Capsicum chinense

How to grow Capsicum chinense growing and care:

Warm weather, Moderate moist (depend on the variety there is species that like les or more) if the plant infected by aphid in the lower branches in the shadow, should cut the infected leaves, and clean

How to care:
Put fertilizer with small content of nitrogen (delay bloom), add mulch especially in the summer and winter, and in hardiness zone 10b as perennial the plant suffer or die due to the cold of the winter, better to protect the plants and there are varieties that can survive the winter and will bear some fruits in the winter, vegetative reproduction can maintain high quality of cultivar indoor or greenhouse to next season, trellising and support for the plant (sometimes the fruit are heavy and without support the fruits will touch the soil and will be damaged).

Tips:
Rotten base – When the base of the plant rotten, usually happened in mature plant, better to cover the base with soil until the health part plus 2cm (1 inch) and cover it with soil and even better release the plant from the attachment and make it lay down and reduce 10cm (4 inches) bury and cover it with soil keep it moist and cover with mulch, possible to bury until the green leaves (possible more but no need), in this method the plant will survive more time with new roots.

Problem that the fruits don’t get enough sun – main problem that the fruits grow inside the leaves and because of the weight of the fruits and gravity the fruits will grow down possible to cut the leaves that hide the fruits, but better not to cut the leaves, another option (usually useful for vine shrub cultivars and not small bushy) to grow the plant with angel of 30-45° in this method the leaves won’t prevent from the fruits to get sun, be aware that in hot climate with strong sun the fruits will be burn by sun.

What is the best way to start growing?
Plant / Seedling / Seed / Vegetative Reproduction – by cutting possible by water or by soil (explanation bellow) or bending a branch over and covering it with soil

Is it necessary to graft or use vegetative reproduction?
No, but it’s possible to use in vegetative reproduction and it’s easy the same as to start by seeds, when start by cutting its ensure the quality of the fruits and from seeds not always can ensure what kind of fruits will be

Possible to start overwinter from seeds use fertilizer with nitrogen (to prevent bloom and increase the growth of the stems) and use the plant to make cutting and in this method can get few plants from one seeds

Keep the stems for next year indoor and take them out in the spring after the last frost by this method possible to grow in hardiness zone 2-10 as perennial by using the cutting over winter.

Difficulties or problems when growing:
Burn above 44 C (111F) in full sun, some Pepper plants are dangerous to eat, Frost sensitive

Planting season:
Spring as annual after the last frost in hardiness zone 2-10a , spring to summer in hardiness zone 10b-11a, spring to autumn in hardiness zone 11b, all year in hardiness zone 12+

How to plant:
Dig a bigger hole than the root ball at least 50-100%, add to the hole organic matter, dead leaves and humus put back some soil and mix it, after this put the plant cover lightly but strong enough that won’t fall put support for the plant and give it place to trellising on it, consider to prune week branches, water it twice in the first day and every day for two weeks, better to plant them few centimeters (inches) under the soil level in order that if there are problem in the base of the plant easy to cover the base and create new root for the plant and not lose all the fruits

Pests and diseases:
Aphids, ants, nematodes, mites, fungus, mealy bugs, powdery mildew, leaf miners, whiteflies, mosaic virus

Pruning season:
All season as annual plant and as perennial better after the fruits if it’s bear fruit all the year

How to prune:
Dead or Infected branches, branches that grow in cross ways, stems without flowers possible to cut and use them for cutting, pruning in order to expose to light the fruits

Size of the plant?
0.5-2m 20-80 inches

Growth speed in optimal condition:
Fast growing / Medium growing, when the plant grow slowly as annual plant better to add fertilizer and organic matter to increase the growth speed

Water requirement:
Average amount of water / Big amount of water, depend the drainage of the soil, temperatures, winds, mulch and watering hours

Light conditions in optimal condition for growing:
Full Sun and in warm climate almost full sun, in desert the fruits and the leaves will burn in the sun reduce the amount / Half Shade – possible but only as perennial and it will bear less and in high summer temperatures

Is it possible to grow indoor as houseplant?
No, but keep the plant small to grow on hedge of window and in this method the plants and the fruits will get enough sun, also important to take care that won’t be too much cold in the winter

Growing is also possible in pots, planter, flowerpot or containers:
Yes, when grow in container better size 10-30 liter (2-6 gallon) depend if grown as annual or perennial, the plant require average amount of water and put mulch to keep the soil moist and makes enough holes that the water go out of the pot, when it’s grow as perennial every few years better to switch soil, and prune part of the roots and the plants, soil need to be well ventilated with good drainage, put fertilizer at least once a year, rich with organic matter, can use in potting mix or peat soil with perlite or vermiculite.

