In this article, I share the techniques I use to overwinter peppers. The process seems traumatic, especially for a beginner, but it will be worth it when spring comes.

Overwinter the pepper plant.

What is hibernation?

Since pepper plants cannot tolerate hard frost, many growers are faced with a decision. Compost the plants at the end of fall or try to keep them alive through the winter.

If you have a heated greenhouse, you’re in luck. For the rest of us who have real winter, the only option left is to hibernate.

In general, hibernation is the process of bringing an outdoor plant indoors to keep it alive through the winter months. This is necessary for any non-hardy plants that would otherwise die in freezing weather.

With peppers, overwintering plants is relatively easy and rewarding. They are extremely resilient and usually come back stronger than ever after “hibernating” indoors.

Most growers choose to force the plants into a dormant state and produce very little new foliage over the winter. You can try growing peppers indoors, but the risk of bringing pests indoors increases.

Overwintering peppers (video)

Why overwinter peppers?

First of all, I think it’s important to consider whether you should even bother to hibernate. There are a few good reasons for this, but some growers may prefer to simply start seeding each year.

The main reason for overwintering is to give the plants a head start the following year. The already established root system allows the plant to regrow faster, ideally leading to an improved yield.

Another reason you may want to winterize is to preserve a special pepper plant. We like to breed unique strains, and if we get a plant with particularly strong traits, we can overwinter it. This could mean a plant that exhibits no disease, a heavy yield, delicious peppers, or above-average heat.

You’re reading this article, so I assume that’s what you’re planning to do, so let me share some of the pros and cons of overwintering your peppers.

advantages

Faster growth in spring . As previously mentioned, overwintered plants often recover quickly once temperatures rise. The large, established root ball bounces back immediately and the plant shoots out new growth quickly.

. As previously mentioned, overwintered plants often recover quickly once temperatures rise. The large, established root ball bounces back immediately and the plant shoots out new growth quickly. Bigger Yields. The rapid growth in spring results in more branches and leaves, ultimately resulting in a better yield compared to plants grown from seed.

. The rapid growth in spring results in more branches and leaves, ultimately resulting in a better yield compared to plants grown from seed. Grow peppers indoors (optional). Although we don’t recommend it, overwintered plants can be used to produce peppers all winter long. With a grow light and a warm room, your plants can pod all winter. If you want to grow peppers indoors, we recommend starting fresh from seed in a clean environment to avoid pest problems.

Disadvantages

pests . Aphids, mites, fungus gnats, oh my god! These aren’t creatures you want in your indoor grow space. Without natural predators to feast on them, plant pests can run rampant indoors. We take several precautions to avoid bringing pests, eggs or larvae indoors with our plants.

. Aphids, mites, fungus gnats, oh my god! These are creatures you want in your indoor grow space. Without natural predators to feast on them, plant pests can run rampant indoors. We take several precautions to avoid bringing pests, eggs or larvae indoors with our plants. extra effort. For some growers, the extra effort of pruning, soil replacement, and repotting isn’t worth it. With the right technique, your plants grown from seed can produce extremely well, so you may prefer to keep it simple rather than overwinter.

With a basic understanding of overwintering and its pros and cons, let’s start preparing the pepper plants!

When to start overwintering peppers

Before you start digging up plants, you should first understand when to start the process. Winter preparations should start as late as possible to allow late peppers to mature.

In short, begin the wintering process when nighttime temperatures begin to drop to around 40 degrees Fahrenheit (~7°C). Pepper plants will begin to show signs of stress at this point, dropping leaves and reducing growth.

Tip: If you have a few leftover peppers that are unripe, take the plant to a garage or shed on cold nights. This can help extend the season by a few weeks until cold temperatures are more permanent.

How do you overwinter pepper plants?

Now for the fun part! Once you’ve got your timing dialed in, all you need is some basic supplies and about an hour to transplant your peppers.

Deliveries:

Clean pot (between 0.5 and 3 gallons)

Fresh potting soil (unopened)

water

mixing bowl

Strong secateurs

hose with spray nozzle (to clean the roots)

Neem Oil and Castile Soap (optional)

Bucket of clean water (optional)

With everything in hand, let’s start overwintering our pepper plants.

How to overwinter peppers (steps) Prepare new soil. In a clean mixing bowl, add enough fresh soil to fill your overwintering pot. Make sure the pot is also cleaned with warm soapy water. Add some water to the soil and mix thoroughly until it has the moisture content of a wrung out sponge. The soil should be moist but not drip water when pressed. Add 1-2 inches of soil to the pot. Add about 1-2″ of the pre-moistened soil to the new pot and gently compress. This will provide a place for the roots to sit comfortably. Harvest and cut back pepper plants. Outdoors, remove any remaining peppers from your plant and trim back the branches. We like to leave several nodes on the main stem, but some growers prune back to a small stump (only 3-4″ tall). As long as there are at least a few knots, the plant should be able to regrow. Remove all leaves. The leaves are the perfect hiding place for aphids and other insects. To be on the safe side, remove every single leaf from the plant. This part can feel wrong, like you’re killing the plant, but it’s still alive. The roots and stem remain alive and can later grow back from each node. Remove the root ball and clean up any soil. This is the final dramatic step in avoiding pests. The soil is another breeding ground for many insects, including fungus gnats. Remove the root ball by loosening the pot and pulling the plant out to the side. Then use your hands to loosen the soil and remove soil. Use a hose to spray the remaining soil off the roots. At the end, the root ball should have very little to no soil left. cut off roots. Using scissors or secateurs, trim the roots to the approximate size of your overwintering pot. Excess roots can become tangled. Perform a neem oil dunk (optional). This step is an additional protection against remaining pests. Fill a bucket with about 3 gallons of water and add 1 tablespoon each of neem oil and castile soap. Mix thoroughly and dip your plant both ways and let sit for a few minutes. This should take care of any aphids or other insects remaining in the roots. Repot in fresh soil. Place the bare root ball back indoors in the prepared pot. Hold the plant with the main stem about an inch from the top of the pot and start adding fresh soil around the roots. Use your fingers to gently tuck the soil into the loose roots. Once the soil is at the surface of the roots, gently squeeze and fill up. Pour and put in a cool place. Apply gentle watering to moisten the roots. Place the plant in an area with some ambient light (a window is fine) and a temperature between 13-18°C (55-65°F). A garage, shed, or mud room usually works best, but be sure to monitor the temperature. Don’t let temperatures get too cold as this can cause plants to become overly stressed (more on temperature below). Cut off any extra leaves weekly. As the plant adapts to its new conditions, it may attempt to produce additional branches and/or leaves. These pose a risk of attracting pests, so I usually keep the leaves trimmed until the plant is ready for spring. When temperatures are kept cold, plants grow much more slowly.

