Welcome to SHU SHU Chillies - the ONLY place for the HOTTEST chillies!

NEW SPRING PRICES & LARGER SEED PACKS!!

Scoville Heat Scale |

Cultivation Tips |

Ordering Instructions |

Postage Rates |

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All Shu Shu chillies are home grown. Only natural organic growing fertilizers are used and all seeds are hand processed to ensure you get exactly what you are buying. They are hand counted and packed for shipping. Sorry, due to legal reasons we cannot ship outside South Africa. Insurance is optional but recommended for large orders, as we will not be held responsible after posting orders.

Special Offer 1 - Buy any combination of seeds over R150, and get 20 Numex Twilight seeds FREE!!

Special Offer 2 - Buy any combination of seeds over R250, and get 20 Numex Twilight seeds PLUS and extra pack of seeds FREE!!

Special Offer 3 - Combination seed packs now available, save money by buying the most popular combos!

Special Offer 4 - All orders over R500 will receive FREE post, packing and insurance

Chilli Seeds - Updated 2nd September 2010 Please click here to download the September order form

So, which chillies really are the hottest? You can read up on this on many web sites. Some say the Naga Jolokia's, others say the Bhut and Bih Jolokia's, and others say the Naga Morich's. Each plant differs in heat ratings, and each fruit on each plant can also differ (from personal experience) There are many factors that affect the heat also. Climate, Soil & Watering to name a few, and even an individual's resistance to capsaicin - the chemical responsible for the burn. What I can say though, is that the top 4 are seriously hot! I have eaten one of each, and can tell you it's not very pleasant!! Best used sparingly in any type of cooking. I also freeze a lot of my chillies, and for some reason they seem to get even hotter!

All chilli peppers are very sensitive to the cold, ensure plants are well established before planting out in a cold house or outdoors. Grow in a conservatory, greenhouse or indoors on the windowsill. Chilli peppers require high temperatures to produce the hottest chilies, too much water, nitrogen and low temperatures will reduce the pungency of the fruits. Fruit does not set below 15°C and above 33°C, flowers can also drop if night temp exceeds 25°C. The red chillies are the hottest.
Scoville ratings are approx,   150,000+ is really hot!!!
Seed germination; Sow early as some hot peppers seeds can take 120+ days from transplanting to fruiting. Temp should be maintained at the indicated temp 25-30°C seeds will germinate at 25C but will take longer 30C is the preferred temp, Tepin, Pequin and Habanero types can be slow and erratic to emerge (allow up 35+ days for germination) compost should not be too moist to prevent the seeds from rotting, keep seed & seedlings out of draughts.

	Picture	Cultivar	Number of seeds per pack	Availability	Price
		NAGA JOLOKIA The hottest chillies in the world, entered into the Guinness Book of Records	10	Available	R80 R50
		New in May NAGA JOLOKIA - 2nd Generation A larger variant of the Mother plant. Still hot, but the fruits are twice as big!	10	Limited	R40
		NAGA MORICH The Naga Morich 'snake or serpent chilli' is one of the world's most sought after and fearsome chilli peppers	10	Available	R80 R60
		BHUT JOLOKIA Bhut Jolokia, or "Ghost Chillie". Originates in the area of Assam, India	10	Very Limited	R80
		BIH JOLOKIA Bih Jolokia Peppers from Assasm as tasted by Gordon Ramsay on his Great Escapes programme for Channel 4 television. Approx 1,041,427 Scoville Units - Handle with caution	10	Available	R80 R60
		RED SAVINA In February 2007 the Red Savina chili was displaced in Guinness World Records as the hottest chilli in the world by the Naga Jolokia pepper. The Red Savina held the record from 1994 until 2006	10	Available	R80 R50
		HABANERO PAPER LANTERN Elongated red habanero type with the renowned mouth-blistering heat. Fruits ripen from lime green to bright red, elongated pendant fruits. Heavier yielding than other habanero peppers	10	Available	R60 R40
		HABANERO CARIBBEAN RED An improved variety of Habanero and Hotter too. Wrinkled fruits. Matures from green to red	10	Limited	R60
		CHOCOLATE HABANERO This chilli is positively NUCLEAR. It has a fruity flavour with a kick like a mule. Habaneros are amongst the hottest peppers in the world.	10	Limited	R60
		ORANGE HABANERO Fruits are small and wrinkled ripening green to light orange. Used in Mexican and Caribbean cuisine, fiery hot and extremely pungent	10	Available	R60 R40
		GOLDEN HABANERO Originates from the Caribbean. 100+ days. Habanero golden has good yields of extremely hot peppers, which mature from light green to yellow through to a golden orange	10	Available	R60 R40
		SCOTCH BONNET RED Ideal for drying and using as hot chilli flakes.	10	Available	R40
		SCOTCH BONNET YELLOW Ideal for drying and using as hot chilli flakes.	10	Available	R40
		ZIMBABWE BIRDS EYE This tiny little piquin shaped devil is rated in the top ten for it's strength	10	Available	R40
		THAI BIG SUN Scotch Bonnet type hot pepper that reaches maturity approximately 90-100 days. The Big Sun has a length of 5-6 cm and a diameter of 5-6 cm. This chilli has all the characteristics of the Golden Habanero	10	VERY LIMITED	R40
		TEPIN Believed to be one of the hottest chillies available, Tepin is a perennial wild, birds eye pepper of unique flavour. Chillies are bright red, small and round. Plants fruit best in second year and should be brought indoors to overwinter. Germination of wild peppers can be slow and erratic.	10	Available	R50 R40
		HUNGARIAN HOT WAX The Hungarian Wax has to be one of the biggest chillis in the world reaching a whopping 9 inches long. Great for stuffing.	20	Very limited	R20
		NUMEX TWILIGHT Ornamental and edible chile plant producing 2-4" bright purple fruits that ripen to yellow, then red. Creates a colorful display through the summer months. Peppers are edible and quite hot.	20	Available	R20 R10
		KRIMZON LEE Large Piemento type pepper - but with a nice kick! Great for stuffing on a braai	20	Available	R20 R10
		PIEMENTO Very long, mild and ideal for stuffing	20	Available	R20
		Pepper-due A hybrid of the parent, and trademarked "Peppadew" chilli. Very sweet with a nice heat bite to it. Perfect for pickling!	10	Very limited	R50

