How to grow my chili peppers hotter next year?

Question

What a disappointment! This is my first year gardening and I have a ton of plants! But the one plant that I was SO excited about was my chili peppers. I have been very patient with this plant and it has been my baby.... However, I just picked the peppers, washed them, and bit into it, expecting it to be much hotter than it was. It tasted like a bell pepper. I'm extremely disappointed to say the very least. I always hear people say things like 'these peppers are the hottest in the west', how do they make their peppers so hot??? I'm sure that there are a ton of peppers that are much hotter than chili, but how do they make theirs the hottest?? I want to know the secret! My peppers aren't even warm!!!!!!

Answer 1

Chilies vary widely in heat. Here are some of the things you can do

-- Don't water too much. They get hotter if they grow in semi dry conditions. If the plants are big soft and green the chilies will be cooler.

-- Leave them on the plant till they are really red and even partially dried out. If you pick them green they will be much cooler.

-- Make sure they are in a very sunny spot. They need sun to develop capsaicin.

-- Make sure you grow a hot variety. I have had good success with Thai red, and habaneros.

Answer 2

Capscum in a chili pepper develops when under stress..You do not water peppers but maybe once a week for the peppers to grow hot....when it gets really hot weather maybe twice a week..just look at the leaves when they begin to slightly curl..then it is time to give a good thoural soaking..do not water every day..Make sure not to grow and fertilize with much nitrogen at all..peppers do not respond to nitrogen and it will give you little or no fruit at all...use a high phoshpherous and pottasium based fertilizer...All the nitrogen a pepper plant needs is that present in a good compost you planted them in..here is a link backing up my less water as I suggested..

http://www.organicgardening.com/feature/...