Note: There is always a risk that a pepper plant will not survive this process. It’s traumatic, but in our experience the plants are surprisingly resilient!

What about plants in the ground?

With soil plants, the process is almost identical. The only change is how you remove the root ball from the ground. We use a spade to dig the bottom of the plant, roughly the size of the pot.

Dig up a pepper plant for the winter.

Once your pepper plant is positioned, you can mostly leave it as is. However, it’s still important to check for pests, temperature, and regular watering. From here, moving outdoors is the next big change!

Frequently asked questions about wintering

We get a lot of questions about wintering, so here are some of the most common ones. Hopefully these can help you feel confident about trying it yourself.

What is the best container size for overwintering peppers? We like to downsize to a smaller container (0.5-1 gallon) to save indoor space. This allows us to overwinter more plants. However, you can keep the pot size bigger and keep more of the root system intact if you have room for it inside!

Why cut off all the leaves? The leaves serve as a food source for aphids and other sap-sucking insects. Since the goal is “overwintering,” the leaves are more of a risk than a benefit. Rest assured, if your plant survives the initial pruning, new leaves will grow from the nodes on each stem. You’ll likely see him try this a few weeks after bringing him indoors!

Should I cut back new foliage growing indoors? After you bring the plants indoors, your plants will likely start growing new leaves within 1-2 weeks. We normally cut back new foliage every 2 weeks to keep the plants tidy but you can let them grow out if you wish. The cooler the temperature, the fewer leaves will grow.

What is the ideal temperature for overwintering peppers? If possible, keep the temperature cool, between 13 and 18 °C. This will dramatically slow the plant’s growth rate and help induce the desired dormant period. As it gets warmer, the plant is constantly trying to grow new branches and leaves, which requires more maintenance. When it gets colder, the plants can experience too much stress.

How much should I fertilize an overwintering pepper plant? We do not recommend fertilizing at all. You can simply use a potting soil that contains a certain nutrient content. This is enough to keep the plant from dying as growth is not the goal.

How much should I water during the winter? With temperatures hovering around 50 degrees Fahrenheit, peppers won’t grow much, if at all. That means less water consumption. In our experience, the plants usually only need water about every 2 weeks. The larger the pot, the longer you can go between watering. Be careful not to water too much!

How much light is needed for wintering? Lighting is similar to watering – not much is needed. Some natural daylight through a window is enough for peppers to overwinter. If you are wintering in a windowless space, a small grow light for 2-3 hours daily should be sufficient.

Do I need to harden off an overwintered pepper plant? Hardening is the process of gradually adapting a houseplant to the outdoors. We recommend hardening overwintered plants in the same way as fresh seedlings. However, the new shoots should adapt more quickly to the sunlight.

Tips for overwintering peppers

Along with the basic steps and conditions, I have a few tips for wintering. These should help keep the plants healthy and happy throughout the winter and keep the pests at bay.

Use fresh potting soil in bags. Fresh soil is a must for overwintering peppers. If you can find it, use bagged soil that has no holes. The holes can invite insects to come in and lay eggs in the ground.

. Fresh soil is a must for overwintering peppers. If you can find it, use bagged soil that has no holes. The holes can invite insects to come in and lay eggs in the ground. Sterilize soil (optional) . To be extra careful, some growers recommend sterilizing the soil in the oven. The soil should be heated to around 200°F for 10-15 minutes. This kills all pathogens, but also good bacteria. For a healthier soil ecosystem, plan on potting in fresh unsterilized soil in the spring.

. To be extra careful, some growers recommend sterilizing the soil in the oven. The soil should be heated to around 200°F for 10-15 minutes. This kills all pathogens, but also good bacteria. For a healthier soil ecosystem, plan on potting in fresh unsterilized soil in the spring. Put sand on the ground. We’ve heard that adding 1-2″ of sand or vermiculite to the surface of the fresh soil can prevent insects from crawling to the surface. I haven’t verified its effectiveness, but the method sounds good in theory.

. We’ve heard that adding 1-2″ of sand or vermiculite to the surface of the fresh soil can prevent insects from crawling to the surface. I haven’t verified its effectiveness, but the method sounds good in theory. Check regularly for pests. We check our overwintering pepper plants every 1-2 days to keep a close eye on pests. If pests are spotted, move the plant immediately and identify the pest in question. Treat the problem quickly and consider separating the plant from all others that are not affected.

. We check our overwintering pepper plants every 1-2 days to keep a close eye on pests. If pests are spotted, move the plant immediately and identify the pest in question. Treat the problem quickly and consider separating the plant from all others that are not affected. Keep overwintering plants away from the sowing area. As there is always a risk of pests, we keep our overwintering plants far from our typical growing area. The last thing we need is an aphid problem in our seed starting station!

. As there is always a risk of pests, we keep our overwintering plants far from our typical growing area. The last thing we need is an aphid problem in our seed starting station! Always keep temperatures cool. Cool temperatures are always recommended to slow growth. Peppers can survive well in cool temperatures and grow very slowly. This is ideal for overwintering, as growth is only desired in the spring.

These tips can help increase the chances of a successful overwintering. Although the plants are relatively low-maintenance, they still require regular attention.

Dealing with pests in the house

If you find an unwanted pest on your houseplant, it needs to be dealt with immediately. Unfortunately, options are limited as many pests are difficult to control.

Aphids are one of the worst pests to bring indoors as they can multiply quickly. A single aphid can become a full-blown infestation because it doesn’t need multiple individuals to reproduce.

Keep infested plants separate. The most important thing is to immediately separate all plants affected by pests. As insects reproduce, they can migrate from one plant to another. That is why we always keep overwintered plants away from our seeding area in case of an infestation.