NEW - Combinations - save money!!
	The HOT Pack	2 x Naga Jolokia 1st generation, 1 x Naga Morich, 1 x Bih Jolokia,1 x Red Savina, 1 x Tepin	Save R60!!	R250
	The Habanero Pack	1 x Caribbean Red, 1 x Golden Habanero, 1 x Chocolate, 2 x Paper Lantern, 2 x Orange Habanero	Save R80!!	R230
	The Chilli Lover's Mix	1 x Habanero Paper Lantern, 1 x Scotch Bonnet Yellow, 1 x Zimbabwe Birds Eye, 1 x Tepin, 1 x Krimzon Lee	Save R60!!	R110
	The COOL Pack (for those without asbestos mouths!)	2 x Krimzon Lee, 1 x Piemento, 1 x Hungarian Hot Wax, 2 x Numex Twilight	Save R20	R40

			DRIED CHILLIES - packed in sealed bags for shipping	Availability	Price
			Hot chilli flakes, great as an addition to curries & pasta or even straight onto your food to heat it up. Warning , these chillies are hot and go a long way!	Not Available	R15
			Same as above, but made only with the hotter chillies	Not Available	R20
			CHILLI SAUCES
			All chilli sauces are made from home grown ingredients and contain no artificial colourings or flavourings Contents of bottle may separate due to this and simply need shaking before use. Available in 3 heats - Mild, Medium or Eine! It is possible to make a seriously hot sauce on request.	SOLD OUT	R20
			HOT MASALA
			Made to a secret recipe, using over 8 individual spices, this Garam Masala (meaning "hot spice") will heat up any authentic curry. Warning, this is a hot masala and should be used with caution.	Not available	R20

Disclaimer: All seeds sold are 1st generation from original sown seeds, unless otherwise stated. Whilst every effort is made to prevent cross pollination, we will not accept responsibility for seeds purchased that do not germinate or produce desired results. Many factors can, and do, affect the heat levels, size and shape of chilli fruits. See growing tips below for further information.

Ordering Instructions

Postage Options

Note. Due to recent change in the Post Office, it is no longer possible to send insured packages via econoparcel anymore.

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SCOVILLE HEAT SCALE (approximates only, source data from various websites)

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CHILLI CULTIVATION TIPS

Be careful handling chilli seeds as they can cause a painful burning sensation: do not rub your eyes after handling chilli seeds

Storage of Seeds from Ready to Grow
If you aren't going to sow your new chilli seeds for a while they can be stored for a couple of years in their packaging in a cool, dry, dark place, or in the top of a fridge. Never store them in a freezer as the sudden temperature drop is likely to kill them.

