Hot peppers

Hot peppers: for lovers, and not, of spicy cuisine!

General introduction

The hot pepper is undoubtedly one of the most popular fruits in the cuisine of the world.
It also brings numerous health benefits, especially to the circulatory system since it improves blood pressure, acts as a vasodilator and promotes the oxygenation of blood. It is also an excellent anti-inflammatory, helps digestion and is rich in vitamin C and E.
Cultivating a pepper plant is quite simple, just follow the right instructions and take care of it.
Variety of spicy chilies

There are over 2,000 varieties of chilli pepper, divided into 5 macro species:

• the Capsicum Annum (with sweet and spicy fruits, such as Capsicum cerasiforme, Capsicum bicolor or Capsicum acuminatum),
• the Capsicum Frutescens (spicy, like Tabasco or Malagueta),
• the Capsicum Chinense (the hottest ever, like the Habanero, the Red Squash, the Charapita or the Congo Pepper),
• the Capsicum Pubescens (very spicy, like the Rocoto, the Canario or the Caballo)
• the Capsicum Baccatum (medium spicy, like the Dedo do Moca, the Christmas Bell or the Aji Serranito).

How to make spicy peppers to germinate

The first step in the cultivation of hot peppers is that of germination, fundamental if the sowing will be indoors or if you want to shorten the timing.
The most common method is that of the scottex, which consists in spreading the seeds on the paper by wetting them (avoiding drowning), then the sheets must be transferred into a plastic box closed by a pitted lid, which will then be placed near a window .
In this phase the temperature must be between 20 and 30 °, the germination will take place within a week or so

When to sow spicy peppers

The sowing period depends on the type of pepper.
Each plant has different needs for growth and maturation, which are also closely related to the place of cultivation.
Precisely for this reason many choose indoor culture, at least during winter and spring.
On the other hand, when choosing outdoor cultivation, it is necessary to wait for the night temperature to drop below 16-18 °, indicatively between March and May, depending on the area in which you live.

Where to grow hot peppers

Depending on the variety of spicy peppers that you choose to grow, from the time of year and the region in which you live, you can opt for an outdoor or indoor cultivation.
If you choose indoor cultivation you need a growbox (or shelf) and white neon lamps or red and blue LED lights. If you live in an area with a mild climate, however, you can grow directly in the pot or in the soil of the garden.

How to winter the hot peppers

The hot peppers are perennial plants, so you can winter them so that the life cycle continues.
If you do not live in an area with harsh winters you can leave the plants outdoors, but it is necessary to gently decant the plant and the clod of earth that includes the roots (taking care not to break them), in a vase with a bottom of expanded clay and place it in a sheltered area.
With an indoor wintering, however, the plants must be placed near the windows but away from the radiators and must be moderately wet avoiding stagnation.
Diseases of spicy chillies

The diseases that can afflict spicy chili plants are classified into three categories:

• viral (such as the cucumber or tobacco mosaic virus);
• bacterial (such as bacterial maculation or bacterial rot);
• fungal (such as white mold or frog eye spots).

Furthermore, they can also be attacked by different types of parasites (such as mites or aphids).
To take care of them promptly it is essential to always carefully observe the plant in all its parts.

Why fertilize hot peppers

To fertilize the chili plants, you can choose between biological or chemical fertilizers. The key thing is to provide some important substances:

• nitrogen, to increase the production of leaves;
• potassium to strengthen branches and stems and help ripen;
• phosphorus to strengthen the roots.

The composition of the fertilizer varies depending on the phase in which the plant is, for example, during the growth phase it will take a fertilizer richer in nitrogen, while during flowering one will need more phosphorus.
Habanero Chili Pepper - Expert advice on cultivation