. The most important thing is to immediately separate all plants affected by pests. As insects reproduce, they can migrate from one plant to another. That is why we always keep overwintered plants away from our seeding area in case of an infestation. Spray with neem oil or insecticidal soap. Aphids feed on young leaf growth first, so always hold back new leaves as they appear. If the aphids still survive, use a diluted neem solution to spray the affected plants once every 2-3 days (recipe here).

. Aphids feed on young leaf growth first, so always hold back new leaves as they appear. If the aphids still survive, use a diluted neem solution to spray the affected plants once every 2-3 days (recipe here). Soak the soil with neem or peroxide. For fungus gnats, using a 20% ratio of hydrogen peroxide and water to soak the soil can kill them. Do not spray this on the plant itself, just through the soil and root system.

Pests are part of the risk of bringing outdoor plants indoors. No matter how hard we try, there is always a chance that an egg or person will survive and cause problems.

Back outside

After a few months of plant dormancy, your peppers will be eager to get back outside to start growing again. When temperatures rise, you can simply start moving the plants outside as usual.

We basically just add our overwintered plants with our seedlings as they harden off. Because the overwintered plants have no leaves, hardening is less critical. The new foliage is immediately exposed to sunlight, making it more resilient in direct sun.

repot

If you’ve downsized your plant’s container, you can transplant it to a larger container a few weeks before moving it outdoors. If you have enough space indoors, you can grow in pots as big as you like. We find that anything between 3 and 10 gallons works well for most peppers.

Transplanting works just like transplanting seedlings into larger pots, but on a larger scale. If you put the plant in the ground, make sure you harden off the spot where the plant will be planted.

I wish you the best of luck overwintering your pepper plants. Some readers have told us their plants have been alive for 8 years or more! The effort is certainly worth it for some growers, myself included.

How old do chilies get?

How old chilli plants can get depends on the variety and the climate. There are about 28 wild forms of Capsicum. With the beginning of agriculture in Central America more than 6,000 years ago, the cultivation of chilies for yield began. This resulted in five varieties that are still used today for the cultivation of chilies.

Depending on the chilli variety, the plant can grow to different ages:

Capsicum is the botanical name for chilies, peppers and hot peppers. Depending on the type, chillies can be between 1.5 and 15 years old. The wild species Chilitepin grows persistently as a small shrub. In the Texas, Arizona, and Florida region, this wild species can survive 35-50 years without frost. This can make the presumed ancestor of Capsicum annuum the oldest chilli plant in the world in two respects.

Annuum means a year, which is not literal. Any chili can be grown as an annual if it dies from frost in winter. However, if Capsicum annuum chili plants are protected from frost, they usually bear fruit the following year. Experience has shown that this strain can easily reach 18 months of age. Two to three years is quite possible. In our experience, annual chili varieties bear a lot of fruit in the first season. After the chilies have matured into their second season, the pepper plant often dies.

Chinense means “from China”, which is incorrect. Capsicum chinense also originally comes from America. From the Amazon basin it spread to all of South America. After the discovery of America, chilli seeds came to Europe and eventually to China. In Asia, the chilli was grown in such masses, which later led to the assumption that it originated here as well.

Habanero plant

Capsicum chinense chili plants grow relatively slowly. If you want a good harvest in the first year, you have to start growing early. Habaneros and Jolokia belong to the hot representatives of Capsicum chinense. Here you can expect a good harvest between 3 and 5 years.

Baccatum chilies can grow up to 4 meters tall. Usually about two meters. Their varieties are often called “Aji” and usually live between 4 and 6 years.

These plants grow compact and bushy. The one to four meter high bushes are full of countless hot chilies. Some report overwintering Tabasco plants for eight years. After about five years, the plant would have lost its productivity. Nevertheless, it would be a pity to let the plant die and for that it would get its bread of mercy.

The plants of Pubenscen become ancient for chillies. The hairy plant grows up to eight meters wide. It is considered difficult to breed. The climate in Germany is quite suitable for this. Rocotos grow in the Andes and like high day/night temperature swings. They also tolerate light frost.

Most Capsicum pubescens plants grow to around 2 meters in height and grow in a manner similar to vines. Woody branches form already in the first season. It is reported by the 15-year-old Rocotos.

Peppers come in a good range of fruit colors when ripe – red, orange, yellow and even purple. This makes them an excellent ornamental vegetable – also in mixed flower borders or in pots on the terrace. Although they tend to yield better when grown indoors—such as in a greenhouse or a grow frame—peppers are reliable outdoor crops during warm, sunny summers.

How to grow peppers

cultivation

To ensure a good, reliable harvest, peppers require a warm, sunny spot outdoors, or they can be grown in a greenhouse, greenhouse, or similar covered structure. Although they can be grown in well-prepared, rich, moisture-retaining soil, they usually harvest better and more reliably when grown in containers.

types of pepper

The following are all good, reliable strains: Ace, Bell Boy, California Wonder, Gypsy, Mohawk, Redskin.

Sow peppers

For greenhouse cultivation, you can sow from mid-February to early April. For outdoor cultivation, sow mid to late March.

Sow the seeds in pots with good seed compost at 18-21°C (65-70°F). Transplant the seedlings individually into 9-10 cm (3-4 inch) pots when two true leaves have established and continue growing at around 16-18 °C (60-65 °F).

Gradually harden off plants for 10-14 days before planting outdoors.

How to care for peppers

Once the roots fill the 9-10cm pots, the plants are ready to be moved into their permanent growing position.

Pot them in late April (if grown in a heated greenhouse), mid-May (unheated greenhouse) or late May/early June if grown outdoors in 23-25 ​​cm (9-10 inch) pots of good quality compost. They can also be grown in grow bags but need to be watered very carefully. Support them with bamboo sticks or something similar and tie them down as they grow.

Pinch off the growing tip when plants reach about 8 inches (20 cm) in height to encourage bushy growth and a better harvest.

Water regularly and feed with a balanced complete food, switch to a potassium-rich food when the first fruits appear.

Spray foliage regularly, especially under cover, with lukewarm water to repel red spider mites and improve flower set and harvest.

harvest

Pick the fruit as needed when it is a good size, green, swollen and shiny. Or you can leave the fruit on the plant to change color, but this can decrease the overall harvest.

