Eating a habanero is not recommended for everyone, because its spiciness is amazing. On the other hand, all hobby gardeners can successfully grow them in our latitudes. But it doesn't work without knowledge, a little effort and a suitable location. This is how the cultivation becomes a success.
How can you grow Habanero chilies successfully?
To grow habaneros successfully, you should sow the seeds in potting soil, prick out the plants and repot them later. Make sure there is enough light, warmth, water and nutrients and plant them outdoors from mid-May.
Seeds
Cultivation begins with a few small, yellow seeds. You can get different varieties in stationary garden shops or in special online shops. You can also get the chili seeds yourself from a ripe fruit.
Tip
If you don't like the extreme spiciness of a Habanero, you can plant the “Sweet Habanero” variety. This sweet version has a spiciness level of 0 and is ideal for salads and for snacking.
Sowing
Habanero plants cannot tolerate cold and certainly not frost. So that the harvest can start as early as possible, the plants must be grown indoors.
- sow in February or March
- alternatively in December and January under plant light
- Soak seeds for 24 hours
- sow in pots 0.5 to 1 cm deep
- Use a mixture of potting soil and growing soil
- place bright, at 24-30 degrees Celsius
- keep slightly moist throughout
Pricking
Most varieties germinate within 1-3 weeks. As soon as the first green appears, the plants need to receive plenty of light. They rot in locations that are too dark.
- single after the third pair of leaves
- choose the strongest plants
- pay attention to undamaged roots
- potting soil is still optimal
- insert a little deeper, press down and pour in
- Place pots in a sunny and warm place
Repotting and planting out
The chili plants' housing will soon become too small. They need to be transplanted. They can be cultivated individually in a large pot or planted in the garden bed from mid-May at a distance of 40 cm. Now it can also be nutrient-rich soil. Commercially available soil already contains enough nutrients for around four weeks. Garden soil should be enriched with compost
A consistently sunny and warm location is ideal and ensures a rich harvest.
Care
Caring for the Habanero is easy. The main work is the needs-based water supply. You have to use the watering can more often, especially on hot days and with potted specimens. In the bed, this type of chili can be fertilized in an environmentally friendly manner with nettle manure. A commercial liquid fertilizer is recommended for the pot.
Harvesting
Approximately 70 to 100 days after sowing, you can harvest ripe pods from the bush and immediately process them fresh. Excess chilies can be saved for later. For example by drying.
