Scotch Bonnets Finally Ripening

[SprigOfTheLivingDead]

It's always such a long wait (90+ days just for plant maturity) for these guys, but very worth it. I have three plants going in my basement each with a good amount of peppers on them and they've finally started turning color in the last two days. I never really mark down when I start them but it always feels like FOREVER to get them to finally give up that sweet fruit to me. I swear these took over 130 days to give me the goods.



Waiting for them is like

 

[Collector]

Are you growing them in a grow tent? Or are they in a sunny window. We are attempting to overwinter two jalapeños inside this winter they are looking kinda sick at the moment but we will see. Aren’t scotch bonnets hotter than habernaros?

 

[SprigOfTheLivingDead]

Are you growing them in a grow tent? Or are they in a sunny window. We are attempting to overwinter two jalapeños inside this winter they are looking kinda sick at the moment but we will see. Aren’t scotch bonnets hotter than habernaros?

They're in a 5x5 Gorilla tent with other things. Yeah, growing these by a window might work in the end, but I would expect the plant to be extremely leggy and take far longer to produce, if it ever did. Overwintering them in that way is probably fine, but you might need to repot and trim them. Maybe even clip off any flowers that show up

 

[Collector]

I was wondering if I should trim them or not. They were pretty neglected and dry before we brought them in for the winter , but they still have signs of life.

 

[SprigOfTheLivingDead]

I was wondering if I should trim them or not. They were pretty neglected and dry before we brought them in for the winter , but they still have signs of life.

If a branch looks dead or meh then trimming isn't bad.

The one thing I have run into in the past is bringing them in from outside means you're bringing in bugs. You sure a single aphid didn't make that journey? Once inside there's no natural predators and annoyances and cleaners (wind & rain) so any population can and will explode and potentially transfer to other plants. For this reason alone I no linger overwinter any peppers and only overwinter my banana plants.

Scotch bonnets have the same heat profile of habaneros but a different flavor, which I prefer.

 

[Collector]

I didn’t realize scorched taste buds was a flavor lol. I can longer take that much heat.

 

[SprigOfTheLivingDead]

I didn’t realize scorched taste buds was a flavor lol. I can longer take that much heat.

Well it's not like I'm eating them straight. They're an additive to soups, chili or stews as well as i make a hot sauce out of them with pineapple

 

[Collector]

Well it's not like I'm eating them straight.

Lol yep that’s the redneck in me, I only think of eating hot peppers and making faces and trying not to die. I guess using them for seasoning is a good idea also.