Learn from experts how to grow chili plants from seed. We were featured on the BBC Gardeners World program during their 2006 chilli seed trial. To buy chili seeds, visit the chili seeds page. Click on the links below to view our How To Brochures: ‘Growing Chilies from Seed & Plant Care’ ‘Unpacking Your Chili Seedling Plants’ ‘8-Plug Grow Kit Instructions’

How-to videos can be found here and our FAQ sheet can be downloaded here.

sowing seeds

In the UK, chili seeds need to be sown early in the year and grown in a greenhouse or poly tunnel, although they can be grown outdoors in a sunny spot in mid summer. Germination can vary greatly between strains and can take up to five weeks, although the strains we sell on our seeds page should all germinate within 10-14 days, some sooner. To get you started, we’ve listed some of the tricks and guidelines we use to give our chillies the best possible start and pot growth.

Soil based composts

We recommend using soil-based seed and potting soil – chillies appreciate good drainage. We recommend a ‘John Innes clay-based seed soil’ for germination.

heat and surface irrigation

The germination rate and germination percentage are greatly improved by adding heat to the seed compost. We use thermostat controlled heated greenhouses but placing the seed pots/trays in a warm environment or on a simple heated tray also works well. You should see good results with the seed compost at 27-32°C (80-90°F). Seeds will still germinate up to a temperature of 21°C (70°F), but germination will be slower and more erratic. If the temperature drifts towards 38°C (100°F), germination will be rapid but there will be a lower success rate.

Try using surface irrigation with a spray bottle instead of watering from the base. Surface irrigation has less impact on the temperature of the compost. Don’t overwater them and definitely don’t let them float. Watering with a sprayer causes less impact.

When to sow

We mainly sow in February and March, but you can leave it later. There is a wide variance in the number of days it takes for a given strain to reach maturity. Some can produce ripe fruit in 60 days after sowing, others take up to 120 days.

Keep in mind that strains like habaneros take 100 or more days (3 1/2 months) from potting to maturity. So these must be started in good time, otherwise the fruits will never ripen.

germination and pricking out

We tend to sow seeds about 5mm deep and in small pots, with a number of seeds of the same variety in each pot. It’s a good idea to keep each strain in its own pot as germination times vary greatly. Once most of the seeds in a pot have sprouted and show two well formed leaves, and certainly before they become leggy, they should be transferred to 3 inch pots. Hold the seedlings by the leaves, not the stems. Note that some seedlings may need some gentle help to detach from the seed coat. If you have space in the greenhouse, you can sow directly into 3-inch pots.

After germination

At this stage they should be moved to a place where they will get plenty of sunlight; ideally in a heated greenhouse or warm conservatory. Keep them warm, moist and well ventilated. They can stay in a 3 inch pot until they are 3 to 6 inches tall.

Seedlings by mail

If you didn’t make it in time for sowing or don’t have a suitable place to grow chili seeds, we can send you a wide range of chilli seedlings in March – order here.

stew

When the plants have around 5 pairs of leaves, they should be transplanted into larger pots. We grow most of our plants in soil and this is an option if you have a polytunnel or open ground in your greenhouse. Otherwise, pot in 9- to 12-inch pots, depending on the variety. For compact ornamental varieties, you can use smaller pots. As the summer sun intensifies, you may need to provide some shade, for example by lining your greenhouse or painting it with greenhouse paint.

fruit set

Try to keep the plants below 36°C, be careful not to give them too much nitrogen (they get big but may forget to set fruit) and don’t let them dry out; this should help prevent flower and pod drips. Larger varieties may need support with a stick. Ornamental varieties can be moved to a bright spot indoors or on a patio once well established. When your flowers fall off, there can be a number of reasons. If they’re outside, it’s probably cold, windy weather. If they’re indoors they might lack moisture, in which case give them a mist. Lack of food can also reduce bud production.

Pick

Different varieties are picked at different stages of their development. Fruits that start out yellow or green generally ripen to red, although green chilies sometimes ripen to orange or yellow, it all depends on the variety. Usually, regardless of color, they can be picked as soon as they have filled in and become firm, crunchy and shiny. Experiment by choosing one to see if it has all of its spiciness and flavor. The earlier you pick, the more the plant will produce. Even if you don’t need them at this point, you should pick them and store them in the freezer until then.

wintering

Most chili plants can be treated as perennial indoor plants, placed on a sunny windowsill and watered with a little lukewarm water depending on the room temperature when dry (central heating can dry out the plants). Tall strains may need some pruning if they have grown too tall or straggly for the house. Some strains do better than others, smaller hot strains like Apache, Thai Hot, and Prairie Fire do better than larger fleshy plants like Poblano and Anaheim.

Enjoy and email us at: [email protected]

Current customer FAQs and our answers

– Variety selection for cultivation –

Q: What variety of chili plants should I grow?

A: We get asked that a lot, and we’ll start by asking how you’re going to use the chilies. Planting chillies for the windowsill? We have a wide range in this category, some of the best being Thai Hot, Pretty Purple and Apache. Medium hot for salsa, pickles, mild sauces and fillings? Some great strains in this category are – Santa Fe Grande, Jalapeno and Cherry Bomb. Mild chilies for stuffing? Poblano and Anaheim are great for Mexican stuffed chili recipes.

Hot and very hot chillies for cooking? All Habaneros, Ring of Fire and Aji Limon are excellent for cooking hot dishes – for extremely spicy ones – the Bhut Jolokia.

Plants for the patio? We recommend a plant with smaller fruits or flexible stems to avoid too much damage from inclement weather. Twilight, Aji Limon, and Firecracker are good choices. You can grow other strains, but they may need some support from canes.

Which chilli plants are best suited for hanging baskets? On the farm we plant hanging baskets for the summer show with the following cultivars: Super, Apache, Thai Hot, Firecracker, Pretty Purple and Purple Tiger.

View our seed collection here: https://www.southdevonchillifarm.co.uk/online-shop/chilli-seeds/

Our seedlings and potted plants are here: https://www.southdevonchillifarm.co.uk/online-shop/chilli-plants-and-seedlings/

– germination –

Q: What is the best time of year to start sowing in the UK?

A: March is usually best for sowing chili seeds. You can sow earlier but you may need a heated greenhouse.

