2024 Scottish Superhot trial ........

Hi Guy's

Here in Scotland we have .....let's face it.....shitty weather.... lots of cloud and often wet, cold summers however some of us have the chilli bug and feel compelled to grow these beautiful jewels of nature. Particularly when we were lucky enough to grow up in the middle East raised on spicy food and a Grand father born and raised in Kerala India in the 1920's spice is in my families very DNA

Spicey food has always played an important part in our family over the last few year's I've strived to find varieties that will grow in my particular wee Scottish greenhouse............ First was the Ring of fire cayenne which is a perfect substitute for Indian green chillies only hotter a ridiculous early tasty variety.

I've managed to find a couple of Scotch bonnet types that grow well in my wee Scottish greenhouse and taste superb I'm a happy boy.

However my search for a "superhot" that performs well in my wee Scottish greenhouse and tastes excellent continues........the Dorset Naga is pretty close and while I like the flavour and heat the aesthetics are lacking......to smooth and not gnarly enough !

My search continues...........in the past the only superhot I've grown are Dorset Naga and Bengle Naga both selections from seaspring seeds in Devon.....personally I find the "Bengle" naga which is infact a variation of bhut jolokia more aromatic, tasty and certainly more aesthetically pleasingly than the Dorset naga a variation of Naga Morich but not quite as hot but at 700,000 to 900,000 shu but not too shabby !

I highly recommend seaspring seeds "Bengle naga" a variety I see little mention of but highly rate in flavour, heat and aroma

Anyway back to my 2024 superhot trial...........


Here in Scotland I find starting early best in heated propergater and I use a home made light box to stop seedlings going "Leggy" this season I believe I started my superhot seeds Approx 04/12/23

This season I used rock wool in a ice cube tray in a box in my propergater which I highly recommend as germination is very quickly observed and seedlings either put in soil of transferred to a kratky hydroponic set up less time wasted

Light box does wonders to stop Leggy seedlings, I use a simply homemade set up a reptile bulb in a homemade set up 7 cm pot's of soil and a few mini kratky hydroponics.


Fast forward to March 2024 hydroponics seedlings plus soil seedlings have been in my light box, window ledge and transferred and hardened off into my unheated greenhouse and have been out there for approx a month being covered with x2 layers of horticultural fleece ( which i highly recommend) temps have been down to a bit less than 2 oC ! With no ill effects.

Dorset Naga in 5 litre kratky set up while I'm not huge fan of the aesthetics, my pods were very smooth the flavour and heat are excellent, this season I used the last of my original seeds in had from seaspring seeds hoping for my gnarly pod's than I had before......

The "Bengle" naga (aka improved bhut jolokia ) very tasty, a smaller plant than my Dorset but hopefully it will catch up, delicious and much underestimated in my opinion

Death spiral I have high hope's for this chilli pepper variety a strong healthy plant in 5 litre soil trial pot

Super bhut jolokia jw the weakest/smallest .......i may give this to a friend to grow on in their greenhouse to free up space plus I feel/think it's not going to be hot enough ...... just a big bhut

This was a Mustard Naga I grew last year from Black King Naga seed I'm not sure if its a variation or hybrid ? Very prolific hot and tasty........give it a go ........strong healthy plant

Fatallii gourmet jigsaw ( sh*t name) the last of my seed from Mr Fatallii himself hopefully more gnarly than last seasons which was damaged by aphids and not as gnarly as I've seen.

Devils Nagabrain red an F4 cross from Justin at White Hot peppers I've had alot of luck with Justin's seeds so will give this a fair go .................

Primotalii this plant is a month or more younger than the rest but has caught up nicely I have high hopes for this one .........

Hurt berry apparently it's an early maturing variety.....? Hope so being a British variety I would hope so to make the most of our short cold wet season

My 7 pot primo seems to be a big hardy plant again I have high hope's ..........

My Trinidad moruga scorpion is also a big hardy plant no idea if I will like the flavour........

7 pot Barrackpore a big besty of a plant ..........Apparently big pod's and big heat ........

7 pot Brainstrain yellow another highly recommend variety I feel I must grow............

I'm pretty sure my 2024 superhot trial will find me a variety my grows well and tastes good in my wee Scottish greenhouse, last season the 7 pot Douglah blew me away with it's huge insanely hot pod's however I didn't like the after taste ......

the search continues...............


Stephen

 

[Englander]

Hi Guy's

It's been a very long slow season..............poor light levels and temperatures to blame.

I reckon this season for is about 4 to 6 weeks behind last year ! but everything's growing even though temps in the greenhouse at night now are down to 5 oC to 8oC some nights it's staying in the teens.

Ripening is soooo sloooow.......................

This morning I started picking...................

My 7 Pot Primo rather disappointing pheno is all over and very smooth pods (poor light ? Or low temps ? ) still lots of pod's on the plant and I haven't tasted ..........

7 Pot Barrackpore over all alot less pod's still on the plant one lovely big pod's but on the hole small pod's............

Trinidad moruga scorpion seems a pretty tough character still tons of pod's on the plant best overall average size and probably the most consistent phenotype, although my Death Spiral are extremely alike but I'm only seeing the first "blush" of colour change this morning.

I shall let all my chillies fully ripen on a tray before trying / freezing and then evaluate the heat / flavour.

At present the Trinidad moruga scorpion is looking like a keeper for me I've tried dried pod's before and know I like them .

