Ghost Pepper

Be sure to check out our Pepper Growing Guide to learn how to successfully grow peppers at home.

The Ghost Pepper is one of the world's hottest peppers. It won the world's hottest pepper award in 2007 and held the title for four consecutive years. With a Scoville rating of 1,000,000 units, this pepper is a scorcher! Also known as Bhut Jolokia, Ghost Peppers average 2-3" at full maturity. Fruits are initially green and ripen to a fire-red color with a blistered appearance on the skin. Compared to other pepper varieties, Ghost Pepper plants are generally small and compact. However, they can reach up to 4' tall in ideal conditions. This is a great pepper for making fermented and vinegar-based hot sauces.

Peppers are in the nightshade family along with tomatoes and eggplant. Plants in the nightshade family are susceptible to blossom end rot, which is a result of a calcium deficiency. To prevent or alleviate this problem, apply pelleted gypsum at the base of the plant at bloom set. Peppers do best when transplanted, as the germination time can be longer than most vegetable seed. Peppers grow very well in our heavy-duty seed starting trays. Plants should be started 4-6 weeks before the intended outdoor planting date.

If conditions outside are favorable, transplants may be planted directly from our 162 cell trays. If conditions are still too cold for planting peppers, transplants may be “stepped-up” to 4″ pots to allow more room to grow. Peppers can produce heavy fruits and will require some form of support to keep the plant upright. We recommend using the Florida Weave trellising technique that involves using stakes and twine along the row. This ensures that plants and fruits stay off the ground, reducing the possibility of disease and keeping fruits clean.

Ghost Pepper Planting Information

Planting Method: transplant

When to Plant: after last frost

Planting Depth: 1/4″

Seed Spacing: 2′

Row Spacing: 3-4′

Days to Maturity: 120

Disease Resistance: None