Q: How late in spring can I sow chilli seeds?

A: This depends on the variety and what stage you are picking the fruit at.

Smaller, fast-growing plants and varieties used ‘green’ may not sow until June in the UK. The warmer varieties, mostly used when mature, tend to take longer to grow and are best sown earlier. If you miss the main sowing time, all chillies are perennial, so you can start the next season quickly if you hibernate frost-free.

Sowing in late spring/early summer has several advantages:

1- There is less need for a heated greenhouse.

2- The seedlings and plants grow rapidly due to the warmer conditions and longer day length.

The benefit of sowing early in the year is that you can maximize the harvest from multiple crops.

Q: I followed your tips but my seeds didn’t germinate. What went wrong?

A: The links above for growing from seed tips may be helpful. Chili seeds need a constant temperature of 25-28°C to germinate and they also need good seed soil – fine material, good drainage and not too much nitrogen. Seeds should also be kept moist (if they are allowed to dry out, germination can be erratic) but not too wet (which can cause problems with uptake). If growing conditions are not ideal, they can take a long time to germinate – they can still germinate for up to a month after sowing. On the farm we sow in vermiculite with the seeds about 3mm to 5mm below the surface. We water well from the base until moisture appears on the surface, then place the seed pot / tray in a heated greenhouse. From sowing we water the surface with a diluted solution of Chili Focus in a fine spray (https://www.southdevonchillifarm.co.uk/online-shop/chilli-throating-equipment/chill-focus-plant-food/) . Under these conditions, we expect most seeds to germinate within two weeks, but some strains will take longer.

Q: I used “Plugs” and planted two seeds in each. What should I do if both germinate?

A: The best plan is to let them roll up their false leaves and then pinch out the weaker one (above the surface).

Q: My seedlings collapse and die after germination. What am I doing wrong?

A: This is called damping off and is the work of fungi or fungus-like organisms that were present in or migrated to the compost. This problem can affect seeds, seedlings and plants. The conditions that allow them to thrive are cool, humid conditions. Prevention is the best defense:

Use good quality seed soil

Keep the compost warm while allowing good air circulation

Avoid over watering – this will cool the compost and increase humidity

Use new pots/trays when sowing

Use tap water or fresh rainwater

To avoid spreading the problem to healthy seedlings, remove all affected plants.

Q: I germinated in a warm cupboard and the seedlings are very leggy now; what should I do?

A: A warm cupboard is a great place to encourage germination, but it’s best to check them every day to see if they’ve sprouted (will show on the surface). Once they emerge, it’s best to place them in good sunlight so they can start producing food. When they get leggy, prick them out in individual pots and place them so that there is about 1cm between the compost and the first few leaves – this will make them sturdier and less likely to damage them from watering.

– seedling problems –

Q: My chilli seedlings are leggy; what should I do?

A: If you can move your chilli seedlings to a brighter spot, that will help. You can also space the seedlings to provide more all-round light. If you still have leggy plants when you decide to plant them in a pot, chili plants will happily be transplanted to a new level of soil so you can bury part of the stem to then stabilize the plant. This should be less of an issue once they start getting better light and aren’t too crowded. Chili plants that want to grow big (like Padron pepper) need better light than small plants (like Prairie Fire). So if you only have a small area with good light, use that area for your larger plants

Q: If I use your plugs, how should I sow and pot them?

A: When we sow chilli seeds into cuttings on the farm, we usually sow two seeds per cutting and select the weaker seedlings to leave only one per cutting. Once the seedling in the plug has three or four true pairs of leaves, we plant it in a 1 liter (about 6 inch) pot.

– pots and pot size –

Q: What size pots should I use for chili plants?

A: We recommend using a 3″ pot for the first transplant and then using progressively larger pots as the chilli plant develops. Our experience is that plants do better with a fairly gradual increase in size than planting in a pot much larger than the plant needs, for example: 3″, 6″, 9″ and 12″. The final pot size will depend on the growing conditions, the chili variety, and where the plant is being grown.

Q: What compost should I use?

A: Several brands of compost made using the John Innes #2 formula are available at garden centers. This is a soil based compost with good drainage, suitable pH and a good nutrient content. Soil-based composts are easy to re-moisten even when dry, and are still heavy when dry (which avoids problems with pots being blown over or knocked over).

– watering and feeding –

Q: What should I feed my chilli plants and how often?

A: We recommend Chilli Focus, available in three sizes on our website. A weak solution should be used initially (see bottle for guidelines), which will build up as the plant matures. A weekly fertilization is usually sufficient, depending on the richness of the compost and how often you repot.

Q: What plant food do chili plants like?

A: The best approach is to use a reasonably balanced feed, but one that contains a good amount of potash (potassium) to encourage flowering and fruiting. We sell a feed called Chilli Focus that has been specially developed for chili plants.

Q: Can I use an automatic irrigation system?

A: Yes you can. We recommend that the compost should contain a significant amount of drainage material such as perlite to keep air around the roots. You can create a simple automatic watering system by placing pots on a platform over a water dish. Run a thin strip of capillary mat from the bottom into the pot and pull it into the water bowl.

Q: How often should I water my plants?

A: Chili plants enjoy good watering followed by a period without water – until the compost is almost dry. Choose a compost with good drainage to keep the air in the soil and try to avoid standing the pot in water. If the underside of the leaves develops edema (white fluff or crystals), this is a sign that the plant has too much water on the roots.

Q: Should I water from above or below?

A: Water from the base if possible. This reduces the likelihood of algae developing on the compost surface, which can reduce the air and nutrients from the liquid fertilizer available to the plant. Avoid leaving the plant in water for a long time as this will damage the lower roots.

– Outdoor cultivation (e.g. in a pot on a patio) –

Q: Can I grow chili plants in a pot outside on a patio?

A: Yes, it is possible as long as there is no risk of freezing. Here are a few tips to get the most out of outdoor chili plants:

Go big on the drainage in the compost/raised bed to avoid waterlogging at the roots.

Use black pots – they help keep the compost warm.

Use rain screens around the plant base to ward off heavy rain.

Consider bringing the pots indoors during inclement weather.

Use soil based compost (heavy so less likely to blow over). John Innes No.2 is a good choice.

Choose small/light-fruited varieties (less likely to be damaged in inclement weather).

