Thai Hot Chilli - Seeds

Thai Hot Chilli - Seeds

$5.80
$5.80
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Thai Hot Chilli - Seeds
  • Thai Hot Chilli - Seeds
Thai Hot Chilli - Seeds

Thai Hot Chilli - Seeds

$5.80
$5.80

Minimum 30 seeds per packet.

Postage included. Bundle to save. Raised from heirloom seed at Turtledove Farm.

Can't be posted to Western Australia.

Capsicum annuum


A compact Thai chilli that carries dozens of small, tapered fruit, 3–4cm long, pointing straight up above the leaves. The fruit ripens from green to a bright glossy red. A plant in full crop looks like a small bush studded with red candles, which makes it as good on a sunny windowsill or patio as in the vegetable bed. It's often mistaken for bird's eye. It belongs to the same family of small, fiery Southeast Asian chillies, but it's a separate selection with slightly longer, tapered fruit held upright. The heat is sharp, fast and clean, the kind of chilli you slice into a stir-fry, pound into a curry paste or steep in vinegar. Compact bush — no staking needed in most gardens.
SHU 50,000–100,000 (hot)

Days to harvest70–90 days from transplant
Fruit sizeSmall tapered fruit, 3–4cm long, held upright
Sowing depth6mm
Germination7–21 days at soil temperature 25–30°C. Keep the seed raising mix evenly moist.
Spacing40–60cm between plants, rows 70–90cm apart
AspectFull sun; well-drained soil rich in organic matter
Frost toleranceFrost-tender — plant out only once frosts have finished
LifecycleTender perennial, usually grown as an annual. Its compact size makes it easy to overwinter in a pot under cover.
Container suitableYes

Growing notes

A hot, sunny, sheltered position suits it best. Small Thai chillies love heat, and a warm, sunny summer gives the fullest crop and the sharpest bite.

Soil preparation: Dig in well-rotted compost before planting, with a balanced feed. Too much nitrogen gives you leaves at the expense of fruit.

Support: Usually none needed. The compact habit holds its own crop. In a windy spot, a short stake keeps a heavily laden plant upright.

Containers: An ideal pot chilli. A container of 15–20L suits it well. Keep water and feed steady, since pots dry out faster than beds.

Watering & feeding: Water deeply and consistently at the base. Let the top of the soil dry slightly between waterings. Side-dress with a potassium-rich feed once flowering starts.

Harvest: Pick green for a fresher, grassier heat, or leave the fruit to ripen fully red for more depth and a little sweetness. Snip rather than pull, as the branches are brittle. Regular picking keeps the plant flowering. For drying, spread ripe red fruit on a tray in a warm, airy spot until crisp.

Timing: First fruit ready around 70–90 days from transplant.

Short season tips


Sow indoors on bottom heat 8–10 weeks before your last frost. Chilli seed barely moves in cool mix. In Coonabarabran and similar inland zones, plant out from late October once nights hold above 12–15°C. At the end of the season, a potted plant can be moved under cover before the first frost. It will often carry through winter and crop earlier the next year.

Origin


Chillies are native to the Americas. They reached Southeast Asia through sixteenth-century trade routes and were taken up so completely that it's now hard to picture Thai cooking without them. Thai gardeners and cooks spent generations selecting small, fiery chillies for the kitchen, and this open-pollinated variety comes from that tradition. It's a cousin of the tiny bird's eye rather than the same chilli. It reached Western seed catalogues as Thai Hot and is grown today for its heat and its ornamental habit.

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