Rokita is perfect for those who love some drama on their window sill - these chillies can be 12-15cm in length! You will enjoy a bit of oomph with flavour: heat level 1000SHU or pick them while green for an even milder experience You can eat them fresh from the plant, why not add some chilli to your salads and sandwiches, and they are a good choice for drying too.
SOW: from February to May, 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 21C 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.
GROW: on a windowsill keep the plants trimmed so that they don’t outgrow their space, in a greenhouse they can be up to 50cm tall. After the first flowers appear, feed every weekly alternating between liquid seaweed & a weak tomato feed. 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. If you grow Rokita outside they will be later and produce smaller fruits
ENJOY: fruits will take a few weeks to develop and a further couple weeks to ripen to glowing red. Don’t leave them on the plants beyond this as it will slow down the production of more fruits
