Last year, I discovered several new hobbies.  I ordered 2 pounds of Super Red Worms for my Vermicomposting bin used to fuel my interest and needs required to support my organic growing projects.  One unique project and art is actually growing Super Hot Chili Peppers.

To provide a brief understanding of the difference between hot peppers and Super Hot Chili Peppers consider this,  a typical Jalapeno pepper is rated at 2,500-8,000 Scoville Heat Units(SHUs). The world’s hottest chilli, the Bhut Jolokia (Ghost Pepper)  measured a staggering 1,001,304 SHUs by the New Mexico State University Chile Pepper Institute and was confirmed as the world’s hottest chili pepper by Guinness World Records in 2007, a title it still holds today.

The typical Bhut Jolokia is a beautiful red pepper with an eerie wrinkled texture.  I was extremely fortunate to receive a few of these from Grant Cummings ( @GCPepperguy ) – My son Blake and I joyfully taste tested this pepper and met with the most intense sensation of heat that has caused him to second guess even eating salsa, but drove my interest in wanting to grow my own Super Hot Chilis.

Of course I immediately started researching, acquired, and ultimately planted several seeds from the pepper genus Capsicum. I came across a very unique opportunity that required ordering from the Chili Company in the United Kingdom.  They advertised what they believed to be a true Yellow mutation of the Red Bhut Jolokia vs. a Yellow strain produced because of cross pollination.  I geekishly setup unique growing plans and environment for these seeds and successfully fruited 4 Yellow Bhut Jolokias from a single plant.

I definitely want to be clear that I am not even close to being the first to grow Super Hot Chili Peppers and there are some amazingly smart growers that have years of experience doing so and are more successful than me, but I did use 100% organic material, have tasted this pepper.  I did note some differences between the Yellow and Red.  The Yellow has a bolder, fruitier smell and flavor, even more so than it’s Red counter part.  Although the Yellow’s heat level seemed to match the Red, the intensity of the Yellow only lasted about 20 minutes vs. 60 minutes of the Red, but it is definitely a Bhut!

@GCPepperguy asked if I’d share a few seeds and the growing specs I used to grow the plant so I decided to drop a quick blog post to share how I finally reached this point.  I hope to plant seeds from my fruits this season and maintaining a true organic seed harvest.

Organic Seed Rearing:

• Placed within a covered 2.5 gallon aquarium
• Heating pad with constant temperature of 90 degrees
• Used 3 inches Cow Manure Seedling pots (Cow Pots are absolutely an awesome green product)
• Used 50% Worm Castings, 50% Fox Farm Ocean Forest Organic Potting Soil, with a pinch of used Starbucks coffee grounds
• Appearance took less than 30 days

Plant Rearing:

• Immediately moved to southern facing window
• Maintained constant moist soil levels, never over wetting
• Watered with dechlorinized water and worm composting tea mix, no particular ratio and sometimes used 100% worm tea.
• At appearance of first true leaves, transplanted to larger cow manure planting pot.
• Used 50% Worm Castings 50% Fox Farm Ocean Forest Organic Potting Soil
• Added about a teaspoon each of Kelp, Bat Guano, Granulated molasses, used Starbucks coffee grounds, and Alpha mill which caused a green explosion and big plant pretty quick
• Continued to water with dechlorinized water and Worm composting tea mix, 100% worm tea when they could keep up but added diluted Tiger Bloom Fertilizer to each watering.
• Added Bat Guano each 6 weeks until first sign of flower buds.  Once flowers appeared, used Tiger Bloom Fertilizer as per recommendations on bottle.

The plant is doing really well but is in green growing phase currently. I will be adding Nitrogen based amendments to the soil, and have plenty of Worm Castings and Starbucks coffee grounds!  Really looking forward to upcoming season!