How to Plant, Grow, and Care For Ghost Peppers

At over one million Scoville units on the universal heat scale, ghost peppers are among the hottest naturally occurring peppers. They’re over 400 times hotter than a jalapeno and were the first to break one million on the index. The former world record holder remains a favorite among hot pepper enthusiasts and a staple in the fieriest of hot sauces and chile powders.

More than just commodified heat, the cultivar, also called bhut jolokia, is from India and infuses regional cuisine, whether sliced fresh, dried, ground, pounded, or pickled. Layers of flavor and spice are discernible to those with a honed palate, and they change depending on how the chile is used. An important part of cultural foodways, the pepper travels to our home gardens to delight and intrigue with novel, awe-inducing spice.

The heat within peppers comes from the compound capsaicin, a well-adapted plant defense that’s an irritant to pests that may graze the fruits. The heat index used to measure peppers is the Scoville Scale, although climate, temperature, soil type, and growing location all have an impact on the heat of an individual pepper. Scoville heat units (SHU) measure the capsaicin in a pepper. Invented by Wilbur Scoville in 1912, it’s a range measure of how hot a pepper tastes.

The Carolina Reaper and Pepper X, among others, have bested ghost in terms of record-setting heat units, but that doesn’t detract from the pioneering chile. In addition to its role in cuisine, the Indian military used it to make tear-gas-like hand grenades to defuse incidents. An ecological study found success in coating native plant seeds with bhut jolokia powder to deter browsing mice in America’s grasslands.

Characteristics

The showy peppers measure two and a half to three inches long and ripen from bright green to bright orange-red to deep red. The scarlet tones and bumpy texture are external signs of the internal heat warning. Fruits mature at around 100 days from transplanting. 

The leafy annuals can reach heights of several feet and widths of two feet. They’re prolific producers, and heat aplenty will come from the fruits of a single plant.

Handle the hot peppers and plants with care during harvest and preparation to avoid skin and eye irritation. Wear gloves when harvesting and pruning. Make sure to label them in the garden so you know what you’re working with, and keep them out of the reach of young children.

Native Area

Bhut jolokia is a hybrid C. chinense that originates in Northeast India. The cultivar is heat-tolerant and grows in frost-free climates. The species and other chile peppers trace their heritage to the lowlands of Brazil. The wild species with fruits the size of small cherries grew extensively in South and Central America and underwent cultivation by indigenous cultures. 

Explorers from Spain, including Christopher Columbus,  brought the peppers to Europe in the 15th and 16th centuries. The nightshades, along with fellow family members the tomato, slowly made their way into cuisine.

Planting

Chilis are frost-sensitive and rely on warm air and soil temperatures for best growth. They grow easily from seed, soaking up summer sun for the plentiful, long-developing fruits. Space plants 18 to 24 inches apart for good air circulation to reduce the likelihood of diseases. Space rows two to three feet apart.

Crops in the nightshade family benefit from rotation yearly because they easily transmit pests and diseases. If you’re growing bhut jolokia in the ground, choose a spot where you haven’t grown other nightshades (eggplants, tomatoes, tomatillos, potatoes, and other peppers) in the past year for a clean plot.

The adaptable, compact crops grow well in containers and raised beds, making them good solutions for small spaces, and if soils lack nutrition or adequate drainage. 

Transplanting 

After starting seeds indoors, the pepper seedlings should experience a hardening-off period before moving to their seasonal rowing location. As frost passes and temperatures warm, gradually expose bhut jolokia seedlings to outdoor garden conditions. 

Place seedlings outside in a protected area, out of direct sunlight and winds, and gradually move them to conditions mirroring their new garden location. The hardening-off period only takes about a week to 10 days and gives seedlings a chance to acclimate to outside growing conditions for quick development.

Staking

Peppers grow upright with woody branches, and their brittle stems are susceptible to breaking when bearing loads of fruits. Tall plants benefit from a support cage or staking to keep branches from splitting. The supports protect stems during wind, rain, and heavy fruiting. 

While some ghost peppers stay a tidy two to three feet, others keep growing another foot or so. Install a support at planting to hold stems as the annual grows.

How to Grow

Pepper plants are easy, forgiving crops with average cultural requirements for prolific fruiting. Ghost will want plenty of sun, moisture, warmth, and airflow for the best performance.

Light

Peppers require warm, full-sun sites with six to eight hours of daily sunlight. They also tolerate partial shade, with four to six hours of sun. Too much direct afternoon sun in hot climates damages the fruits and leaves. The crops appreciate light shade in the afternoon heat and during heat waves.

Water

Peppers benefit from one to two inches of water per week and more during high heat. Aim for consistently moist soils, as drought or prolonged saturation can stress plants. Although a bit of drought stress close to ripening results in hotter peppers. Want even more heat in your ghost? Withhold irrigation to an extent as color deepens in the ripening phase. While a little stress is fine, avoid letting the crops wilt or dry out too much.

Like tomatoes, these nightshades suffer from blossom end rot under water fluctuations. Blossom end rot is a physiological disorder that causes fruits to rot on the stem. An inability to absorb calcium results in fruit loss. By regulating irrigation for consistent moisture, blossom end rot can be corrected for future fruits.

When watering, avoid wetting the leaves unnecessarily. Water splashing soil can transfer fungal spores and create damp conditions. Do any overhead watering early in the day so leaves dry in the day’s sun.

For king peppers in containers, ensure ample drainage holes and a well-draining potting mix suited for vegetables. Check the soil moisture often, as pots dry out quickly in the summer heat.

