Thai Chili Pepper – MIg

Product Summary

Thai Chili Pepper (Capsicum annuum) is a classic hot pepper known for its small, slender fruits and intense heat. The upright peppers mature from green to brilliant red and are widely used in Thai and Southeast Asian cooking. Plants are productive and compact, making them suitable for garden beds, containers, and home kitchen gardens.

Description

Thai Chili Pepper produces an abundance of small, pointed peppers, typically around 5–8 cm long. The fruits are usually harvested green for a sharper, fresh heat or allowed to mature to bright red for a deeper flavor and stronger visual appeal.

The peppers are known for their high heat, commonly estimated at around 50,000–100,000 Scoville Heat Units (SHU), although actual heat can vary with growing conditions and the specific Thai pepper strain.

Thai chilies are an essential ingredient in many Southeast Asian dishes and are excellent for curries, stir-fries, sauces, chili pastes, pickling, drying and hot sauces. The plants are naturally prolific and can continue producing peppers over an extended harvest period when regularly picked.

When to Plant in the UAE

Start indoors: August
Transplant outdoors: October

Starting seeds indoors in August gives the plants time to establish before transplanting outdoors in October, when UAE temperatures become more suitable for pepper growth.

Planting & Care Tips

• Light: Full sun, ideally 6–8 hours of direct sunlight.
• Soil: Rich, fertile and well-draining soil.
• Sowing depth: About 0.5–1 cm.
• Germination: Approximately 7–14 days under warm conditions.
• Spacing: 40–50 cm between plants.
• Row spacing: 60–75 cm.
• Watering: Keep soil consistently moist but never waterlogged. Allow the surface to dry slightly between waterings once plants are established.
• Feeding: Use compost before planting and a balanced vegetable fertilizer during growth. Increase potassium during flowering and fruit production.
• Support: Plants are generally compact, but a small stake can help support heavily loaded branches.
• Harvest: Pick green for a fresh, sharp flavor or allow peppers to fully ripen to red for a more mature flavor.
• Harvest regularly: Frequent picking encourages continued flowering and fruit production.
• Uses: Thai curries, stir-fries, sauces, chili pastes, pickling, drying and hot sauce.