Hi Jamie:

I’m starting up a couple of plants and have had some trouble germinating the first round of seeds.

I soaked the seeds in a small disposable gladware plastic container overnight (I used bottled water). I then put a paper towel over them and have kept it fairly moist/wet for a few days, but the seeds don’t seem to be doing anything.

I’ve also purchased some of those small degradable cardboard starter cups which I was expecting to use after they’d started to sprout.

I only used 5-6 seeds for this first round and still have plenty left.

Is there something I’ve done wrong here? Should I just try and germinate them in a bit of potting soil in the small cups?

The soil here in Kahului is quite sandy, so I was going to dig a 2×2 hole and use quick draining miracle grow potting soil after the plants had sprouted a bit in the small cups and transplant them into the ground. Then I was going to use fish meal extract for continual fertilizing beyond as needed. My stepfather seems to think the sandy soil is fine by itself for peppers, but …

Any comments you have would be appreciated, including if I need to wait a bit longer on the current seeds (it’s been about five days now).

My goal is to grow two plants this season.

Thanks!

Eric

Answer:

Hi Eric,
Don’t worry, they will come up if you keep them moist and warm. Sometimes it takes a month and sometimes it takes a week. They are very temperamental but once they get going, they rock!

The best soil is loamy and full of organic amendments. If your soil is too sandy, the nutrients will wash right through it. Make sure that your soil retains moisture to a depth of at least 16″. You can purchase a moisture meter for about $15.00- 20.00.

If you have any more questions, please email me.

Best of luck!
Jamie

Aloha!

Hi there. I just placed an order for your ghost pepper seeds.

Is there any advice you can give me how cultivate the soil so I can plant them perfectly?

I live in South Florida, and as you know, soils are different everywhere.

Is there a way to test for acidity and stuff I should look for?

I would really appreciate the feedback.

Since I purchased organic seeds, I would love to keep my plants organic.

Please advise?

I thank you in advance for your advise.

Erica

Answer:

Aloha Erika,

Mahalo for your order. The Bhut Jolokia likes a very loamy soil rich in organic amendments. The pH should be around 7.0–slightly alkaline. But don’t worry if your soil is in the 6.5 – 7.5 range. The most important thing is digging a large hole filled with the amended, loamy soil. Since you are in Florida, you will need to keep the temperatures between 80-90 degrees during the day. This will require you to use shade cloth with about a 20% sun reducing cloth. The Bhuts will go into a very stressful condition if they get too hot which will make them drop their flowers which produces the fruit. So it is very important that they do not get too hot. AND, you will have to “deep” water to a depth of at least 16″ every 2 days this summer or when it is hot. Do this on a very slow flow from your hose or put your plants on a drip system.

There is a lot of information on my site concerning this. If you need more assistance, feel free to email me.

Aloha and Mahalo,

Jamie

thehottestpepper.com

Response:

Aloha Jamie.

Thank you so much for the advise. Once I get the seeds I will check into everything.

Hi.  My name is Morgan i live in Orange County, California. I really want to start trying to grow my own bhut jolokia’s but i’m afraid of messing up, and it all going to go to waste.   I read everything there is to read on your site but i still have questions like, Should i make a small greenhouse for when the plants are big enough?  Should I use heat lamps or ultraviolet lights?  I have a 20″ aquarium that I don’t use and I was thinking about lining it with aluminum foil and adding a heat lamp to get them started.  Do you think that would work well?  I’ve noticed that alot of people use an Aeroponic system to start the plant growing, do you think thats a bad idea?  I’m sorry I just so many questions and I could keep asking questions all day but i think you got the idea.  By the way, I’m going to be placing an order with you guys soon because of all the testimonials and just seeing your Bhut compared to all the others; they are beautiful!

Thank you so much,
Morgan Cho

Answer:

Aloha Morgan,

Thank you for writing. Please don’t over think this thing, it’s just a pepper. You live in a great place to grow the Bhuts and they will do very, very well. I don’t believe in growing with artificial lights although I might feel differently if I lived in a cold climate or in a place with a short growing season. But, I live in Hawaii and we can grow just about anything all year round. Even lettuce and cool season crops like broccoli. We just grow them beneath other taller plants, or use shade cloth.

But, as I said, you live in a great place to grow the Bhut Jolokia peppers. The most important thing that you can do is to prepare the soil well. Bhuts like a loamy soil, that is a soil with not too much clay, and not too much sand. They like soil with a lot of organic amendments–well composted fruits and vegetables, leaves, etc. I don’t use chemical fertilizers, only well rotted horse manure (no salt like cow manure), fish emulsion, and kelp. Make sure the soil doesn’t have many rocks, and no clumps of clay. If your existing soil is a deep, dark brown, you should be OK. Add plenty of organic amendments and if you need to, use Miracle Grow “organic” soil or similar to amend your soil.

