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Ripening Bhut Jolokia

Mamsoth

Mamsoth

Hi guys, I'm growing a bhut jolokia plant which is doing quite well, I have some nice looking chilli's but they're all green. Is it normal for them not to have even started ripening yet? I planted in late February and the peppers have been fully grown for about a month

Also, when (or rather if) they start to ripen, how long will they take to go from fully green to fully red?

Cheers

Matt
 
First off :welcome: from NC! Second, let see some pics!

No pics, didn't happen. :)

But for real, they usually take a while. I have a ton of pods that have been grown for about the same amount of time that are just starting to turn. Be patient. And post pics!

Matt
 
I waited five weeks from the time it was mature size till I picked my first pod. It was bright orange so I thought it was far enough along..... Wait till it's fully changed color, I was disappointed. It was hot but not HOT.
 
MGOLD86 said:
First off :welcome: from NC! Second, let see some pics!

No pics, didn't happen. :)

But for real, they usually take a while. I have a ton of pods that have been grown for about the same amount of time that are just starting to turn. Be patient. And post pics!

Matt
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Thanks for the welcome, alas I cannot post any pics as I lack the cable to connect my phone to my PC :eek:

That's reassuring, there's still hope for my little beauties then. Ideally I want to harvest some seeds from a good'n ripe pod for next year. Guess I'll just have to wait a little longer to try one to :dance:

Woody, thanks for the heads up, I'll defo wait till their fully ripe
 
Yes..you need patience..they will ripen. Are they in the ground or in pots?..if in pots you can extend your season bringing them indoors. Good Luck :)
 
Grillcheese said:
Yes..you need patience..they will ripen. Are they in the ground or in pots?..if in pots you can extend your season bringing them indoors. Good Luck :)
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Cheers GC. It is in a pot, hopefully even with our changeable weather here in the UK I'll have another 6-8 weeks then I can bring it in doors and possibly squeeze a couple more weeks out of it. I'm completely new to growing, in fact this is my first plant, I'm wondering how much longer the plant will produce/ripen fruit for. I know it depends on the weather but it's so hard to predict in England, I'm hoping till the end of September.
 
Hey, i'm from the UK and my purple tigers are ONLY just starting to ripen since they reached full size about 5 weeks ago, but slowly and surely they are going red :) the weather has been so rubbish, no summer at all!! :(
 
They drive you mad waiting for them to ripen. I have a red bhut pod out in a greenhouse that is red on top but still green on its tip.
 
Angie, tell me about it, blink and you've missed it! Not bad today though, nice and sunny :cool:

Mega, you lucky dog :) Living in Perth, that's somewhere I've always wanted to visit. Bet you don't have any problems with short and disappoining summers
 
Mamsoth said:
Angie, tell me about it, blink and you've missed it! Not bad today though, nice and sunny :cool:

Mega, you lucky dog :) Living in Perth, that's somewhere I've always wanted to visit. Bet you don't have any problems with short and disappoining summers
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I have to say that I have been to a few different places in the world and Perth has a whole lot going for it :D

The problem with the long hot dry summers is when the temp hits the level around 40C for a month or so all the flowers drop and you have to water the plants twice a day and you are on water restrictions.

But right now it's the middle of winter and we've had torrential rain for a week and the chilli plants I have left outside still have a few pods on them. It never gets too cold here. Lived here my whole life and the first time I saw snow was on a trip to Canada. Can't complain :cool:
 
woody3says said:
Wait till it's fully changed color, I was disappointed. It was hot but not HOT.
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I have read literature that says the maximum capsaicin content of a hot pepper occurs when the fruit first starts turning its ripe color...after that, some of the capsaicin in metabolized into sugar thus making the pepper "sweeter"...
 
Thats interesting AJ, so the pepper would be best picked just as it starts to turn red rather than waiting for it to fully ripen? I will still let a few fully ripen though as I'm looking to harvest some seeds for nxt year :)

Mega, must get out to the west coast in the future. I've only been along the east coast (Sydney & Brisbane), do you get mahoosive crocs where you are??? :eek:
 
I've read that on this very forum AJ, that's why I was a bit disappointed. The only thing I can think that MIGHT have affected heat levels was the fact I had heavily watered the garden just a couple of days before I picked it. Good flavor but typical hab heat, nothing like the purée of death!
 
Mamsoth said:
Thats interesting AJ, so the pepper would be best picked just as it starts to turn red rather than waiting for it to fully ripen? I will still let a few fully ripen though as I'm looking to harvest some seeds for nxt year :)

Mega, must get out to the west coast in the future. I've only been along the east coast (Sydney & Brisbane), do you get mahoosive crocs where you are??? :eek:
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nah just in the odd zoo down here. But if you go up north to Darwin where its tropical you start seeing the `don't camp next to this waterhole` signs.
 
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