Carolina reaper seeds
How to Care for Carolina Reaper Seeds
Did you ever wonder if you could grow your own pepper plant if you had some Carolina Reaper Seeds? Surprisingly, it’s not that difficult to grow the plant, or to find Carolina pepper seeds. Reading up on growing the pepper plant is important, and you can do it if you can create the right climate. This is nice, since you can enjoy the chili’s flavor whenever you want it. You can also use it to make your own sauces, purees and mashes if you’d like.
Planting Carolina Reaper Seeds
Once you purchase your reaper seeds, make sure they have enough heat to germinate properly. They also need damp soil. The soil needs to be damp, but not too wet or the plant won’t grow. First, choose a container to use for planting your Carolina reaper chili seeds. Check to ensure it has some type of drainage on the bottom. Then, fill the container with good soil or compost. Based on your preference, you may use a small pot or a seed tray to get the seed to sprout.
Center the seed if you are planting one seed per container. But if you are planting 2-3 seeds in a single container, then try to spread them out a little bit. Don’t plant more than four Carolina seeds in a single container. Put the seeds on top of the soil and then push them down just a little bit. Make sure to cover them with soil. Keep them in a greenhouse, sunny window or other warm place with another warm place with enough sunshine to encourage germination and growth.
What to do after Your Carolina Reaper Seeds Sprout
Carolina reaper plant
Once your Carolina reaper seeds have sprouted, they need to be a decent size before replanting them. Wait until they are around six inches tall before transplanting. You may choose to plant them outside, or just in a larger pot. Either way, you will enjoy their spicy flavor for a long time to come. Put some fresh compost or dirt in the pot and gently remove your sprouted plant from its first container. Make a hole in the compost and gently slide the plant’s roots into the hole. Now, move the dirt around enough so the roots are covered well, but not compacted too tightly. The soil should be snuggly up against the pepper plant’s stem without being too tight. Finally, water the new plant in well.
If you plant it outside, be sure there the danger of frost is past. The daytime temperatures should be around 70 degrees, just as long as the nighttime temps don’t dip below 50. The reaper likes it hot and will start flowering when the night temps dip between 65 and 80 degrees. If night temps don’t drop below 85 degrees, the flowers will not set as well.
Carolina Reaper pepper plant
Taking Care of the Carolina Reaper Plant
Place the plant you’ve grown from Carolina Reaper seeds in a warm, sunny location, like a greenhouse. The plant may sustain damage if there are sudden changes in the temperature. This can cause it to wilt. Every other day water the growing plant. Don’t allow the soil to dry out completely. If you have a thermometer, you can keep the soil between 60 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Plants don’t usually die if the temperature drops below 60 degrees, but they can struggle and not produce as much of a harvest.
The soil PH should be around 6.5 and you will need to give the plant about 2 inches of water a week. Make sure they get enough water during the fruiting period or the peppers will produce more capsicum and the pods will be smaller. Not having adequate water can also reduce their overall production rate. The soil should never be soaked, or super wet. It has to be well drained and just moist to the touch.
As the plant continues to grow, change containers if need be. If the pot becomes too small for the plant, the roots become bound up and the plant will not produce. You don’t yet need to feed the plant, wait for it to get a little bigger and ensure it has plenty of room to grow. Plants need several hours of sunlight. Inadequate amounts of sunlight may cause stems to be too small.
Caring for a Maturing Carolina Reaper Plant
Once your Carolina Reaper seeds grow into a lovely plant you may wonder where the peppers are. Be patient, it’s almost time! Some peppers, like jalapenos and habaneros, take only 90 to 100 days to bear fruit. However, the Carolina Reaper takes about 6 months to bear fruit. Once the plant starts to flower, give it some fertilizer or plant food so it grows healthier and yields more fruit. Soon after the plant flowers, you’ll see little odd shaped chili peppers appear.
Remember the Carolina Reaper is not smooth and pretty like other peppers. That’s okay – it’s the flavor you want. As the peppers mature and turn red pick them. You do not have to wait until they totally red to harvest the peppers. Pace them in front of a window and they will ripen. Each plant should produce a large number of peppers. Be sure to wear gloves when you pick them, and don’t rub your eyes after touching them.
These are the basic steps to growing your own plant from Carolina reaper seeds. Make adaptations to the growing process to allow for your local climate. Please remember the Carolina Reaper is HOT!! It has this reputation for a reason. Be careful and go slowly if you have not eaten them in your foods before. It can take some time to learn how to enjoy this spicy delight.
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