Ghost Peppers - Anyone heard of them?
My friend at work (he prowls around here as well) gave me some seeds and some directions from where he got them from (mail). They said for the 1st 2 weeks 24 hours of light close up, plus soil needs to be 80-87 degrees no more no less.. I think that's nuts? If I plant them 'old school' in the mini green house windowsill style planters it should be fine right?
No! At least 8 out of ten times. Superhot pepper seeds need to be germinated in a moist potting mix with an average temp of 85 degrees. They will sprout at lower temps, but take more time.
They do not need light to germinate - no peppers, tomatoes, eggplants or other members of the same family do.
Keeping them under lights 24/7 once they germinate, at least for the first two months, will give you larger plants that will not take as many days to produce mature pods. I don't have the numbers for Growing Degree Days but I can tell you, from experience, that it takes about 150 days from germination in normal spring/summer temps to get pods. The 24/7 light treatment may, may, get that number down to 100-120. I'm in Cincinnati and the first year I tried them, sowing them in mid-February, I started to get pods that were getting ripe when the killing frost hit in early October. I now start these types of peppers in late December and start getting mature pods in mid-late August.
Use a fert such as Tomato-tone for the seedlings, once they develop a couple set of true leaves. This will encourage a great root system.
I also recommend either wearing gloves or using tools to sow the seeds. Don't let them sit in your hand, or use your fingers to sow them, then urinate, at least if you are a male!
Mike
They do not need light to germinate - no peppers, tomatoes, eggplants or other members of the same family do.
Keeping them under lights 24/7 once they germinate, at least for the first two months, will give you larger plants that will not take as many days to produce mature pods. I don't have the numbers for Growing Degree Days but I can tell you, from experience, that it takes about 150 days from germination in normal spring/summer temps to get pods. The 24/7 light treatment may, may, get that number down to 100-120. I'm in Cincinnati and the first year I tried them, sowing them in mid-February, I started to get pods that were getting ripe when the killing frost hit in early October. I now start these types of peppers in late December and start getting mature pods in mid-late August.
Use a fert such as Tomato-tone for the seedlings, once they develop a couple set of true leaves. This will encourage a great root system.
I also recommend either wearing gloves or using tools to sow the seeds. Don't let them sit in your hand, or use your fingers to sow them, then urinate, at least if you are a male!
Mike
RuHappy69 wrote:My friend at work (he prowls around here as well) gave me some seeds and some directions from where he got them from (mail). They said for the 1st 2 weeks 24 hours of light close up, plus soil needs to be 80-87 degrees no more no less.. I think that's nuts? If I plant them 'old school' in the mini green house windowsill style planters it should be fine right?
I only know about them from what I've witnessed on TV shows about peppers and from some U-tube videos of folks insane enough to actually eat these peppers.
The Ghost Pepper is recognized as the hottest pepper known to man. I'm not sure of the numbers because it's been a while since I saw that show about them. If I recall correctly, a jalapeno pepper hits the Scoville scale at around 10K Scoville Units. The Bhut Jalokia (Ghost Pepper) is over 1,000,000 on the Scoville Scale. That is one hot pepper.
Like Wordwiz states, it is recommended you wear protective gear when handling the pepper in any state of growth or pay dearly for not doing so. That said, it has no place in my garden, even as a novelty.
I just bought a couple of small seedlings, so that I can grow them. I love hot peppers, and I hope these will be good. The habaneros I get from wal mart don't seem to be hot enough for me lol, but I doubt they're as hot as they can be. I did however get a couple of the seeds I saved from them to sprout, so I'll be growing some of those myself this year too.
What peppers I have grown myself have been hotter than store bought ones though, so I'm looking forward to when I can get some ;d
What peppers I have grown myself have been hotter than store bought ones though, so I'm looking forward to when I can get some ;d
Caribbean Red I believe are #2 on the hot list, Bhut Julokia being the hottest. It depends on the seed variety as well.
Check out the pepper institute on facebook. Fun. https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Chil ... 121?ref=ts
I have Reds and Scotch Bonnets with their first true leaves already up!.
Check out the pepper institute on facebook. Fun. https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Chil ... 121?ref=ts
I have Reds and Scotch Bonnets with their first true leaves already up!.
- ThePepperSeed
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- Joined: Thu Dec 30, 2010 12:26 pm
- Location: Midwest
I tried the ghost peppers last year and they do take a while to sprout. I only got a small taste of one since I left them out too long and the plants got hit by a frost and the peppers all rotted.
However, I'm going to give it a go again this year, so I hope to have a better experience. For best germination, you will want to keep the soil temperature at least 75 degrees F.
TPS, I've heard that the 7 pods are hotter, but is that really true?
Also, are you going to be trying the naga viper? That is supposedly a cross between a bhut jolokias, a Trinidad scorpion, and a naga morich.
However, I'm going to give it a go again this year, so I hope to have a better experience. For best germination, you will want to keep the soil temperature at least 75 degrees F.
