An update on my super-hot Chillies

Last year, I posted about some chilli seeds I bought, and then I germinated a bunch of them under grow lights for this season.

I also purchased some super-hot seedlings from a local store.

In the last few weeks these chillies have started to produce pods, ranging from sweet and mild to blistering hot!

Using some of my fataliis' I made a mango and peach chillie sauce yesterday, which I will put up in a separate post.

Here are some pics;

Fatalii

My fataliis', used in my container-mix experiment are producing heaps of beautiful bright yellow pods. I took a chance, and ate a whole fatalii and was greeted by the unmistakable smell of capsaicum, the compound that gives chillies their heat. As I chewed this chilli pepper, I did not taste the citrus flavour these chillies are meant to have, instead I was hit with an immediate, powerful heat. It was quite intense, and lasted about 10 minutes.

Moruga Scorpion

My moruga scorpion is producing a good number of pods. I have the plant in a large 50L pot, and it has become quite bushy and lush.

The pods on this plant look wicked and cruel. As of last year the moruga scorpion was the hottest chillie pepper in the world with measurements taken about 2 million scoville units, right about the strength of pepper spray. Hot.

I was silly enough to try a small slice of one of these peppers raw. It is so ridiculously hot, I am labeling one of the most painful experiences of my life. The searing heat lasted about 20 minutes, building hotter and hotter for the first 10 minutes before slowly tapering off. 

The small sliver of chillie I tried outdid the pain of an entire fatalii pepper by a good margin. After eating, I could feel the chillie sitting in my stomach and moving through my gut, a burning ember for the next 12 hours. It will a lot of convincing for me to ever consider eating one of these raw again!

My Moruga Scorpion Test Sample - HOT!

Chocolate Habanero 

My chocolate Hab is growing nicely, it is a small bush with a good number of growing pods. I actually have two of these.

I haven't tasted the habanero raw, but used half of it to flavour a dish, where it imparted a nice mild level of heat to 1kg of mince.

 

Peter's Pepper

I have not yet had any ripe chillies from my Peter's Pepper, named after the unique manly shape the chillies grow. I intend to overwinter this plant, and have it in a large pot where it has grown bushy and lush.

Bhut Jolokia

I have both a red and yellow Bhut Jolokia in containers. The yellow has begun to ripen some pods, however I am still waiting on the red.

Unripe Red Bhut Jolokia

Jalapeno 

My Jalapeno is a bit of a let-down. It is from the nursery, and whilst it is growing well, it has no heat whatsoever. 

Yellow 7 Pot

I haven't yet tasted my 7 pot, which is just now ripening its pods.

 

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Some garden updates

Garlic

Way back in December I harvested my garlic. An afternoon of digging and tying yielded a good number of bulbs, and after giving some away and using a bunch, I still have a whole lot available today which I use almost every night.

Garlic after harvest

The garlic is sharp and flavourful and exceeds the garlic bought at the shops or markets by a long margin. I divided the garlic into bunches and store in my shed, hanging a bunch in the cupboard until ready for use.

About half of my garlic, bunched and ready to go

Close up of a fresh bulb

Four months later, the bulbs store nicely, ready to be cooked!

Vegetables

After planting up my veggies in Oct/Nov after out frosts, I have unfortunately let things lapse in the commotion around the twins birth. Regardless of this, I still manage to haul a good number of vegetables every week.

Here is today's haul, capsicums, tomatoes, beetroot, chillies, tomato, squash and eggplant.

Todays haul

Tomatoes

My tomato vines were ravaged by the heat this year. Tomatoes literally cooked themselves on the vines, and my inattention caused the vines to sag and drop.

Luckily for me the plants still produced nicely. Two weeks ago we pulled this massive lot from the garden.

Periform Abruzzi

Golden Grape

Tommy Toes

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The Great Container Mix Experiment Week 19

Well, it's been a fair few weeks and I have been very slack updating this. Well, mostly slack. Three weeks ago my wife and I welcomed into the world a boy and girl, twins, and I have been quite consumed by this over the last few months! I will endeavor to update this more frequently, before the cold hits in about 6 weeks.

Week 19 - Summary of results

In a nutshell, my chilis are doing great, and my okra are doing, well, not so great. I think the early cool that hit all my seedlings severely ruined their potential for growth, as my okra in pots, and in the ground are all fairing quite poorly, and are looking scrawny and unwell. They have put on some growth however, and out of all my soil mixes the plain potting mix stands out as the winner to date, with the highest percentage change in growth since the experiment began, followed closely by the 5-1-1. My stunted okra in coconut husks is really having a sad time, although it appears to be doing ok, when judged solely on height.

My fatalii peppers are growing great, putting off a great number of bright yellow pods. These little beasts pack quite a punch, and I foolishly downed a whole one a little while back, and was quite severely punished. The plain potting mix has given the largest growth in cms, however in total percentage change growth the 5-1-1 and coconut husk chips are tied.

Similarly, the plain potting mix has given the best growth in cms for my banana chillies, in total percent change growth however the coconut husks far exceed the other mixes. The coconut husk chips also produce many more pods than the other two mixes, with the weight of the chillies dragging the plant towards Earth.

