Chilies - Capsicum for the growing season 2011

This post 'Chilies - Capsicum for the growing season 2011' was originally uploaded by Tyra Hallsénius Lindhe in the blog The greenhouse...

Some like it HOT...I certainly do, this is my hot stuff for this summer.

Chilies and peppers

 for the growing season 2011

I have got  a question about When do I start with my chili seeds?

Well...the answer to this question will depend upon whether I plan to grow my plants indoors or outside. I generally grow my chilies indoors using artificial lighting and then when the sun is getting stronger and the greenhouse is warm I transfer them all out into the greenhouse. When using artificial light I can start seeds when I like. But usually I start on Valentine’s Day. In December and January I dream and plan of all my hot stuff and order seeds and in February it is time to sow. It is a bit early but chilies do take time to mature, most varieties takes more than 6 months to grow fully and set fruit. I harvest chilies well into the month of October or perhaps I should more accurate say until the frost gets them. 

Now to my list of Chilies:

Rocotillo

Very compact growing Capsicum chinense variety with strongly wrinkeled pods that have a good aromatic taste while heat is only low to medium

Rocoto (PERU)

Other names for this chili is Locoto, Manzano, Canario (yellow variety), and the Caballo Peron.

This Rocoto is an intresting dark red almost purple coloured chili, it is a Capsicum pubescens from Peru. CAP 217, the flower of the Rocoto is purple.

Rocoto (COSTA RICA)

Costa Rica Red very productive Capsicum pubescens variety from Costa Rica. Medium large, very hot

Guadalupe Black

This is extremely hot, dark brown coloured Scotch Bonnet from Guadalupe. Capsicum chinense.

Shepard’s Ramshorn

Very sweet and lovely Italian pepper, Bullshorn-variety. Capsicum annuum.

Serrano

Classical variety from Mexiko, not very hot let’s say it has medium heat. The plant itself is very rubustplants sind very robust and can get quite big. The Serrano plant often gives a high yield, Capsicum annuum.

Sweet Chocolate

This is really sweet, dark brown on the outside and reddish inside, very pretty. This is a Capsicum annuum and it has no heat.

Santaka

This is an Asian Capsicum annuum variety with the chilies growing upright. The Santaka is a red hot chili pepper.

Congo

Chili Heat Level 10+. In Trinidad, Habanero chilies are called "Congo chili," and this one is an extra-large red Habanero type. At 2 inches long and wide, its peppers are significantly bigger and more ribbed than the typical red Habanero. They are also intensely hot and extremely productive. (Capsicum Chinense) Congo is a red and hot pepper from Trinidad, It is a Habanero type variety from the Caribbean Islands. Very good flavour.

Rocoto Turbo

Capsicum pubescens variety from Azuay, Ecuador. The size of this Rocoto is mediumlarge, very hot and it has black seeds and thick meaty yellow pods , the Turbo is very high yield chili.

Scotch Bonnet

Trinidad, you can get very high yields from this superhot, beautiful dark red coloured chili. Great aroma, The Scotch Bonnet is a Capsicum chinense

Jamaican Hot Chocolate

This is a bit bigger than ordinary Habaneros, brown in colour and very hot, this is a Capsicum chinense. The flower is pale creamy white.

Pepper Ancho Gigante

I love this chili! It has an almost black fruit, the Mexicans calls it Poblano when it is green and Ancho when it turns red and dry. It is not too hot so Poblano is suitable for stuffing. 90 days from transplanting.

Heat rating: 2

Pepper Sheepnose Pimento

An Ohio heirloom 3inches deep and 4inches in diameter which will keep well in a fridge for 3/4 weeks. Dwarf 24inches plant and very thick flesh. Highly recommended. 70-80 days from transplanting.

Heat rating: 0

Pepper Bullnose Red

The original Bell Pepper grown by Thomas Jefferson and dating back to the 1800s. Good for cooking and delicious when eaten raw in green salads. Heat rating: 0. I have my suspicion that Sheepnose and Bullnose are the same. I have grown the Sheepnose twice before so I know how it grows, looks and taste, I guess I will find out later if they really are the same. 

Chervena Chushka "The Bulgarian Beauty"

This is one of my favourite sweet chili pepper, it is a Bulgarian heirloom. Up to 6 inches long beautifully red chili perfect for roasting or just as a snack. 85 days from transplanting. Heat rating: 0

Habanero

This Habanero is from Burkina Faso, hot as hell :-)

 Caribbean favourite, reputedly 30 times hotter than the Jalapeño chilies. This Habanero has a lantern-like fruit. It has green thin flesh and ripens into deep red. 90-95 days from transplanting. Capsicum chinence. Heat rating: 5

Royal Black

What a Beauty!

Photo from Bjarnes fro

One of the darkest chilies, the fruits are almost black more red when they are mature. A spicy ‘Peking type’ Capsicum annuum.

Hot Portugal Pepper

This chili pepper has been around since 1935. Sturdy upright plants with heavy yields of smooth glossy scarlet red fruit of 6 inches or longer. Hot as Hell! This Portuguese is ready in about 70 sunny days from transplanting. Heat rating: 5

Long Cayenne “Joe’s”

A great heirloom from the Sestito Family of Calabria, Italy. Really long chili pepper about 8-12inches, thin fleshed and sharply tapering. It takes 60 days from transplanting to get ready, sixty sunny day that is. Heat rating: 3

Joe’s Round Hot Chili

Italian Heirloom from Sestina family of Calabria. This chili is round and small like a cherry. Heat rating: 3

Miniature Chocolate Bell

I call it "Mr Mexico" Short stocky plants with 2 inches fruit. This pretty chili is excellent in salads or cored and stuffed. Before the turn of the century they were stuffed with grated cabbage and then pickled. All fruit start off green before turning into a red-chocolaty colour. It takes about 3 months…90 days from transplanting . Heat rating: 0

Chili Pepper ‘Bangkok market’

A chili I found in Thailand, beautiful, ornamental and culinary chili pepper with 2 1/2inches long finger shaped fruit. 85 sunny days from transplanting and then it is ready.

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A few words about

Species of chili peppers (Domesticated):

Capsicum annuum,

 which includes many common varieties such as Bell peppers, Cayenne, Jalapeños, Serrano, Poblano (Ancho), Hungarian Wax and the Chiltepin (Mother of  all Chilies). Poblano is a chili I always grow, it is my numero uno!

Annuum meaning 'annual' is actually an incorrect designation given that Chiles are perennials under suitable growing conditions.

Capsicum frutescens

 which includes the Chiles de Árbol, Malagueta, Tabasco (One of the most widely grown varieties in the world) and the Asian Thai chili peppers ( The original name is "Prik Kee Noo").

Capsicum chinense

 which includes the hottest peppers such as the Naga, Habanero, Datil and Scotch Bonnet.

Capsicum pubescens

 which includes Rocoto chili peppers from South America. Rocoto chili is a favourite of mine I just love the pretty colou and the hot, thin 'flesh'.

Capsicum baccatum

 which includes the South American Aji peppers

The small pictures above are from Semillas and PoD. This year I bought most of my seeds from Semillas.de.

 I also got seeds from Plants of Distiction. and Rare Seeds (Hierloom) Baker Creek

Read more about chilies here at the very interesting site

 The Chiliman

 Be careful you will enter a very hot world!



You might like this one too, I find it very interesting! SGT Pepper CHILLI CO.