This in turn leads me to start pondering 2025 grow !

 

[MarcV]

If you want to speed up ripening, you can take a plant inside for a couple of days. Makes a lot of difference in my experience, pods that were about to start ripening will suddenly ripen...

 

[NJChilehead]

@Englander something I wanted to share that is completely anecdotal but may be worthwhile for your consideration since you talked about growing C. pubescens in another thread: this week it's been rainy and cool here. No sunshine at all, evening temps down about 12 degrees C and highs barely above 20 degrees C. My Rocoto de Seda has really boomed this week, setting well over 20 fruits per plant, where the other two types that I'm growing slowed down production. Again this is anecdotal and could just be the maturity of the plant, but the weather definitely hasn't affected anything as far as I can see. I'm bagging seeds for the de Seda, let's talk more later if you decide you want to add them to your rotation.

 

[Englander]

Hi Guy's

12th October to day temp inside the greenhouse last night 8 oC 46.4 oF although last week it went as low as 6oC !

Dispite the temperatures all plant's are pushing out tons of new growth, buds and flowers real shame they obviously don't know where our weather's heading.

Today I harvested anything with a "blush" of colour to ripen in the house and pruned back anything that is not has no chance of maturing.

I culled a few plant's/ Varieties that I know I won't growth again and bought 3 Rocoto plant's into the greenhouse and my kratky Ring of fire that has been out side for a few months now and it's still producing

My 7 Pot Primo came out very smooth not that many tails and varied phenotypes but plenty of pods.

My Death spiral finally produced better sized pod's I love the colour of the immature pod's and if I'm honest I prefer the Carrot shaped chillies over the Bonnety shaped pod's.

My very late sown Reaper x Moruga in small kratky has done well and is probably the gnarliest I'm looking forward to tasting them.

Trinidad moruga scorpion is definitely the most prolific and phenotype stable and largest on average .

Not a super hot but my Scotch brains yellow f7 from my saved seeds I had planned to only grow one in mini kratky however I accidentally grew two the 2nd mislabled as Dorset in 20 litre kratky.

Scotch brains yellow f7 in mini kratky had on average the biggest pod's

Obviously the Scotch brains yellow f7 in 20 kratky grew much much bigger so covered in pod's but slower to ripen and also the pod's are smaller on average, I will save seeds from both.

On the whole a good season I've learnt alot too many plants/ varieties............ No although you have to cull and you can only keep one specimen of each variety it gives you options that you wouldn't have otherwise

I've learnt new trail varieties are best kept in jam jar kratky even moved to a small 5 litre kratky they simply get too big ! and you run out of greenhouse space.

I've learnt I can grow a big Kratky Ring of fire chuck it outside mid summer and it will still grow great gun's and can be bought back into the greenhouse in October.

I've learnt potting up my soil chillies to 12 litre / 15 litre/18 litre pot's given our short season abs this year's terrible weather and light levels was a mistake

Next season im planning on a reduced grow but multiple specimens of each variety probably in 5 litre pot's to force earlier fruiting and ripening also allow me to judge each plant's qualities.

My "Keeper" or "Favourite" chilli list grows year on year although I've so many Ring of fire in the freezer I may give it a miss next season

 

[Englander]

Hi Guy's

31st October and I've still plant's going strong in the greenhouse, we have had a mild spell day time temperatures of 14 oC even 19 oC one day !

Currently in the greenhouse I've Scotch brains yellow, Trinidad moruga scorpion, 7 Pot Primo, Reaper x moruga, Death spiral, Rocoto long.

The first 4 are ripening like crazy ! The later 2 are just taking forever to ripen !! ??

All my Ring of fire, Chocolate scotch bonnet and pretty much everything else in in the freezer. My Chocolate scotch bonnet harvest was poor lot's of leaves and small pod's but tasty.
I've a bunch of late sown plant's over wintering in the spare room Yellow Fever, Bengle naga, Chocolate scotch bonnet, Hot chocolate Habenero, Rocoto long.

Trinidad moruga scorpion and Scotch brains yellow I've already a load in the freezer both are keeper's for me.

7 Pot Primo........won't be growing this strain again.........my try and get more recent seeds closer to Troy's current strain.

My current favourite of this season is the Reaper x Moruga f5 delicious and probably the hottest thing ive grown this year

I've had a few Death spiral ripen but most haven't yet !!

Rocoto long really struggling to ripen this season even now moved into the greenhouse ! Last season they ripened outdoors !!

I'm really pleased with my Scotch brains yellow big pod's very prolific and too hot for the Mrs Here's 3 I've isolated this year for seeds.

I've picked a bunch of green Rocoto long and have been trying to figure out if I can use them ? I pick and use my Ring of fire cayenne green but not too keen on Rocoto green.

Trying out a Indian green pickle recipe with my green Rocotos it needs too age for a couple of weeks so I've not tried it yet .......

 

[NJChilehead]

@Englander it's interesting how different your scotch brains look than mine, mine have a more flying-saucer shape to them. How are they tasting?

 

[Englander]

Hi NJChilihead

My scotch brains seeds came from these guys.............

 

[Englander]

Hi Guy's

My Scottish Chilli season is officially over !

We're finally had our first Proper frost...... last two night's temperatures inside the greenhouse dropped to - 1.7 oC and -2.7 oC ......game over !

Now to ponder my 2025 chilli grow list