Carolina Reaper Chilli ( Capsicum chinense ) are officially the hottest chilli in the world today (as of 2020). There are two others that may topple its Guinness World record holding status, the Dragon’s Breath the Pepper X but until this time it is #1. The Carolina Reaper Chilli stole the record from the Moruga Scorpion Chilli in 2012. Due to their extreme heat, it is not something that we would recommend eating raw and is more suited to making extremely hot sauces or as a dried spice. Please wear gloves when handling these chillies or its seeds; you will feel the burn in your eyes as you cut them.
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Scoville Heat Units (SHU) – 1,569,300
Growth
Carolina Reaper Chilli plants are a larger growing chilli, getting to around 1.2-1.5 metres tall. Its chilli’s range between 2.5-7.5 cm’s long and has a tail. The fruit starts off green and eventually changes to a bright red colour. From seed to harvest is around 12-14 weeks. Please keep this plant away from children.
Chillies can be grown in pots, and this is preferable in cooler climates. The species name for this chilli is annuum; meaning yearly or annual, however; in tropical climates where they thrive, they can live for many years and grow quite large. In climates where temperatures get to below 12°C / 60°F they will die back and depending on how cold your climate gets; may grow back once the weather warms, but very often over winter will die. If you want them to survive over winter, they are best taken indoors and kept in a warm, sunny room.
Overwintering
It is best to cut your chilli plant back and treat with Neem Oil prior to taking it indoors, unless you are going to provide artificial light and humidity. The Chilli plant will likely go dormant, so be careful not to over water and rot the roots, they just need to survive (hibernate) over the winter and will grow back once the sunnier, warmer weather returns. Of course, if you can provide a greenhouse environment with heating and artificial light, you may continue to harvest; but this is time consuming and costly for most gardeners.
It is worth noting that Chilli’s varieties will cross pollinate with each other, so if you are wanting to grow a specific variety of chilli – DO NOT grow other types nearby and hope neighbours within a 100-metre radius don’t have another variety either; because they will not stay true to type if cross pollination occurs.
We always recommend growing your food organically, so when fertilising or trying to keep pests under control, keep in mind that there are always organic options. Your body and family will thank you!
Note: Germination instructions can be found in the ‘Germination Instructions Tab’ below. Upon purchase you will receive these detailed instructions via email so that you have a permanent record.
FAMILY:
Solanaceae
CLIMATE:
Cold to Tropical
TEMPERATURE RANGE:
12 to 40°C / 54 to 86°F
SOIL TYPE:
Compost, nutrient rich soil, that must be well draining.
LOCATION:
Full sun, afternoon shade in hot summer to prevent leaf burn.
HEIGHT:
Up to 1 metre (3 feet) – can grow larger if in ideal climate.
WIDTH:
Up to 80 cm’s (2.6 feet)
pH:
6.0-6.8
GROWTH TYPE:
Technically it is a perennial plant but usually grown as an annual.
WATER REQUIREMENTS:
Medium
POLLINATION:
Bisexual flowers. Pollinated by Bees and other insects.
MATURITY:
Average 12-14 weeks
GERMINATION RATES:
85%
GERMINATION TIME:
7-14 days
GERMINATION DIFFICULTY:
Easy
SEEDS PER GRAM:
Approximately 140
MEDICINAL QUALITIES:
Yes – Chillies in general.
WEED POTENTIAL:
No
EDIBLE:
Yes, but with caution. Please wear gloves when handling both seeds and fruit.
SEED STORAGE & VIABILITY:
Store at 4°C/39.2°F (fridge) for up to 2 years.
FACTS ABOUT CAPSICUM CHINENSE (Chillies)
Chillies originated from South & Central America and Mexico and were spread around the world by what is now known as the ‘Columbian Exchange’. The Columbian exchange were Spanish and Portuguese traders, named after Christopher Columbus, who introduced plants, animals and technology around the world in the 15th and 16th centuries.
The health benefits of chill’s are numerous; they have qualities that can provide natural pain relief; heart health; can aid in prostate cancers and even make you live longer!
Pepper spray that is used by law enforcement, contains the hottest chillies in the world like Carolina Reapers & Moruga Scorpions! This is not a new use of chillies; history shows chilli has been used as a weapon possibly as far back as 1000 BC!
