Hawaiian Chili Pepper – Other Varieties – How To Plant – How To Grow – Caring For Hawaiian Pepper – Propagating Seedlings – Are They Hot – How To Harvest – FAQ
Growing a pepper plant at home is not as hard as it might seem. It’s a good step up after growing herbs like basil or rosemary at home. The pepper plant family is easy to care for and will be bountiful in the amount of harvests you can get from it.
Below we will share some of the tips and tricks we have learned throughout years of growing and cultivating pepper plants. The hawaiian chili pepper is perhaps on the spicier side of the pepper varieties but well worth the effort needed to grow it.
What Is A Hawaiian Chili Pepper
The hawaiian chili pepper is as you might expect native from the island of Hawaii. It produces relatively small peppers that have a good level of spice to them. They are bright red when they are ready.
Just like the rest of the pepper family, it prefers a place where there is a lot of sunlight and also a pretty high temperature. In terms of humidity, it’s easier to grow in drier climates since the soil is more manageable then. In places where the soil is not that rich in nutrition we might need to add some too since that will greatly help the plant grow better.
Other Chili Varieties
There are a number of different chili varieties out there, all with their own unique look to them and flavor too. The Hawaiian chili sets itself apart however since it’s easy to grow and cared for on top of producing quite a lot of harvest for the time and energy that is invested in growing it.
But if you want some inspiration for other chilis to grow here are some of our other favorites.
- Waialua Chili Pepper
- Poblano Chili Pepper
- Serrano Chili Pepper
How To Plant A Hawaiian Chili Pepper
Planting the seed of the chili pepper is the first step of having your own plant at home. Begin by preparing a small container with some healthy soil. Make sure there are some holes in the bottom to lead away excess water.
Place one seed in each container and then lightly place a thin layer of soil over it. Water the seed a little bit and then leave in a warm and sunny spot. This is the germination part where the seed will sprout. After about 2 weeks you might see the first signs above the soil. But it will usually take up to 2 months before it has grown large enough to be transplanted into a larger container.
How To Grow A Hawaiian Chili Pepper
Growing and caring for the hawaiian chili pepper will be mostly about looking after the soil and every now and again harvesting from the plant. Once you have grown your seedling large enough to be planted into another pot you will see progress a lot faster.
We transplant the plant when it reaches around 7 – 8 inches tall. Fertilize the soil a little bit before planting the seedling, this will help kickstart the growth and you will have a very healthy plant filled with chilis.
Make sure the soil is never left to dry out too much. We strive for the soil to be slightly damp all the time to avoid the roots being too stressed. But too watered and you might drown them instead, so a damp soil is what we have found to be the perfect middleground.
Once the chilis on the plant has grown large enough and has a bright red color to them they will be ready to be harvested. They can stay on the plant for a few weeks after being ready without any issues, just make sure you have a plan for them once you harvest.
Caring For The Plant
Caring for the plant is all really about watering the soil and also adding fertilizers to the soil every now and again. We want the soil to be slightly damp all the time for the ideal growing conditions. Adding fertilizers about every month or so will help boost the nutrition in the soil and make for a better plant structure. Dilute some of the fertilizer with water and add normally.
Propagating Chili Pepper Seedlings
The seedlings of the chili plant are really easy to propagate. It’s all about making sure they come into a healthy soil where there is adequate amounts of nutrition and excess water can be drained away. Make sure there are some small holes at the bottom of the container where this water can drain out. It’s very important really as the roots otherside risk starting to drown as oxygen is blocked out by the water.
Are Hawaiian Chili Peppers Hot
Hawaiian chili peppers are definitely on the spicier side of the spectrum when it comes to chili plants. The flavor is often described as numbing. If you are used to eating jalapenos or serranos then this is a step up from that really.
Depending on your ability to take spice you can change the amount of chili you add to the food quite easily. We like to thinly slice them and then add them to a stir fry for example.
Harvesting The Chili Peppers
There are a few things you need to look out for when it comes to harvesting the chilis. They need to be really bright red and have almost a snap to them when you feel them. This means that they are very ripe and full of flavor.
Make sure you have a plant for using them too since the best flavor will be found in very fresh chilis. They tend to dull out a little bit the more you wait.
FAQ
What Is A Substitute For Hawaiian Chili Pepper
If you don’t have hawaiian chilis than you could also use thai chilis. They have a similar level of spiciness to them. Serrano chilis are also a great option, slightly less spicy though.
Hawaiian Chili Pepper Water
Watering the hawaiian chili pepper is all about balance. We need the soil to be slightly damp for most of the time. This will help create the ideal condition for the plant to grow in.
Best Soil For Hawaiian Chili Peppers
The best soil for a Hawaiian chili pepper is a well draining soil. Water can be left on the surface and not drain away. This will just create a very hard environment for the roots to grow in and you may run into issues such as root rot.