TPS, I've heard that the 7 pods are hotter, but is that really true?
Also, are you going to be trying the naga viper? That is supposedly a cross between a bhut jolokias, a Trinidad scorpion, and a naga morich.
- BrianSkilton
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- Location: South Dakota
I grew some ghost chilies, not sure why, lol. All you need is a food aluminum tray from a retail store (as with all peppers). Place a heating pad (for your back etc, one that doesn't shut off) under the tray put in your cups of dirt with the seeds water the cups very well. Place the plastic lid with a hole on the tray and they'll come up in no time.
- ThePepperSeed
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- Location: Midwest
7 pods...I had a 7 pod douglah last year and without a doubt it was the hottest pepper I have ever tried. I just had the one and am growing more from seed this year for a larger samplinggarden5 wrote:
TPS, I've heard that the 7 pods are hotter, but is that really true?
Also, are you going to be trying the naga viper? That is supposedly a cross between a bhut jolokias, a Trinidad scorpion, and a naga morich.
If I can get my hands on a naga viper I'll try it although not interested in growing them. It's far from stable so I don't know that anyone will be able to reproduce it this year but we shall see...
Have to say my favorite is the chocolate bhut jolokia (aka ghost pepper). Screaming hot with a great smokey bhut flavor. Yum
Garden,
I grew the 7-pod last year. Not sure it was from "pure" seed, a buddy sent me a few. However, it was BY FAR, the tallest plant in the garden. We had the worst growing season I can ever remember and while most everything else was a complete failure, it produced a lot of pods. I saved enough seeds to last me for years. I'm hoping that between a few bell and fewer banana, with the rest being hot peppers, to grow about 250 plants this year:
Hungarian Hot Wax (fantastic hot pickled pepper)
Jalapeno (Chipotle)
Bhut Jolokia
7-pod
Cayenne
Scotch Bonnets
Jamaican Chocolate
Habenero
Tabasco
My garden is a couple hundred feet from several large companies where many of the employees are Hispanics and I'm planning on setting up a roadside stand a day or two a week to sell peppers, tomatoes, lettuce, Chard, onions, peas, beans, cucumbers, broccoli, etc.
Mike
I grew the 7-pod last year. Not sure it was from "pure" seed, a buddy sent me a few. However, it was BY FAR, the tallest plant in the garden. We had the worst growing season I can ever remember and while most everything else was a complete failure, it produced a lot of pods. I saved enough seeds to last me for years. I'm hoping that between a few bell and fewer banana, with the rest being hot peppers, to grow about 250 plants this year:
Hungarian Hot Wax (fantastic hot pickled pepper)
Jalapeno (Chipotle)
Bhut Jolokia
7-pod
Cayenne
Scotch Bonnets
Jamaican Chocolate
Habenero
Tabasco
My garden is a couple hundred feet from several large companies where many of the employees are Hispanics and I'm planning on setting up a roadside stand a day or two a week to sell peppers, tomatoes, lettuce, Chard, onions, peas, beans, cucumbers, broccoli, etc.
Mike
- ThePepperSeed
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- Joined: Thu Dec 30, 2010 12:26 pm
- Location: Midwest
Yes, have been growing them for the past few years and have about 2 - 3 dozen sprouted already for this season. It's one of my favorites...love the heat and love the flavor.garden5 wrote:
You've grown them before, I take it (ghost peppers)?
If you don't find one before I would be happy to send you a few of the 7 pods I'm growing this year. I should have PLENTY of extras but I'm still 4 or more months away from a harvest.
Would love to see some pics of these TPS. The 7 pod and scorpion as well.ThePepperSeed wrote:Yes, have been growing them for the past few years and have about 2 - 3 dozen sprouted already for this season. It's one of my favorites...love the heat and love the flavor.garden5 wrote:
You've grown them before, I take it (ghost peppers)?
If you don't find one before I would be happy to send you a few of the 7 pods I'm growing this year. I should have PLENTY of extras but I'm still 4 or more months away from a harvest.
- ThePepperSeed
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- Joined: Thu Dec 30, 2010 12:26 pm
- Location: Midwest
Here are my plants right now. I have about 70 plants total spread across a dozen or so types. Some will be given away but I'm going to keep as many as I can.
[img]https://thepepperseed.com/wp-content/gallery/peppers/img_4127.jpg[/img]
Here are some of my bhut jolokias (ghost peppers) from last year:
[img]https://thepepperseed.com/wp-content/gallery/peppers/img_3263.jpg[/img]
[img]https://thepepperseed.com/wp-content/gallery/peppers/img_3333.jpg[/img]
[img]https://thepepperseed.com/wp-content/gallery/peppers/img_4127.jpg[/img]
Here are some of my bhut jolokias (ghost peppers) from last year:
[img]https://thepepperseed.com/wp-content/gallery/peppers/img_3263.jpg[/img]
[img]https://thepepperseed.com/wp-content/gallery/peppers/img_3333.jpg[/img]