Pick the fruit green to maximize the harvest – expect a lower yield compared to greenhouse growing.

Support the plant with sticks and place in a warm, sheltered spot.

– Grow hydroponically and under artificial light –

Q: Do chillies grow well under artificial lights?

A: Although we currently do not use artificial lighting on the farm, we have heard from customers that chilies grow very well in these growing systems. Since these are light-hungry plants, more powerful lighting systems would work best.

Q: Can I grow chillies hydroponically?

A: Yes, we have experimented with this on the farm using aerated “water bath” feeding/rearing systems and it works very well. Plants can also be grown in inert material with dripping water and nutrients. All chillies grown by South Devon Chilli Farm are grown in soil and poytunnels. If you don’t have access to a garden, hydroponics is an alternative if you want to grow a good chilli crop, especially if you’re growing some of the larger varieties.

– flowering and fruiting –

Q: Does hand pollinating chili flowers help?

A: Chilies have “perfect blooms,” meaning they don’t need help from another plant or pollinating insects to set fruit. We do not pollinate by hand in our culture tunnels, but bees and hoverflies do pollinate in the foil tunnels. The majority of our harvest will come from self-pollinated flowers. Chili plants typically produce an abundance of flowers—more than they need or could endure if they were all fruiting. There is some evidence that fruit produced by cross-pollination tends to be larger and contain more seeds, so it would be worth trying hand pollination for fruit intended to grow larger. Use an art brush to dust by hand.

Q: I am having fruit yield issues; How do I improve the crop?

A: These steps will help encourage the production of flowers and fruit on chili plants:

Warm night temperature (comfortably above 15°C)

Avoid periods of extreme heat during the day. Above 40°C the flowers will break off. 25c is ideal

Too much nitrogen can cause the plant to forget to flower

Too little Kali can cause established buds to break off (try our Chili Focus food).

Soil too wet or too strong wind

– picking –

Q: My chillies have black spots, is that a problem?

A: As long as the fruit is firm, the black is just an early sign of ripening. There are a few chilies that we get asked about blackening – jalapenos very often have black streaks before maturity. We sometimes get the same question regarding the plants that can develop black spots around the splits in the stems, which is very common and not a problem.

Q: How long will it take before I can pick fruit?

A: Chili plants take about 80 to 120 days from sowing to fruit ripening. If you use unripe (green) fruit, this range decreases. Our seed packets contain information on typical fruiting times. This information is repeated on our website in the seed section.

Q: When should I pick the fruit of my plant?

A: To keep a plant busy, harvest the fruit as soon as it is the size and color you want.

We pick a lot of mature green chillies like Ring of Fire, Jalapeno, Poblano and Hungarian Hot Wax. These varieties are traditionally used green/immature. Once the fruit is picked, the plant will form new flowers and ripen smaller fruit.

If you plan to cook with fresh or dried variegated chilies, pick the fruit as soon as it reaches ripe color to maximize harvest weight.

Q: Are green chillies ripe?

A: No, they all turn one of the following colors as they mature: red, orange, yellow, brown, or white. Some cultivars cycle through multiple colors during maturation, and some develop “black” spots before maturation. Maturation accelerates towards the end of the growing season.

– pests –

Q: How do I control spider mites on my chili plants?

A: Spider mites can be a problem in hot, dry weather. These conditions will greatly increase the life cycle of spider mites, allowing them to reach such large numbers that they can harm the plant. The signs are very fine webs on the underside of the leaves and “windows” seen from the top of the leaves.

Spider mites can be controlled with regular spraying or water on the underside of the leaves, or by using a non-toxic spray like the SB Invigorator that we sell online:

https://www.southdevonchillifarm.co.uk/online-shop/chilli-growing-equipment/sb-plant-invigorator-aphid-spray/

You may also consider cutting off heavily infested parts of the plant to stop the spread.

Q: How do I get rid of aphids on my chili plants?

A: If you look at the underside of the leaves, you may spot aphids (aphids) during the summer months. The easiest way to remove the plant is to move it outside (or away from its normal growing area). Tilt the plant so you can see the underside of the leaves and brush gently. Smaller ones may need to be squeezed. Repeating this for a few days should bring it back under control. For extreme cases we sell a non-toxic spray and feed:

https://www.southdevonchillifarm.co.uk/online-shop/chilli-growing-equipment/sb-plant-invigorator-aphid-spray/

White “flies” on the leaf surface are probably shed skins from aphids and are washed off with a hand sprayer.

Q: My plant has yellow leaves. What is wrong with that?

A: Yellow leaves on chilli plants can indicate a variety of different problems, or a combination of them. The common causes and remedies are listed below:

– Poor drainage. If the plant is in very wet soil, it cannot absorb nutrients from the soil. Repot in well-drained compost and let dry. Do not leave the plant in the water.

– Bad soil or bad forage. Compost or fertilizer low in essential nutrients (especially nitrogen) can cause leaves to look pale. Repot them in good quality compost or try a new feed.

– pest infestation. Examine the plant carefully for pests – especially on the underside of the leaves. Use the recommended treatment (see above) and feed the plant to help it recover.

– Viruses and bacteria. Plants affected by a pest may eventually succumb to a virus. If the pests are removed and the affected leaves are removed, the plant can sometimes be saved.

– Pruning and educating –

Q: Do I need to prune my chili plants to get a good harvest?

A: We do not prune our crops on the farm. We sometimes pick set fruit on small Hungarian wax plants as they sometimes get a little busy developing the first fruit that sets, but that doesn’t happen very often. Pruning to reshape a plant may be needed if it has grown a little too much towards a bright window, or to remove dead growth while a plant is overwintering. As long as you provide good spacing and good light, chili plants will usually develop into a natural bush shape.

Q: Can I raise my chili plants like tomatoes?

A: If you want the plants to be in a more vertical shape, you will need to prune the side shoots. This is a technique used by large greenhouse pepper growers to maximize the area under glass.

– hibernation –

Q: I want to overwinter my chilli plant, what should I do?

