Capsicum chinense

• Full sun
• Start indoors
• Conical green fruits ripen orange.
• Best used fresh, but can be canned, dried or frozen.

Habanero Pepper. Scorching hot fruit are lantern shaped and about 2.5cm (1in) x 3.75cm (1.5in) with thin wrinkled flesh that turns from light green to orange when ripe. Germination of the seed is slow with warm conditions (26 C/80 F) essential for best results. As seeds can also carry the essential heat of the pepper, to avoid transferring Scoville Heat Unit Rating - 250,000.

Approx. 40 seeds

Start indoors mid February to late March. Use a soil-less growing mix. Sow seed 6mm (1/4in) deep. Maintaining the growing medium at a temperature of 21 C (70 F) will enhance germination. Grow the seedlings under bright light and temperatures of 16-21 C (60-70 F) to produce strong, stocky plants. Transplant after hardening off, in late May to early June. Full sun and a well-drained soil is best. Space the plants 30cm (12in) apart in rows spaced 60cm (24in) apart. Control weeds and avoid high nitrogen fertilizers. Try harvesting the peppers at different maturities to experience a wider range of flavours and textures. Staking is recommended with most varieties. Note: Estimated days to maturity are based on counting the days after transplanting.