Orange Thai hot pepper BIO - Capsicum annuum

Compact Thai pepper with a profusion of orange fruits. The orange Thai-type pepper is a compact, ornamental plant about 60 cm tall that produces an abundance of slender fruits. When fully ripe, they turn a bright orange. The heat is very high—the producer rates it 9/10—so this variety is particularly well suited to Asian cuisine. It produces abundantly throughout the summer.

At a glance

• Growth habit: bushy, compact, about 60 cm tall
• Fruits: slender, numerous, bright orange
• Heat: very high, 9/10 on the producer's scale
• Sowing under cover: February – March
• Planting out: after May 15–20, in pots, under cover, or in the ground
• Harvest: July–September
• Position: full sun, warmth, fertile, well-drained soil
• Difficulty: challenging – needs warmth to germinate
• Seeds per packet: 25

What makes this variety special

This variety combines practical and ornamental qualities. The compact bush, covered in orange fruits, looks attractive in a pot on a balcony or terrace and also provides a supply of hot seasoning for the whole year.

The slender fruits dry quickly and are easy to grind, and their intense color remains visible even after drying. The plant can be grown in a container or in the ground—in Poland, it does best in a greenhouse, polytunnel, or the warmest, sunniest spot in the garden.

Growing step by step

Sowing (February – March, under cover): Sow the seeds 2–3 mm deep in a light, moist seed-starting mix. Keep the container at a constant temperature of 22–25 °C. Hot peppers germinate more slowly than sweet peppers, usually within 7–10 days, so a heat mat is useful. Keep the growing medium slightly moist and, once the seedlings emerge, give them as much light as possible, ideally with supplemental lighting, to prevent them from becoming leggy.

Pricking out: When the seedlings have developed 3–4 true leaves, transplant them individually into pots 8–10 cm in diameter and keep them warm. Harden off the seedlings during the last 7–10 days before planting out by placing them outdoors for a few hours each day.

Planting out (after May 15–20): Plant the seedlings in a greenhouse, polytunnel, or the warmest, sheltered spot in the garden, spacing them about 50 × 50 cm apart. The soil should be fertile, well-drained, and enriched with compost. For container growing, choose a pot with a capacity of at least 5–10 L.

Care: Water regularly and moderately, preferably in the morning and without wetting the leaves—both letting the soil dry out and keeping it constantly wet will reduce fruiting. Feed the plants with an organic fertilizer rich in potassium while the fruits are forming. Compact plants usually do not need support. Regularly picking ripe fruits encourages the bush to produce more.

Uses

Use the fruits in Asian cuisine—in curries, soups, wok dishes, and dipping sauces. Because they are very hot, use them sparingly. They are ideal for drying and grinding, as well as for making chili oil or a spicy marinade.

Gardener's tip

About the producer

The seeds come from Semailles, a small-scale Belgian organic seed producer based in the province of Namur in Wallonia. Semailles offers only open-pollinated varieties (no F1 hybrids), including many traditional and collector's varieties. Some seeds are propagated in its own fields, while others are produced in collaboration with organic growers in Belgium and France. All batches are certified organic (inspection BE-BIO-01).

Specifications