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Bhut Jolokia Pepper (Ghost Pepper)
Capsicum chinense
Currently one of the hottest peppers in the world, with a Scoville rating over 1,000,000, (pepper spray is 2,000,000-5,000,000). It is a wrinkled, red ripening pepper with a look resmbling an elongated habanero. This pepper is extremely hot and even direct skin contact should be avoided with the seeds and pulp. It is still very rare in cultivation, with live specimens and seeds still difficult or pricey to obtain.
Seed Availability
Seeds are now available at our seed store.
Days to Maturity
85-90 Days
Heat Level
Dangerously hot.
Origin
Northeast India (including Assam, Nagaland, and Manipur). Now cultivated in Sri Lanka and sporadicaly by collectors.
Germination Info
Start seeds in small containers from 8-10 weeks prior to the last frost date. Plant seeds approximately 1/4-1/2" deep in moist, well drained potting soil. Most standard soil mixes are suitable for pepper seeds. Soil temperature must be kept at 75-90F for proper germination. Cool soil, particularly at night can inhibit or significantly delay germination. To keep soil temperature warm, start seeds indoors, in a greenhouse and/or use a seed starting heat mat. Keep soil moderately moist, though not overly, dripping wet. Water soil when the soil surface just begins to dry. Allow proper air circulation for containers.
Optionally, seeds can be dipped in a dilute hydrogen peroxide mix (1 tsp hydrogen peroxide per cup water) for one minute to disinfect seeds prior to planting. If your soil or seed setup is susceptible to mold growth this can be useful to kill mold spores.
Once seedlings have sprouted, keep in small containers until a few sets of leaves have developed. Transplant to larger containers or outdoors. If transplanting outdoors, make sure to harden off seedlings by exposing them to only filtered sunlight for up to 1-2 weeks. Thin plants to 3-4 ft and rows to 6-10 ft.
Estimated germination time under optimal conditions: The Bhut Jolokia is one of the slowest germinating peppers. 4-16 weeks