Chilli - Nepalese heirloom (Capsicum annuum)
This is a variety that we have been growing for the last few years, though we don’t know a lot about it. Seeds were given to us by a friend who collected them during a trekking holiday in Nepal. He said they were from chillies grown in the gardens of a village he stayed in.
The fruits are Cayenne-type – thin-walled and narrow and pointed (though shorter than most Cayenne varieties). They are similar to the types of chillies used in cooking across north India: when ripe, they are red and very hot, and they dry well at this stage. Also, like those Indian chillies, the green fruits are hot too and have a very nice flavour (This is a characteristic absent from many commercial Cayenne-types sold for growing in Europe, which are often very bland until they change colour). We use as many green chillies as we do red ones.
We haven’t tried growing these peppers outdoors, but in the greenhouse they are easy vigorous plants with few problems. They start fruiting in August with ripening generally taking place in early October, though some may be later (we have been selecting seeds for earlier ripening).
Although 7 litre pots will do for this variety, they will do much better in bigger pots. 15-20 litres will allow them to grow to a good size.