Tip when grow in container:
When grow in container better to fill the container with 10% of soil when the roots fill the soil increase the amount of the soil until the container is full

Blooming information

Bloom season:
In sub/tropics climate can bloom all year in temperate climate the Spring / Summer. In 45-70 it’s start to bloom

General information about the flower
Small flowers grow in groups of 2-3 flowers, with 6 petals, can be in the colors: white, cream or purple

Thinning the bloom:
When the plants is not fully grow recommend to thinning

Pollination is done by:
Bees and other pollinators

Edible Fruits

Fruit harvest season:
In sub/tropics climate can bloom all year in temperate climate the Spring / Summer

Fruits pests or diseases:
Aphids, fungal, Sun burns

What can be done with big quantities of Capsicum chinense fruits?
Salad, Used for cooking, Medical uses, Herbs, Used for spreads, Pickle, Spices

Work requirements on the fruit:
Prune, if the plant attacked be aphids the fruit should be more exposure to the sun

How long does it take to bear fruit?
60-90 days

Subspecies

Carolina Reaper – is a red pepper considered to be the world’s hottest chili, averaging 1,569,300 on the Scoville heat scale with peak levels of over 2,200,000.

Habanero – a well-known chili pepper from mexico with scoville heat units ranging from 100,000–350,000. Habaneros come in all sorts of colors varying from Common colors such as orange, red and less common ones such as white, brown, pink, mustard, and others.The hottest Habanero to date is the Red Savina pepper with a score of 577,000 units on the Scoville heat scale.

Scotch Bonnet – a chili pepper found mainly in the Caribbean islands with similar ratings to its cousin the Habanero. Some Scotch Bonnet’s have a sweeter more unique flavour than Habanero’s which makes them ideal for Caribbean dishes.

Fatalii – A yellow chili pepper that originates from central and southern Africa. It has a fruity, citrus flavor and heat levels comparable to the Habanero. The Scoville Food Institute lists Fatalii to be the seventh hottest pepper in the world with heat levels ranging from 125,000 to 400,000 Scoville units.

Ghost Pepper or Bhut Jolokia – Is an extremely hot pepper that was stated to be twice as hot as the former world’s hottest pepper 850000 – 1000000

Trinidad Moruga Scorpion – Is an exceptionally hot pepper that was recognized as the hottest chili pepper in the world in 2012 with Scoville heat units of more than 1.2 million to 2 million SHUs. It was recently dethorned by the Carolina Reaper.

Naga Viper pepper – 1,382,118 Shu one of the hottest pepper in the world

Datil – yellow pepper 100,000-300,000

How to grow Capsicum chinense from seeds

Sowing requirement:
Easy to sow, brown-yellowish seeds, full sun, moist soil, high humidity, better 21-26C (70-79F) and possible 10-32C (50-90F)

Saving seeds until sowing:
Wash the seeds from organic material, fully dry them and require to check that the seed are ripen before saving them (if not might won’t be viable) location dark and dry and better in the refrigerator when keep the seeds more than one year

Sowing season:
End of the winter indoor, start of the spring will be better as annual, possible all year as perennial depend the temperature, in hardiness zone 10b-11a better in the spring

Planting spacing:
20*40 cm (8*16 inches) depend the cultivars, for transplant 2*3cm (1*1 inch) better 4*5cm (1.8*2 inches) and better to transplant after 5 leaves

Depth of Sowing:
5-10 mm (0.25-0.5 inch)

Conditions for seeds germinate:
Full sun, better 21-26C (70-79F), moist soil, high humidity

Watering requires for Seeds:
Average amount of water, the soil should be moist and if it’s higher temperature increase the amount of watrer

Germination time:
5-20 days, might be longer

Condition of seedling:
Full sun, more than 10C (50F), the sprout is very delightful to bug need protection in the beginning, moderate moist soil, transplant the seedling after 5 leaves

Vegetative Reproduction

Vegetative Reproduction Method:
Stems, Cutting

Preferred time for vegetative reproduction:
Spring / Autumn (in warm places) but can be all year

Time to grow roots in vegetative reproduction:
2-3 weeks sometimes less

Treatment for vegetative reproduction:
Put the cutting in water or in the soil, cutting temperature 20-30C (68-86F) also the water can’t be cold, high humidity, better in half shade for cutting on the water need to switch the soil every few days, to put the stems in soil need moist soil and water it with spray better to use root growth hormone and peat soil

Scientific name:

Capsicum chinense