Shop Products
Houzz Logo Print
cslater_gw

Question about Growing Ghost Peppers

CSlater
12 years ago

Hi, ive been growing these naga jolokias for about 5 months and I have not had any peppers yet. I was wondering if this was normal?

The plant seems to be growing normal, it already had its flowers.Any suggestions?

Comments (16)

  • User
    12 years ago

    Jolokias, in my experience, are a long season plant. Depending on seasonal conditions they can take 7 to 9 months to produce ripe fruit.

  • habjolokia z 6b/7
    12 years ago

    Any pics? What growing conditions are they in? Seems like you got flowers but no peppers from them, did they drop or dry up hen drop?

  • Edymnion
    12 years ago

    Yeah, these things take a long time to start putting out flowers, and when they do they're hard to pollinate so you'll either need some very industrious insects or you'll have to pollinate by hand.

  • greenman28 NorCal 7b/8a
    12 years ago

    One of my buddies, who grew the same peppers from the same seeds that I used,
    hasn't had any significant pods on his plants. I'm not sure what happened, but it's strange.
    Too much fertilizer perhaps.

    Josh

  • CSlater
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    I can try to get some pictures up later, but the flowers on the plant fell off into the soil, never dried up until the fell. The conditons of my house are on average about 75 degrees and sunlight on them for about 5+ hours a day.

  • greenman28 NorCal 7b/8a
    12 years ago

    Whoa, I didn't realize that you're growing these indoors....that changes things considerably.
    Are you using extra lighting? If you want peppers, you'll need much stronger indoor lighting.
    Remember, outdoor shade is much brighter than the sunniest window indoors.

    Do you have a fan gently blowing on the plants?


    Josh

  • CSlater
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    as of right now there is no extra lighting, and yes i have a fan on it.

    so if i was to buy a light, what type of lighting should i use?

  • greenman28 NorCal 7b/8a
    12 years ago

    That is a question that I am not qualified to answer.
    However, there are several folks here who grow under lights and I'm hoping that they'll chime in.

    Josh

  • User
    12 years ago

    I too am not the best person to suggest a solution but I'll offer a thought..

    I'm in zone 5 so I start my long season peppers (Bhuts etc.) early and grow them out under 400W HID lights and move outdoors in the spring. I can grow them to fully ripe fruit under my lights but a 400W HID is overkill for one plant. To bring one plant from seed to ripe fruit inside I'd figure a full spectrum 200W-250W CFL.

    I readily stand to be corrected ;-)

  • CSlater
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    Thanks alot ottawpepper, i will have to try the light. Figured that is what it was but just making sure before i went out and bought it

  • CSlater
    Original Author
    12 years ago
  • locoguy
    12 years ago

    Nice. Can't wait for mine to grow

  • simsedward
    12 years ago

    I also live in Michigan and my ghost peppers do really well outside from May until october. My first year I only got about 15-20 peppers. I overwintered the plant and planted it back in the ground last may. I just dug it up and brought it in the house for its second winter. This season I got well over 100 peppers. Your plant definitely looks like it needs more light. I put mine in the window for the winter but I am not trying to get it to produce...just to survive. It thrives in direct sun all spring/summer/fall. I think if you keep it going through the winter and get it outside next spring you will be rewarded with a nice harvest.

  • Edymnion
    12 years ago

    A couple of 120w equivalent Daylight florescent bulbs from Home Depot should be sufficient as long as you put them somewhere close to the plant (and not up in a ceiling fixture while the pot is on the floor).

    Just make sure it says daylight on it, not soft-white or the like. Color code usually has it so daylight is in blue packaging while soft-white is in green.

  • capoman
    12 years ago

    Get T5HO's. T12's mentioned above wouldn't be bright enough for fruiting. Peppers need a LOT of light. HID's are still your best bet, but not worth it for one plant.

  • DrillSgtLangdon
    12 years ago

    I've been working with a make-shift, hydroponics system that I duplicated based on a vid that I found on YouTube. So far, my Bhut Jalokia's (Ghost peppers) have grown twice as fast in half the amount of time as when I was using the soil/pot method, and it only cost me $43.00 US :) I posted the vid below. Enjoy!

    Here is a link that might be useful: DIY, Hydroponics Instructional Vid

Sponsored