A: Chili plants tend to grow and bloom during the winter months in the UK. Most chili plants can be treated as perennial indoor plants, placed on a sunny windowsill and watered with a little lukewarm water depending on the room temperature when dry (central heating can dry out the plants). Tall strains may need some pruning if they have grown too tall or straggly for the house. If a large plant comes in from a greenhouse or patio, you may need to prune it to fit the available space. You can prune lightly to reshape the plant or prune heavily on the main stem. Once the plant has grown to an ideal size, a hard pruning will allow it to grow back with the same fruit cover and size the following season. Keep the compost dry while the plant is dormant and in a bright spot but not in extreme temperatures. In the UK overwintered plants usually start to become active in March or April depending on where they are kept. Fresh compost in the spring will help get them going.

– preserve chillies –

Q: How do I dry my cultivated chilies?

A: Drying chilies is more about airflow than heat, so place them in a well-ventilated basket and set them in a warm place — say, in a warm place. B. via a heater. Spread the chilies in a thin layer, leaving the stem on. They should dry up in a few days. Thick-fleshed chilies (like jalapenos) are not a good choice for drying. A thin-fleshed chili, like ring-of-fire, is an easy-to-dry chili. Once dry, store in an airtight glass jar or tin and keep out of direct sunlight to preserve color and flavor.

Q: Can I freeze chilies?

A: Yes, they freeze very well. They do not lose heat and are easier to finely chop when frozen. To save space in your freezer, chop chiles before freezing (by hand or in a food processor) and store in thin sheets or ice cube trays.

Q: How do I pickle chilies?

A: We have a recipe on our website that works very well – https://www.southdevonchillifarm.co.uk/how-to…/recipes/chilli-pickling-recipe/

– save seeds –

Q: I would like to collect and store chilli seeds for next season, do you have any tips?

A: The ideal time to pick a chilli for seed stock is when it reaches its ripe color. Cut open the fruit and scrape the seeds onto paper with a blunt instrument. Place the seeds in a warm place out of direct sunlight until they dry out a bit – this will prevent mold from forming. Store wrapped in foil and place the foil wrapper in a jar or jar with a lid. Store the jar/can in a cool place (in a cupboard). The fridge is good if you want to keep the seeds for several years, but they should be fine for a few years if dried a little before storing.

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– test the chili heat –

Q: How can I test the hotness of my chilies?

A: Most of the heat in a chili is held in the spongy material that the seeds are attached to. Typically, to compare the heat of one hot chili versus another, we liquify a whole piece of fruit in a given amount of water (e.g. 1 liter) and then sample a teaspoon of the water to measure the heat.

If you would like a more scientific test result we can recommend the services of the Scoville Heat Laboratory.

Split

Exceptionally hot variety of Capsicum pepper

The Carolina Reaper is a variety of the Capsicum chinense plant.[1] Developed by American breeder Ed Currie, the pepper is red and knobby, with a bumpy texture and a small, pointed tail. In 2017, Guinness World Records declared it the hottest chili pepper in the world, beating the previous record held by the Trinidad Scorpion “Butch T”.[2]

sharpness [ edit ]

30 day old Carolina Reaper plant

mature plant

mature plant

The crossbreed comes from a “really hot” La Soufriere pepper from Saint Vincent and a Naga Viper pepper from Pakistan[3] and was nicknamed “Reaper” because of the shape of its tail. It has been described as having a fruity flavor, with the initial bite being sweet, then immediately turning into “molten lava”.[4][5] The sensory pungency, or pungency, noted when eating a Carolina Reaper is derived from the density of capsaicinoids, particularly capsaicin, which is directly related to the intensity of chili pepper pungency and the Scoville scale.[6]

The pepper was grown in a greenhouse in Rock Hill, South Carolina by Ed Currie, owner of the Puckerbutt Pepper Company of Fort Mill. It was certified as the hottest chili pepper in the world by Guinness World Records on August 11, 2017.[7][8] According to tests conducted by Winthrop University in South Carolina, the official Guinness World Record in 2017 was 1,641,183 Scoville Heat Units (SHU). The number is an average for the lot tested; the hottest single pepper was measured at 2.2 million SHU.[8][9]

In May 2017, Welsh grower Mike Smith of St Asaph claimed to have surpassed the Carolina Reaper with his Dragon’s Breath pepper, developed by Smith in conjunction with Nottingham Trent University and reportedly boasting 2.4 million SHUs. Smith applied for confirmation from Guinness World Records.[10] However, four months later, Currie claimed to have bred a stronger pepper called Pepper X with 3.18 million SHUs.[11]

Cultivation [ edit ]

For cultivation, the pepper has been described as “a good all-rounder to try at home” by English ethnobotanist James Wong, who said it needed temperatures of at least 18–20 °C (64–68 °F) and suggested growing in 30–40 cm (12–16 in) pots to restrict growth and produce fruit earlier.[12] When fully ripe, two peppers occupy the palm of your hand.[5]

See also[edit]

days, but be patient, sometimes it takes longer!

Once they sprout, we like to brush the little Carolina Reaper seedlings daily with our hands or set them up in a fan. This will help strengthen the stems and discourage seedlings

Damping off, a devastating fungal disease that only affects the new plant stem at ground level.

Transplant the Carolina Reaper seedlings into pots once they are a few inches tall with a few leaves and grow until the plant has 6 true leaves. When it gets warm enough outside day and night (peppers don’t like temperatures below 60˚), you can take them outside. M

The Carolina Reaper is a Capsicum chinense variety and these varieties require a lot of attention during the germination process. Moisture and a constant and consistent heat range must be maintained. We like to place them in sterile media and cover them 1/4 inch deep. Then, with a seedling heat mat and bright light, we provide 85°F bottom heat, which keeps the seeds moist at all times. Seeds usually germinate between 7am and 9pm, make sure you harden them off by putting them in the sun for a few hours a day and work on leaving them outside for a full few days before planting . This ensures they don’t go into shock the first time they are outdoors and also strengthens their stems from the natural breeze. Plant them directly in rich soil 30 inches apart or in containers and grow in full sun. The hottest peppers in the world will soon be growing in your garden! It’s a great conversation starter with friends, and while we don’t recommend eating Carolina Reapers whole*, they’re actually delicious in hot sauce and salsas.

Planting peppers is a time-consuming but rewarding process. Watching your peppers grow to produce the highest possible yield brings a sense of accomplishment that all the hard work has totally paid off. Of course, knowing if your pepper yield is good, bad, or somewhere in between is an open-ended question. So how many peppers per plant can you count on?

