Growing the Bhut Jolokia Chilli
The Quest Begins…..
Today saw the delivery of my second batch of chilli seeds, the ones I have been waiting for, the Jolokia chillies. There were others, the devilish Orange Habanero, Cayenne for stock, the Pusa Jwala and the Padron for salsas, tapas and pickling.
Another two electric propagators were bought for the occasion, the Jolokia’s need warmth to germinate and I am hoping the special chilli germinating solution they had a pre soak in will ensure a successful result.
The seed trays were filled with a mixture of seed compost and fine vermiculite which I then left to warm in the propagators to prevent the seeds from being shocked by the cold soil. Whilst this was going on the seeds were soaking in individual bowls of germinating solution, some mellow Led Zeppelin created a calming atmosphere and a glass of cold Sauvignon chilled the grower.
An hour later and the seeds were allowed to dry a little on kitchen paper, plant labels were written and the seeds were sown. One tray has had to go in the airing cupboard because I’ve run out of propagators. If all of these chillies germinate then I’ve got a nightmare of a summer ahead. Two years ago I vowed I would never grow so many chillies again, I had literally hundreds by the end of September and now I’m doing it all again.
That said, I really, really, want the Bhut, Bih and Naga Jolokia’s to work. For them to grow I will face days of poor sunlight, freak frosts and another unpredictable summer. It really is a challenge but the sense of satisfaction I will feel if I can indeed grow the hottest chilli in the world will be worth it.
Miles,
Your attention to detail will reward you in the end.
In one of my housey mags I saw a company who specialize in glass only enclosures. More than a conservatory, these glass panels were able to cover existing features …. think what you could grow in there. On the down side they look expensive.
Cid
February 6, 2008 @ 8:56 am
Shhhhh - got a little secret for ya. First you need a bamboo forest. Then you need to chop it down. That’s where you plant your jolokias. That’s what I’m told, anyway.
February 6, 2008 @ 1:17 pm
Karen,
That could prove somewhat tricky!
The closest I can get to it is a field of sheep, don’t suppose that would be any good?
Happy travelling
Miles
February 6, 2008 @ 2:54 pm
Cid,
Could be one for my mate the superglazer, I’ll get on to it!
Miles
February 6, 2008 @ 2:55 pm
Miles,
I’ve bought two packets of seeds today, cavolo nero and scarlet kale…. it’s all your fault!
Tell Superglazer about www.igloo.uk.com … their adverts look like the kind of thing a stylish green fingered bachelor should have
Cid
February 6, 2008 @ 5:44 pm
Cid,
Good on you! You can’t go wrong with those two beauties. I was once tempted in having Superglazer build me a conservatory/greenhouse but then thought about greenfly and the like-hence the polytunnels.
There’s no room for muddy boots in my house!
Miles
February 6, 2008 @ 10:33 pm
Miles,
Perish the thought of greenfly… in there you’d have some of the latest contemporary garden furniture and a tray of Collins on ice! Dotted here and there, specimen chillies and a full grown frangipani. Sadly my budget rarely matches my imagination
Cid
February 7, 2008 @ 8:36 am
Cid,
Re interior design, I’ve got the budget but not the imagination!
Miles
February 7, 2008 @ 4:04 pm
Miles,
On the budget front, worry no more… we girls are here to suggest ways of whittling that down to a more managable size
On the imagination front, just say the word… I’ve got pots of it preserved and labelled ready to be dispatched at a moments notice.
We’ll take inspiration from this year’s crop and work from there…. in my case that’ll be a single, half munched cabbage leaf! The bright colours of the chillies in maison Collins will be reflected in the final design… what would you say to a giant fibre glass chilli on the roof?
Cid
February 7, 2008 @ 8:37 pm
Cid,
Sounds like you’ve been paying too much attention to a certain Mr.Gavin, he of bespoke garden eyesores. A giant fibre glass chilli? somewhat bizarre, even for you
Miles
February 7, 2008 @ 10:33 pm
Miles,
Scrub the chilli…. I’ve got it, a Jack and the Beanstork theme. Secreted at the back, a wind generator (got to keep it ecological!) with an attachment clothes line and a giant leaf as a sun shade… now before you get all excited I’ve got to do a trial run with toilet rolls and then get it past the planners.
Cid
February 8, 2008 @ 7:50 am
Cid,
I may have to reconsider my funding of this project
Miles
February 8, 2008 @ 8:42 am
Miles,
There are plenty of bamboo canes in the Nean shed. We could stick them into the ground and in your fertile soil they are bound to root. We can then burn them down (ala Karen) and there is your hot chillie bed - sorted!
Elsie
February 8, 2008 @ 1:38 pm
Hi, Im currently growing bhut jolokia’s hydroponically…..so doing great ……I plant to soil grow this summer in large containers too!……Im also growing fish peppers and might consider cross breeding a somewhat mild to medium hot pepper to a fish with a bite ….will keep all updated on my results……..By the way great site ……Ron
February 19, 2008 @ 12:58 am
Ron,
I am with you on the large container growing, mine are already to go in the polytunels. Could you tell me what fish peppers are like as I’ve never heared of them before. Good luck with the jolokia’s and thanks for visiting and commenting, it’s much appreciated.
Kind regards
Miles
February 19, 2008 @ 8:20 am
I’ve just bought a load of chile seeds online, including the bhut and bih jolokia. Having only ever grown finger chiles before I’m a little apprehensive about how things are going to turn out.
March 8, 2009 @ 3:07 pm
Andrew,
Welcome to the site and thanks for taking the time to comment. This is the first year I shall not be growing chillies due to work commitments. One thing is for sure is that growing the hotter varieties does take some considerable time and effort. You should, I hope have begun sowing the seeds by now, they do need a long growing season, plenty of warmth and later on a regular feed such as tomato plant feed. I plant mine on twice during their growing season, they’ll need plenty of light, a greenhouse is the best option because the more light and heat they get the closer to their true origin they will be.
Watch out for falls in temperature, England is renowned for late frosts so keep them protected. There are plenty of posts on growing all kinds of varieties on here under the kitchen garden section.
I wish you luck with them.
Kind regards
Miles
March 8, 2009 @ 3:41 pm
Hello Miles, how is the chilli growing going? Are you still growing Bhut Jolokias? When do you sow your seeds?
March 8, 2010 @ 11:09 pm
Albert,
Welcome to the site! Unfortunately because of work commitments I am unable to grow any this year but hopefully next year. How’s your’s doing?
Great site you have Albert,
Kind regards
Miles
March 9, 2010 @ 5:35 pm