Chocolate Bhut Jolokia - Hempy Bucket Stylee!

[Steptoe]

Just for a change I thought I'd give a Chilli "Hydro" style grow a try, so have decided to try an Hemp Bucket grow.

As the title says this grow will be a Chocolate Bhut Jolokia (Ghost Pepper) one and hopefully I'll be harvesting a good few pods in a few months!

I also started a few plants last Nov/Dec time which are 2 Purple Jalapeņo's and a Red Bhut Jolokia these are currently in 3L pots and growing in compost and are currently dwelling in my grow tent under a 250w HPS on a 18/6 cycle not too sure if this the right cycle for chillis really though?

Although they were all started at the same time there is a pretty big difference in their sizes for some reason, I think it might be down to a bit of over watering from when I had them sitting on the windowsill, which is why they're now in the tent to dry out a bit. I also have two huge second season Scotch Bonnet plants (24") on my windowsill which I started May last year, along with a Peruvian White Habanero which I've been growing for a few months now and is fruiting really well already.

The Chocolate Bhut Jolokia has only just sprouted a few days ago and is now on her second day today under the HPS (18/6) I've currently got her in a plastic bag to help keep the moisture in the rockwool cube while she roots properly. She'll then go into the Bucket when I see the roots come through the bottom of the rockwool cube. The mix is 75% Perlite & 25% Vermiculite which I flushed through with water to get rid of the dust, that should be just right by the time she's ready to go into the bucket.

Hopefully it will all go well and should be an interesting grow along the way!

Chocolate Bhut Jolokia for Hempy Bucket

Purple Jalapeņo 1

Purple Jalapeņo 2

Red Bhut Jolokia

Any feedback/comments welcome, and thank you for dropping by.

[Hillbilly]

Nice!! I will be watching how they grow!!

[Steptoe]

Time for a weekly update!

The Chocolate Bhut Jolokia seems to be doing alright and has now had two 50ml feeds with a nutrient solution @ 1.2ec and a 6.5 ph (GHE Flora Series), it did however, go all limp the other day which I think might have been down to either a bit of heat stress or lack of water not sure which, but I gave it a bit of water when I noticed it and it recovered shortly after so hopefully it hasn't done any permanent damage and like I said it seems back to its best now in any case!

As for the Red Bhut Jolokia (in soil) that is coming on well now and has really picked up under the light putting on some good new growth too, I did however find a shed skin approx 3-4mm long belonging to some sort of insect on one of the leaves today, so I don't know what has hatched in the tent, I had a really good look all over the plant and in the tent but couldn't find anything either in the pot or in the tent, I couldn't find any damage to any of the plants so I don't think it can be anything to worry about.

The smaller of the two Purple Jalapeņo's is coming on well it has now started to grow in the center and is even starting to grow some small side branches and is looking nice and healthy as is the Bhut Jolokia, I must have really badly over watered them both as they are still pretty damp in the middle of the pots, and they haven't been watered since going in the tent over a week ago!

I'm not sure about the biggest Purple Jalapeņo though, as you can see from the new photo's it's got a good dark green colour to most of it's leaves but some of the bigger leaves are looking pretty yellowish the last few days, could be hungry I suppose, but I have fed it twice with tomato feed @ 100ml/1ml strength. Think I might make it a bit stronger next feed and see if it makes much of a difference, but then again could the yellowing be down to the fact that it's only under a 250w dual spec HPS flowering bulb rather than a Metal Halide vegging bulb I wonder?

Over all no really big problems to report this week and they all seem to be doing pretty well all things considered, here's a few photo's!

Chocolate Bhut Jolokia


Red Bhut Jolokia




Purple Jalapeņo's

Thanks for dropping by and any feedback welcome!

[Steptoe]

Just a quick update.

Re-potted the Chillies in soil today into 5l pots and not before time too I reckon, the biggest Jalapeņo has been developing a few holes in a couple of leaves over the last few days, so that combined with the yellowing is a sure sign it was suffering in the 3l pot. Hopefully now, it should sort those minor niggles out and it should go back to being lovely and green again. Another reason why I repotted it was that it has sprouted a flowerhead in the middle of the Y intersection of the growing tips, hopefully now it's been potted up it should help to knock it back a bit and stop the flowering process, I might even put it back on the window sill for a few days where it's cooler that'll definitely stop it flowering further.