With all the different types of peppers on the market, it is impossible to get the same yield from every plant at harvest. The number of fruits produced depends, among other things, on the type of peppers planted, the watering schedule, the temperature and time for planting, and the success of pollination. However, the following is a guide to a general number of peppers per plant among some of the most common types. We look at both the amount of fruit on a plant at any given time, as well as the potential total seasonal yield when your grow and harvest are fully optimized.

Jalapeños can carry an average of 25 to 35 chilies on one plant at a time

Table of Contents

Expected peppers per plant (at a time and per season)

paprika

A pepper is one of the largest fruits among the pepper varieties. In general, peppers with larger fruits often tend to have lower yields than smaller ones. Therefore, on average, a healthy large pepper will produce 2 to 4 fruits per plant at any given time and 8 to 10 bells in a season.

banana pepper

Given the right growing conditions and care, a banana pepper plant can produce anywhere from 25 to 50 pods that will eventually grow into bell peppers. In the course of the season, with an optimal harvest, this means 100 to 150 banana peppers.

Poblano pepper

A poblano pepper can grow up to 5 feet tall and so wide that you may need to tie its branches together to prevent them from breaking. On average, a poblano plant in a typical container or garden (2 feet tall) will yield 4 to 8 chilies per plant at any one time and up to 20 to 40 per season. But a poblano pepper plant allowed to grow to full size (5+ feet) can produce over 145 peppers in a season.

Anaheim Pepper

Anaheim pepper is a perennial plant that can grow up to 1.5 feet tall and produces peppers continuously for about three years. Because of their size, there are about 4 to 8 peppers per plant at any one time, and you will harvest about 20-40 Anaheim peppers per plant in one season.

Jalapeno chilli

The jalapeño is a medium-sized chili pepper that can grow up to three inches when ripe. A jalapeño plant will produce between 25 and 35 chilies at a time, and when picked green, a jalapeño plant can produce 100 chilies over a season. If you prefer ripe red jalapeños, this yield will decrease as each jalapeño requires more time on the bush before harvest.

Serrano pepper

Serrano peppers are similar in size to jalapeños, but the plants can grow up to 5 feet tall. Each serrano plant produces between 30 and 50 peppers at a time, and over a season a serrano plant can produce upwards of 100 to 150 chilies. Again, it depends heavily on whether you choose green or red, among other things.

cayenne pepper

Cayenne is a chili pepper plant native to South America that can grow anywhere from 2 to 5 feet tall. Since most cayenne peppers use red, the yield suffers compared to other chilies on this list, but it’s still quite a yield. On average, a healthy cayenne plant will produce between 30 and 80 ripe red cayenne peppers over the course of a season.

Thai pepper

Thai peppers are tiny, between 2 and 3 inches. Thai pepper plants can therefore accommodate up to 40 to 75 chili peppers at a time. This is a chilli that is often picked red, so the yield can easily be reduced over a season. However, it is still a big producer. Expect a total of 100 to 150 chilies over the course of a season when picked optimally for yield.

Habanero Pepper

A habanero plant typically grows tall and can reach up to 36 inches. Because habanero peppers are small, they produce higher yields than peppers and Anaheim peppers. Expect the habanero pepper to have 30 to 40 chilies per plant at any given time. Expect between 80 and 90 habaneros per plant per season.

spirit pepper

Ghost peppers have a longer growing season than many chillies, so their seasonal cycle can be a round shorter than many other chilies. A healthy ghost pepper plant can produce anywhere from 40 to 50 ghost peppers per plant and up to 80 to 100 ghost peppers over a season.

7 pot pepper

The Trinidad 7 Pot Pepper plant has strikingly large leaves and grows between 2 and 4 feet tall. It is also slow growing and the chilies are usually picked when they are ripe. The 7 hot pepper plant will produce up to 40 to 50 chilies at a time. Expect a total yield of 80 to 100 7-pot peppers over a season.

Scorpion Pepper

A mature scorpion plant will grow up to 4 feet tall. Expect an average sized scorpion pepper plant to produce 30 to 40 chilies at a time and 60 to 80 over a season (since they are picked at full red maturity). If it is a larger plant, the amounts can vary quite a bit.

Carolina Reaper

Known as the hottest pepper in the world, Carolina Reaper requires extreme care when planting and harvesting. With the right growing conditions and care, a fully grown Carolina reaper will produce between 20 and 30 chilies per plant at any one time. Expect a yield of 50 to 70 chilies over a season.

How can you multiply your peppers per plant?

Nothing can be more frustrating than waiting all season for your peppers only to end up with 3 or 4 sickly looking chilies. If you’ve been there before, you can try these four simple steps to give your pepper production a big boost in the future.

Start planting your peppers indoors: Depending on your location, start planting your peppers indoors 6-8 weeks before frost. This gives your plants the longer growing season they need for multiple harvests in a season and allows them to fully mature and produce outdoors.

: Depending on your location, start planting your peppers indoors 6-8 weeks before frost. This gives your plants the longer growing season they need for multiple harvests in a season and allows them to fully mature and produce outdoors. Use Appropriate Soil for Planting Peppers: Growing healthy pepper plants starts with a healthy environment. If you want to start planting indoors before taking your plant outside, you will need two different soils, one for planting the seedlings and one for transplanting.

: Growing healthy pepper plants starts with a healthy environment. If you want to start planting indoors before taking your plant outside, you will need two different soils, one for planting the seedlings and one for transplanting. Keep Peppers at Their Ideal Temperatures: Peppers tend to thrive in warmer temperatures, between 70 and 80 degrees F. Extreme cold or hot temperatures reduce pepper yield due to stress.

: Peppers typically thrive well in warmer temperatures, between 70 and 80 degrees F. Extreme cold or hot temperatures reduce pepper yields due to stress. Mulching: Mulching the bases of pepper plants keeps them moist and protected while improving their overall health. Once your plants start the transition from flowering to fruiting, add some compost as fertilizer.

Reasons why your pepper plant is not producing

There can be many reasons why you’re not seeing great pepper yields, and it could be a mixture of a few that are causing the problem. Here are the most common reasons to consider if you don’t see the per-plant peppers you prefer.