I have written many blogs on the growing of this pepper and they can be found on my site. Be sure to soak the seeds in water overnight before germinating and make sure you protect the young plants until they are at least 8″ tall.

Good luck and thanks for writing,

Jamie

Follow-up Question:

Thank you so much for reply and all of your info. How would you protect them in my area? Like I said earlier I was thinking about using an aquarium as a greenhouse for them until they mature.

morgan

Follow-up Answer:

Aloha Morgan,

No need. When the Bhuts are young, protect them by surrounding the small Bhut with a plastic pot. Cut the bottom out of this small pot (1 gallon or smaller), and insert into the ground an inch. This will protect the Bhut from cutworms, and the like until it is big enough, and tough enough. This will be when your Bhut is 8-10″ tall. Then carefully remove the plastic pot. Like I said last night, don’t over think this. Once your Bhuts are established, they will kick butt. Then you will only have to worry about fruit flies, and white flies, and this can be remedied by organic neem oil. Remember, these peppers when grown correctly will grow to more than 6 feet tall which takes the aquarium scenario out of the picture.

Cheers,
Jamie

Hey Jamie it’s Mike in Wash.DC. I just wanted to let you know my plant is doin great!

I took some pics. One quick question. I’m noticing the plant kinda takin a purple color in the stems. Is this normal? Or indication of a problem. The plant is about 2 feet tall and very full and bushy. Just curious. Takes a look a the pics! Doin my best to make ya proud of me with a successful grow!

Take care buddy,
Mike

Dear Mike
It looks perfect and should start flowering soon.  Keep me updated as it’s always good to see how other Bhut enthusiasts are doing with the seeds!

Mahalo,
Jamie

Question:
Pehea ‘oe, I live in the Chicagoland area. I am an avid pepper and vegetable grower. The season is short here but I have been successful in my endeavors. Tell me, if it is not a big secret, what is your favorite soil mixes for peppers and veggies. I have tried several with fish emulsion, worm casings, organic mulch etc. I look forward to hearing from you. Good growing. Malama pono, Aloha.

~Bruce Webber

Answer:
Aloha Bruce,

Mahalo for your inquiry. Sounds like you are doing the right things. Peppers like loam with organic compost. I use fish emulsion and kelp as well as my soil from my compost pile. They are heavy feeders so I fertilize every 30 days. I deep water my peppers every 2-3 days here in Hawaii. The depth of water penetration should be at least 12-16 inches. This encourages root growth as they go deep for the water and you will get a stronger, healthier pepper plant. Peppers do not like to be deprived of water, they do not like distress, and it is not OK to allow your pepper plants to wilt.

As far as your other vegetables go, most like the same type of soil with a pH just slightly acid of neutral–so the 6.5-7.0 range. You can purchase an inexpensive testing kit at Home Depot or Lowes or your local nursery.

I hope this helps.

Jamie
The Waimea Bay Chili Pepper Co.

Question:
Hey Jamie,
Last year I grew them, and the pepper started green then started to yellow and then bright red . . . HOT but this year they started green and ended up all bright yellow. They are the same size and shape so I’m leaving some on the plant to see what happens. They are still totally hot. My question is; what could be responsible for the color change – weather, water or fertilizer. I’ve also seen listing’s for the Naga Morich which looks similar. Is it possible that when I ordered my plants (Bhut) they could have been substituted. I did not order from you but next year I plan to. Do you have an online listing of all plants or a catalog I can get.

Thank You for Your Help,
W. Reed

Answer:
Sounds like you got the old “switcharoo” to me. You have to think about what is happening. The normal color change of a Bhut Jolokia is from green, to orange, then when totally ripe a beautiful deep red. A ripe hot pepper that is yellow is not a Bhut Jolokia. It is pretty easy to identify the Bhut Jolokia, please check out the photos in our photo gallery on thehottestpepper.com/gallery.html

For your knowledge a few words about yellow plants. When a plant turns yellow it is usually from the inability of the plant to get rid of water in the soil (could also be from an iron, or nitrogen deficiency, or a high pH). This is usually caused from a clay based soil that holds the water. If this is the case then you need to add compost to your soil. But I don’t think this is the problem because your peppers are bearing fruit. A clay soil will make it difficult for the plant to extract the nutrients it needs to produce the fruit and mostly likely if this was the case you would have a lot of peppers dropping onto the ground. I suspect that you went sent another type of pepper.

I have been in business since 1986 and I have learned that there are a lot of unsavory characters out there. You are only as good as your word, and all the money in the world won’t repair a damaged reputation because of dishonesty. When you need the real thing, send me an email and we will get them out to you ASAP.

Jamie