The smaller Jalapeņo and red Bhut Jolokia are still green and being as small as they are weren't as pot bound so should now flourish in their larger pots, I've also popped a few more seeds and fingers crossed they come through now they've been potted up they are another Chocolate Bhut Jolokia, a Lemon Habanero and two Chocolate Habanero's these will all be for growing on my allotment, but I'm not holding out much hope for the Habaneros to be honest, as I've had a 100% non-germination rate with them so far, 0-5 on both of them currently!

Photo Update.


Hempy Jolokia

That's it for now folks next update will be on the 9th.

Any feedback welcome.

[Hillbilly]

Looks to me the bigger pepper/s getting to much light, most peppers like to grow under bushes in the wild.

[Steptoe]

Alright hillbilly,

They are currently on an 18/6 cycle as I'm not really sure what Chilli's need in light hours, and trying to get an answer on the net is like collecting water in a colender.

I think I'll put it back on the window sill for a week and see if that makes any difference, if memory serves, I think my 2 Scotch Bonnets last year had the same thing happen to them and greened back once I put them in the window.

Putting them under an 18/6 cycle seemed the best option as nearly every Chilli growing forum I've read says the "Super Hots" need a lot of light to grow, but I'm beginning to think now that maybe all Chilli's only need around a maximum of 12-14 hours per day after all nearly all Chilli's are from Countries pretty close to the equator.
For instance in Xalapa Mexico where Jalapeņo's come from the mean monthly average of Sun light hours is just 7.2 per day. In Uganda where my Scotch Bonnets originated the mean monthly average there is 6.5― hours per day, and 7.9 in Assam India where the Bhut Jolokia comes from, so perhaps it would be worth trying them on a shorter cycle like 10-12 hours instead, but technically though this goes against all the so-called Chilli "experts" advice.

So you may be pretty close there mate, it might be too much light if that's possible?

[Hillbilly]

I think just to strong of light on them I know my TS liked it better when I put them behind the other plants so they got shaded, and greeded up as they had some yellow to them as well. The Bird Chilies grows under bushes in Mexico, and yeah all Chilies came from close to the Ecuador so 12 to 16 hours Max I would think, before man started playing with them lol I know the Habanero pepper I had under 12/12 did as well as the other one under 24/7 and TBH I think looked better.

[Steptoe]

I wouldn't have thought that a 250w HPS could be that strong really, anyway I've moved the big Purple Jalapeņo onto the window sill and just to see if it is the light, I've put one of my Scotch Bonnets into the grow tent in its place.

Hopefully this will give me a better idea of what is happening and it might also help to push the Scotch Bonnet into finally flowering and possibly producing some pods maybe, as they're doing nothing just sat in the window?

I think I'll hold off for now on reducing the light cycle just to see what happens over the next few days with the SB.

The TS you did Hillbilly, was that the Butch Taylor Mississippi strain or the standard Trinidad strain? I thought about getting some TS's myself but at the prices and the lack of reliable information of seed suppliers coupled with the fact that there are so many reports on internet forums of people selling seeds as the world record holder when they aren't.

[Hillbilly]

Yeah the Butch Taylor TS, got mine from FL. and so far they look good and stable in looks, so think there the real ones lol I know it is a C*&^& shoot buying them. I just looked for people that had 100% satisfied on Ebay and went with one that looked to be around a long time..

[Hillbilly]

I might have a friend bringing me up 10 Bhut Jolokia seeds don't know what color yet but I don't care too. LOL

[Steptoe]

I read somewhere that the Chocolate variety is supposed to be a bit hotter than all the others, how much truth there is in that remains to be seen!

Reckon I must go through about 40 dried ghost peppers a month as I do love a good Phall Curry. Needless to say that's why I've got three Jolokia plants on the go & loads of Habanero's

[Xclusive]

Nice! I'd like to try growing chillis soon, I've heard the Scorpion Chilli is the hottest?

