The best hot chili peppers for your garden and region

Hot chiles can be grown almost anywhere with these few tips. Conditions such as soil and temperatures affect the chile plant.

It's summer and the sun is blazing and you want to get hotter with chile peppers. Growing chile peppers in your area should be easy. Just follow these few tips.

Chile Plant Basics

The chile or sometimes referred to as chili is the fruit of the Capsicum plant. Capsicum is the oil produced by the fruit that give the fruit it's hotness. There are hundreds of different names and cultivars for the chile. Some common ones are jalapeno, cayenne and serrano. Generally, they are called hot peppers but some speculate whether they are related to the pepper plant at all. Regardless of the name most people recognize the hot pepper names such as habenero and jalapeno.

The chile plants were thought to originate in South America near present day Brazil. Hot chiles thrive in tropical areas but can be grown just about anywhere if proper care and precautions are taken. The seeds germinate at 70 degrees or higher and will often take seven to ten days to germinate.

Most home grown gardens use transplants due to the required long growing season of most chile plants. Choosing the right transplant can make a difference in the production of the plant. Choose transplants that are not leggy meaning the stem is not extremely long compared to the rest of the plant. Make sure the plant has not set fruit or started to flower. Lastly, make sure the plant has at least three or four sets of true leaves.

The chile plant averages a growing season of at least three months. It will take the three months to begin to grow fruit. Pick the fruits at an earlier stage if you don't want the fruit as hot. Generally, the more ripe it is, the hotter it will be. Color can usually give a good indication of ripeness. Some become red or orange when they are ripe. Others, stay green throughout their life.

Chile plants like a well drained loamy soil. Any large clumps of soil may interfere with the root system of the chile plant. They also like warmer soil due to the tropical nature of the plant. Organic matter incorporated into the soil gives the plant a head start. Using a balanced fertilizer is recommended. Worm compost is the best as it is easily broken down by the plant and surrounding soil.

Growing Zones and Length of Season

The growing zones, determined by where you live, are based on the average temperature in the region. The growing zone can be found by asking your local home and garden store or searching for it on the Internet. A local gardener's club or Master Gardener's club may also share this information with you. The length of the growing season is often determined by the growing zone. Most chiles do well in growing zones six and higher. Some, however, will do well in lower numbered zones if the chiles are started inside or in a greenhouse, or bought as transplants.

Chile plants will not generally tolerate a frost and certainly not a freeze. Take care to not place them outside too early. Harden them off by setting them out a little bit longer each day. Then bring them in at night. You can also place them in a cold frame or greenhouse.

Most generally chile plants are set out once summer begins and temperatures are well into the 70 degree range. The soil temperatures must usually be around 65 degrees for better production. Any lower temperatures can kill the blossoms and will not set fruit then.

Cultivars and Hotness Rating

In general, the smaller the chile and hotter it is. The hotness is generally rated using the Scoville Unit of measurement. The higher the rating the hotter it is. The scale goes from around 100 Units (very mild hot) to well over 500,000 (fire alarm hot).

The heat in most chiles is found in all parts of the chile but most of it is in the membranes around the seeds. The seeds themselves have a high amount of capsicum (the oil that causes the hot sensation) but the membrane generally contains the highest concentration of the capsicum.

The cultivar determines the length of the growing season needed. Here is a list of common cultivars and facts and information on growing them.

Habenero (or Habanero)

Habeneros require a long growing season. It can take them up to 110 days for some varieties to mature and start to set fruit. It is not recommended for these chiles to be started by seed. Find a transplant or start the seed indoors or a greenhouse at least eight to ten weeks before you plan to plant it outside. If your region does not have temperatures reaching at least 70 degrees, then perhaps the habenero isn't a good choice for your area.

Habeneros, also spelled habaneros, are a very hot chile. Be careful when handling these chiles even before cutting them from the plant. The use of gloves is a good recommendation. Be sure to wash your hands with soap and water completely before you touch anything else. They are anywhere from 100,000 Scoville Units to over 500,000 Scoville Units.

These chiles are usually the ones used in the hottest chile sauces available.

Jalapeno

The jalapeno is a very popular chile. It is used in many salsas and sauces. It is much milder than the habenero and is perfect for those who cannot withstand the heat of the habenero.

Jalapenos also have a shorter growing season about 65 to 75 days. Most regions are able to grow this chile. Starting the plant by seed indoors is still recommended to get the most production from the plant.

Dried jalapenos are commonly called chipotles and are used in seasonings and sauces.

Cayenne

Cayenne chiles take a little longer than jalapenos or about 70 to 80 days to maturity. There are different cayenne chiles ranging from medium heat to hot, anywhere from 50,000 to about 75,000 Scoville units.

Cayenne chiles are generally dried up and used as a powder in cooking. It can be ground up and used in a spray to protect other plants from pests.

The fruits are anywhere from four to six inches long and can give quite a lot of fruits if the growing conditions are great.

Poblano

Poblano chiles are very popular in Mexican cuisine. They are often called anchos but generally that term is reserved for the dried versions of the poblano.

Poblanos are popular as stuffed chiles because of their shape. They are much like bell peppers in shape and are very mild in the heat ranging from 1000 to 3000 Scoville Units.

They are generally picked at the green stage which is about 80 days into their growing season. But if you let them mature for 90- 100 days they will become red. The red version is generally hotter than the green stage.

Serrano

The serrano is used in salsa quite often. It has a medium heat to it ranging from 7000 to 25,000 Scoville Units. The serrano plant produces a high amount of fruit and has a growing season of 70 to 90 days. It is great for pickling. They can be frozen easily. The fruits look similar to jalapenos but are a bit slimmer and smaller.

Scotch Bonnet

The scotch bonnet chile is a hot chile. The scotch bonnet is the chile that is common in Jamaican jerk seasonings. They are normally harvested when they are still green but can range from green to yellow to orange.

Some refer to the scotch bonnet as hotter than the habenero. This opinion varies from place to place. They range from 150,000 to 325,000 Scoville Units which can place them higher than the average habenero but some habeneros can reach up to over 500,000 Scoville Units.

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