Eating a habanero is not recommended for everyone, because its sharpness is overwhelming. However, even in our latitudes, all hobby gardeners can succeed in cultivating them. But it is not possible without knowledge, a little effort and a suitable location. This is how cultivation becomes a success.
Habaneros also thrive in Central European gardens
seed
Cultivation starts with a few small, yellow seeds. In the stationary garden trade or in special online shops you can get different varieties. You can also get the chilli seeds from a ripe fruit yourself.
tips
If you don't like the extreme heat of a habanero, you can plant the "Sweet Habanero" variety. This sweet variant has a heat level of 0 and is ideal for salads and for snacking.
sowing
Habanero plants do not tolerate cold and certainly not frost. So that the harvest can start as early as possible, the plants in the house must be brought forward.
- sow in February or March
- alternatively in December and January under plant light
- Soak seeds for 24 hours
- sow 0.5 to 1 cm deep in pots
- Use a mixture of potting soil and potting soil
- place bright, at 24-30 degrees Celsius
- keep slightly moist throughout
pricking
Most varieties germinate within 1-3 weeks. At the latest as soon as the first green appears, the little plants must get plenty of light. They wilt in locations that are too dark.
- separate after the third pair of leaves
- select the strongest plants
- pay attention to undamaged roots
- potting soil is still optimal
- Insert a little deeper, press and pour on
- Keep pots sunny and warm
Repotting and planting out
The chili plants soon find their housing too small. They need to be transplanted. They can be grown individually in a large pot or planted in the garden bed from mid-May at a distance of 40 cm. Now it can also be a nutrient-rich soil. Commercially available soil already contains enough nutrients for about four weeks. Garden soil should be enriched with compost
A continuously sunny and warm location is ideal and ensures a rich harvest.
maintenance
Caring for the habanero is easy. The main work is the needs-based water supply. Especially on hot days and with pot specimens, you have to reach for the watering can more often. In the bed, this chili variety can be fertilized in an environmentally friendly way with nettle manure. A liquid fertilizer from the trade is recommended for the pot.
To harvest
Around 70 to 100 days after sowing, you can harvest ripe pods from the bush and use them fresh immediately. Excess chillies can be preserved for later. For example by drying.