Cayenna is a classic long-slim chilli pepper, it is quite fast growing and the fruits are hot (70,000-80,000SHU). You can use them fresh or dried to make cayenne pepper. Harvest them when green or red but don’t leave them on the plant too long as this will slow down other fruits from forming.
SOW: from January to March, indoors in a warm soil in trays or modules barely covering the seeds as they need light to germinate (can take 10-21 days, warmth at 21°C can help). Water the soil, not the foliage, too much moisture will rot the seed & seedlings. When they reach the 2/3 leaf stage (at around 10cm tall) they can be potted up. Keep potting on as you wait until June before moving plants outside (harden off first) where they will flourish in a sunny, sheltered position on a south facing wall, in fertile, well-drained soil or grow bag or grow them in the greenhouse
GROW: chilli plants are self-fertile and generally pollinate themselves you can help them particularly if they are inside (use a paintbrush to gently sweep the inside of the flowers, going from one flower to the next, transferring the pollen). Water well and allow the surface to dry between times. They can grow tall so pinch out the growing tip to create a smaller bushier plant that will only need a small stake and produce earlier fruit.
After the first flowers appear, feed every weekly alternating between liquid seaweed & a weak tomato feed
EAT: fruits will take a few weeks to develop and a further couple weeks to ripen. Don’t leave them on the plants as this will slow down the production of more fruits. Chillies really give dishes a kick and a lift. They are fundamental to chilli but also in curries. You can always cool your dishes with yoghurt or sour cream!