Banana Chilis, the coconut husk chips (right) produce many more chillies

Fatalli pods

Percentage change, all soil mixes week 1 to 19

Okra

My Okra are doing pitifully. The leaves are looking thin, and the leaves are fairly sparse. The plants do put out a number of pods, and the need to be picked constantly or they grow long and hard and inedible.

The okra put off beautiful flowers reminiscent of hibiscus, to which family they belong. The bees are quite fond of these flowers. The okra flowers do not even last a full day, having wilted and dropped by late afternoon,to be followed by extremely quick growing pods.

In terms of growth, there is little difference in height between all soil mixes, with 5-1-1 putting on the most growth in total height, and the plain potting mix having the highest percent change in growth. The coconut husk mix plant is very sad, scrawny, sick but is still putting on height.

An okra flower

Onto the numbers!

Okra growth in cms

Okra percentage change in growth since week 1

Fatalii Chillies

My fataliis are doing very well. They are all producing pods, and are getting even more tall and bushy. The plain potting mix performs on par with both 5-1-1 and coconut husk chips. In total cm growth the plain potting mix outperforms both other mixes, while percentage-wise 5-1-1 and coconut husk chip growth are identical.

5-1-1 left, plain potting mix center, coconut husk chips right

Fatalii growth in cms

Fatalii total percent change in growth

Banana chillies

The banana chillies are doing well, although don't put off as many chillies as I would like. I think they are limited by the smaller size of the pot.

The coconut husk chips put off many more pods than the other two plants, and the weight of the pods have caused it to lose a branch, and have others dragged right down, requiring staking.

Banana Chillies growth in cms

Banana chillies total percentage growth

Photos of measurements week 19

'Fine' 5-1-1

Plain potting mix

Coconut husk chips

Fatalii in 'coarse' 5-1-1

Fatalii plain potting mix

Coconut husk chips

Banana chilli 'coarse' 5-1-1

Banana Chilli plain potting mix

Banana chilli coconut husk chips

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Great Container Mix Experiement - Week 10

As we enter the new year, I have done my next round of measurements. Canberra has had some very warm days, and warm nights, and this has allowed all my plants to get a bit of a boost. The Fataliis' in particular are going mad.

Lets get straight into it.

Summary of Results

My Okra stunted from the cold a few weeks ago has begun to move again, and put on 6cms in the last 3 weeks. It looks as if it is ready for a real growth surge, and I have hope it will catch up to its taller brothers. The banana chillies are also growing quickly. They are in smaller pots, and the plant in pure potting mix needs watering every day or else it wilts quickly. The plant in 5-1-1 wilts if not watered every day, and it is a very hot day. Interestingly the plant in coconut husk chips has never wilted once, I am not sure if this is due to the plant being smaller than the other two, requiring less water, or a property of the mix itself.

Percentage wise, between week 7 and 10, the Fatalii in 5-1-1 grew the most, with 88% change in height. In total height gained, the Okra in pure potting mix put on the most height, adding 21cms.

The chart below shows total percentage growth for all plants in all mixes from week 1 to week 10.

Total Percentage Change in Growth week 1 - week 10

Okra

All the okra have put on size over the last 3 weeks, and have begun producing pods. I have only harvested 1 or 2 at this stage, but I think things will pick up as summer goes on.

The okra in plain potting mix has started to close the gap with the plain in 5-1-1, putting on 21cm and 16cm respectively. The okra stunted from the cold has put on 6cms, a 33% change in height over 3 weeks. The rate of growth for the okra in 5-1-1 is reduced compared to the plant in plain potting mix and coconut husk chips, over the same 3 week period.

Fatalii

The Fatalii peppers have really taken off, add density and size. This experiment only measures plant growth on a height scale, however if other considerations such as width were taken into consideration, it is easily seen that the plant in plain potting mix is performing the strongest followed closely by the coconut husk chips.

This can be seen in this picture, of all three plants side-by-side. The coconut husk chips are to the right, the plain potting mix in the center, and the 5-1-1 on the left.

The plain potting mix (center) is denser, and slightly larger than both other plants

Here are the numbers for each;

Banana Chilli

The banana chilli in the plain potting mix continues to put on size, and the coconut husk chip plant is picking up steam quickly. The plant in 5-1-1 is also performing extremely well.

The plant in plain potting mix requires watering every day, or else it begins to wilt before the days end.

Below is a picture in their current size. You can see that the plant in pure potting mix has more chillies, and is taller than the other two.

5-1-1 on the left, plain potting mix in the center, coconut husk chips on the right

Here are the numbers;

Photos of Measurements Week 10

Okra Coconut Husk Chips

Okra Plain Potting Mix

Okra 'Fine' 5-1-1

Fatalii Coconut Husk Chips

Fatalii Plain Potting Mix

Fatalii 'coarse' 5-1-1

Banana Chilli Coconut Husk Chips

Banana Chilli Plain Potting Mix

Banana Chili 'coarse' 5-1-1

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