How to Grow Bhut Jolokia Peppers Outdoors and Indoors

Indoors

• 1

  Start your seeds indoors, 8 to 10 weeks before the last frost date in your area, in seed trays filled with a sterilized soil that has been heated to provide a soil temperature of 80 to 90 degrees F. Place the seeds 1/4-inch deep in the soil.

• 2

  Moisten the soil, and keep the soil bed moist throughout the germination period. Afterward, allow the soil to dry at the surface between waterings.

• 3

  Provide full sunlight or an artificial light source once the seedlings sprout.

• 4

  Transfer the seedlings to bigger pots when they reach six weeks of age or develop 8 to 10 leaves.

Outdoors

• 5

  Select a site for your plants that offers full sun and good drainage. Prepare a bed for the peppers. Add compost or improvements to the soil before planting. The soil should have a pH of 6.0 to 6.5.

• 6

  Harden off your plants for a period of one to two weeks. According to the Mother Earth News website, it is safe to begin taking your peppers out two weeks after the average frost date for your area and during warm weather, while The Chile Pepper Institute suggests waiting until temperatures reach 70 F in the daytime and 55 F at night.

• 7

  Set your plants at least 18 inches apart. While this spacing is sufficient for most peppers, Bhut Jolokia plants can reach 5 feet tall by 5 feet wide, depending upon conditions. Container-grown plants can be moved easily to provide extra space between plants.

• 8

  Use a balanced fertilizer such as a 10-10-10 to feed the plants. Side dress the plants with fertilizer after they set fruit and feed your peppers afterward as needed, depending on your soil. Offer supplemental water if rain is insufficient. The plants require 2 inches of water per week.

• 9

  Use row covers to provide warmth in areas where temperatures are not ideal, suggests the Mother Earth News website. Generally, hotter temperatures create hotter peppers, as hot weather increases the capsaicinoids present in peppers. Pepper plants require overnight temperatures of 65 to 80 F to set peppers.

• 10

  Collect mature peppers early in the day, and move them directly to a cool environment for storage. Wear gloves to protect your hands.