Subbed on this grow

[Hillbilly]

So you have grown the ghost peppers before? I can't wait till I get my first TS pepper, I will hand pollinate a few just to keep them "pure" if they are truly TS but so far I think they are. I plan to make a pepper oil to spray the plants to kill Spider mites, like heck do I plan on eating them lol

As you can see the previous world champion, The Trinidad Scorpion Butch T has been beat!! The new “non-official” World’s Hottest Pepper is the Trinidad Scorpion Moruga Blend. They called it the Moruga Scorpion. Many hot peppers are named after the location they originated from, just like this pepper came from Moruga, Trinidad.

I still I think the Trinidad Scorpion Butch T is the Official WW as the Trinidad Scorpion Moruga Blend only hit 2,009,231 SHU and the Trinidad Scorpion Butch T has hit 1,463,700 SHU more then once.

[Mr_Bimble]

Nice - I've got Chocolate Naga's, tabasco & Trinidad Scorpians on the seed menu this year.

[Steptoe]

Alright Chaps!

Funnily enough Hillbilly this is my first time growing the ghost pepers, I watched that Heat Seekers on sky and got interested in the dreaded ghost from that, I buy dried pods off a chap on ebay, and seeing how many I use I thought it would just be easier and cheaper (Ģ4 per pack per month) to grow them myself.

From what I've read on the net the Butch T (Mississippi strain) is still the current record holder, apparently the Moruga wasn't consistent enough throughout the test samples to maintain the 2 million shu required, but I dare say that may well change before to long. 2 million SHU I mean, that's just crazy!

I'm about to start harvesting some really hot Lemon Habanero's shortly, I picked a small'ish pod about the size of a hazelnut yesterday to test and boy was it HOT and packed with flavour, not like them things you get at the supermarket.

[Hillbilly]

Nice!! My friend should be up tonight or tomorrow so I will have the Ghost pepper seeds soon!! I got the Butch T, but as you I think it's the current WR holder at 1.4 m shu, is the TS Butch T but heck the 300,000 of a Habanero more then I like LOL My friend that has the ghost got me interested growing Hot peppers for real and not just maybe one day as I have been looking at the Ghost for a few years just never got any and then seen the TS where even hotter I ordered a few seeds! I Can't wait till I get someone to eat one LOL I will have to do my own Video's But No way will I eat one I might try a little.

[Steptoe]

You can send me a pod or two I'll test them for yah!

I've harvested around 12 of my Lemon Hab's so far and the plant has burst into flower with a vengence again, and it seems to be setting fruit within 24/48hrs of me polinating the flowers.

Anyway, I'll do a proper update Sunday evening.

[Hillbilly]

Nice on the Lemon Hab's, My Crazy Big Hab has like 6 pods on it now and starting to get bud drop so hit all my plants with Sil. and Cal-Mag to see if that helps.

I found out the Ghost pepper seeds came from India, so not sure if they are Ghost peppers or not and I tasted a seeds didn't fill that hot but could fell it for a long time. I found some pretty cheep Ghost that is said to trace back to New Mex Universality where they first tested them at 1M. So I think I will order them.

Should I band you asking for a hook up LOL J/k if the TS are real deal I am sure I will end up with more then I will use. LOL I plan on crossing TS and Ghost together if they are good that might be a crazy pepper..

[Steptoe]

Yeah mate the Ghost Peper/Naga/Bhut/Bih Jolokia etc, whatever you want to call it, originates from Assam and a few other places in India, flower drop is pretty common on Chilli plants from what I've read especially when the flowers aren't getting polinated properly, but there are a few other reasons too of course.

This is what I found with the Tesco Scotch Bonnets I tried growing, in the end I got bored with them and they are now at the bottom of my compost heap. I think they must have been sterile hybrids because even when I tried hand polinating them they still never set any pods so logic dictates that they must have been.

A Ghost Scorpion sounds like it'd have a wickedly evil sting to it mate

[Hillbilly]

I found a place that has two kinds of Ghost x TS ( Peach and Red ) that are at Gen 4 so still not stable but getting there, watching the video the guy can't eat but one!! I might have to get them one day LOL