Soil

Peppers thrive in rich, well-draining soils. At planting, enrich the soil with a generous amount of compost to aid in moisture retention, aeration, and nutrition. For in-ground plants, add two to three inches across the bed’s surface prior to planting. Keep compost off the stems to prevent rot.

The adaptable nightshades grow in less-than-ideal soils but have the best flowering and vigor in organically rich ones with even moisture. They prefer a slightly acidic to neutral pH between 6.2 and 7.0 but tolerate slight alkalinity.

Temperature and Humidity

From India, the hybrid withstands heat, but produces less during extreme temperatures. When temperatures reach 90°F (32°C) or above for an extended time, plants drop flowers. They enter survival mode to conserve resources. They’ll return to viability with regular moisture as temperatures level off. Providing extra shade helps with extra cooling to relieve some of the extreme heat effects.

Seedlings grow well with temperatures above 55°F (13°C). Warm temperatures between 70-80°F (21-27°C) are best for flowering and fruiting.

In humid conditions, provide plenty of air circulation between plants. Site containers so there’s airflow between other pots, walls, etc.

Fertilizing

As annual fruiting crops, these nightshades appreciate fertilizer, but their durable nature doesn’t require much. At planting, top with a balanced fertilizer like 5-5-5 or 10-10-10. Switch to a formula tailored for tomatoes, with a higher phosphorus rate, as seedlings establish. A 6-8-12, 8-32-16, or 6-24-24 ratio is usual for the flowering phase.

If your specimen shows stress from heat, drought, or transplanting, kelp or seaweed gives a boost of nutrition. Seaweed and bone meal also add calcium to the surrounding soils and help prevent blossom end rot. 

Maintenance

Mulch ghost peppers with a layer of clean straw, chopped leaves, or aged wood chips to provide insulation. Don’t crowd stems with mulch, as this can cause rot; instead, topdress the surrounding area to protect the roots.

Initially, let the sun warm plant roots for growth without mulch. When stems reach 18 inches tall, layer two to three inches of weed-free straw around plants. Mulch aids moisture retention, weed suppression, and soil temperature regulation.

While peppers are frost-sensitive, consider overwintering your specialty bhut jolokia. Mature specimens have established roots for earlier production and vigor—there’s no need to toss viable plants into the compost pile if you’re in a position to overwinter them. 

To overwinter pepper plants, cut them back by two-thirds in the fall as temperatures cool but before frost. The thick, woody stems will produce new growth in the spring.

In frost-free climates, peppers survive winter outdoors. Move them to a protected spot away from drying winds. In cold climates, move plants indoors to a location with minimal light, like an unheated garage or basement. The goal is to keep the soil and roots from freezing temperatures. Water minimally and only when the soil feels dry to a depth of one inch.

Harvesting

Pick your peppers at peak ripeness to experience their superlative heat. The ideal time to harvest is when they’re crisp and begin to cork, or show slight striations. The “stretch marks” indicate the fleshy interiors are expanding, meaning a burst of flavor awaits. Use shears or a knife to cut the fruits free, and leave a short stem. Clipping avoids snapping the brittle stems.

The more mature the fruit, the hotter it will be. Pick a few when they’re green while others mature to promote additional flowering. Dehydrate and grind the ghosts into chili flakes or powder.

Propagation

Growing Capsicum chinense from seed brings an easy supply of fruits. In mild climates, sow pepper seeds outdoors two to four weeks after spring’s final frost and in warm soils. A soil temperature near 70°F (21°C) is best.

In cooler climates, start them indoors in late winter and early spring at six to eight weeks before the anticipated final frost date. Expect to see sprouts within 10 to 25 days. In frost-free climates, a late summer sowing yields a fall and winter harvest.

Common Problems

While peppers, like other nightshades, are susceptible to pests and diseases common among the Solanaceae family, they’re often treatable or preventable through cultural management.

Maintaining optimal cultural requirements, especially consistent watering, air circulation, soil health, and crop rotation, is the best way to prevent problems. Companion plants like basil, marigolds, nasturtium, and beans attract beneficial insects and promote plant health.

Pests

Regular scouting to spot pests early is the best prevention against damage. Use organic and food-safe pest controls if necessary, and follow label instructions to avoid impacting healthy crops, flowers, and their pollinators.

Aphids

Aphids are common sap-sucking insects with the potential to spread diseases among plants. They also leave behind a sticky honeydew that can lead to unattractive black, sooty mold. 

If you notice curled leaves, stunted growth, or signs of the insect, spray plants with a stream of water early in the day to knock them off stems and leaves. A simple horticultural soap or neem oil treats infestations.

Aphids have a number of predators to help manage populations naturally. Grow plenty of pollen and nectar-rich selections nearby to benefit vegetable crops, increasing biodiversity and attracting beneficial insects.

Diseases

As with pests, the best disease control is prevention through cultural conditions. Diseases spread quickly among nightshades, so it’s best to catch them early and remove any plants in decline.

Wilt

Ghost peppers are susceptible to fusarium and verticillium wilts, which are common fungal diseases that affect the roots and spread quickly. One side may show yellowing and wilting, beginning with the lower leaves, followed by leaves dropping. Stems may have brown interior tissues when cut.

Unfortunately, there’s no treatment for these diseases. To prevent wilt from spreading, remove and dispose of the impacted specimen.

Mosaic Virus

Mosaic viruses, such as tobacco and tomato mosaic viruses, sometimes afflict nightshades. Leaves bear a mottled mosaic pattern in light and dark greens and may curl and distort. 

As with wilt, mosaic viruses do not have a treatment. The best action is to spot them early and remove infected peppers. Also, remove any fallen leaves and debris from the plant to prevent the spread.