Sowing Seeds
Sow the seeds on top of a good sterile seed compost. Cover the seeds with a light layer of fine compost or vermiculite/perlite. Keep the compost just moist - don't let the top of the compost dry out too much, as this is a common cause of germination failure. Cut down on watering by covering the pot or tray with plastic film. If you have a heated propagator check the optimum germination temperature and set your propagator appropriately. Sow seeds early as some hot peppers can take 120+ days from transplanting to fruiting. Temp should be maintained at the indicated temp. Chilli seeds will germinate at 25C but will take longer. 30C+ is the preferred temp for hot chillies (Jolokia, Morich, Tepin and Habanero) and they can also be slow and erratic to emerge (allow up to 35+ days for germination) compost should not be too moist to prevent the seeds from rotting, keep chilli seed & seedlings out of draughts

Watering
Once they have sprouted, water the chilli seedlings regularly, but don't let them become waterlogged as this encourages rot. Don't let seedlings dry out as they rarely recover at this stage.

Larger plants should be watered regularly allow the top inch or so to dry out in between watering. If they do dry out and droop the chilli plants will usually recover reasonably well, just make sure that the pots are soaked (by way of apology!) and the compost properly re-hydrated. Once the plants are in their final pots and have started to become root-bound you may need to water the plants daily - do this in the morning. If you are going away, you can stand mature plants in water for a few days without them suffering too much.

Potting On Your Chilli Seedlings
When the chillies have produced their first pair of proper leaves they can be potted on into individual 3 or 4-inch pots. Use good quality potting compost and mix in some organic slow release fertiliser, according to the manufacturer's instructions. I use Seagro organic fertaliser. Dilute 5ml / litre water.

Pot the chilli on again before it becomes root-bound (you'll see roots appearing through the holes in the bottom of the small pots) The final size of pot required will depend on the variety grown and how big it gets!

Seedlings should be grown in good light, but should not be exposed to direct sunlight from late spring to early autumn. Weaker sunlight from autumn to spring is unlikely to do them harm. Once seedlings have put on some growth they need lots of light. Growing them under a grow-light produces excellent stocky plants, as will a warm sunny windowsill.

Adult chilli plants need lots of light. However, more than 4 hours or so in hot direct sunlight will dry them out quickly. Place pots on warm sunny windowsills, in a conservatory or in a greenhouse. Most chilli plants will grow happily outside over the summer in their pots, or planted into the garden, but bring them in before the first frosts to prolong fruiting.

Planting Out Chillies
Plant them into rich moist soil. Make sure that plants have been allowed to acclimatise to outdoor conditions for 2-3 weeks before they are moved permanently outside. During this time gradually increase the amount of wind, sunshine and cooler temperatures that the plant experiences. Flowers do not form and fruit will not set if the temperature is much below 17C for most of the day.

Feeding chilli Plants
After the first flowers appear, feed every one or two weeks with a half-strength organic liquid tomato feed. You could also add some Seaweed extract (without added fertiliser) to the water once a week. This toughens them up a little and improves their resilience in the face of erratic watering...

Pollinating Flowers (optional)
Chilli plants are self fertile and will generally pollinate themselves. However, if you want to give them a helping hand to ensure that lots of fruit are set indoors, use a cotton wool bud to gently sweep the inside of the flowers one after another, spreading the pollen as you go!

Common Pests
Capsicums are members of the same family as tomatoes and potatoes and suffer from the same pests. Aphids are the prime suspect as they are rather fond of chilli leaves and can be a problem in greenhouses in particular. To get rid of them gently rub them off by hand. There are biological controls available for use outdoors and in the greenhouse. Snails can be a big problem, and snails just the size of pin heads can wipe out several seedlings in one night! Use snail pellets if necessary.

A Few Hints & Tips on the Very Hot Chilli Pepper seeds germination

-          Soak the seeds in water overnight to soften the seed case before planting

-          You may also want to carefully knick some of the seeds using sandpaper to further loosen the outer casing before soaking as we have found this also reduces germination times. Be careful not to damage the seed embryo. 

-          Use a light, loose soil that will not compact, get soggy, or crust over, seed sowing compost is recommended.

-          Lightly cover seed so seeds are 2-4mm below the soil

-          Put your seed trays in a warm environment where you can keep the temperature in the range of 28-32C a thermostatic controlled electric propagator is recommended. This is the optimum germination temperature. Keep seeds and seedlings out of draughts.

-          Keep the soil moist but not soggy and do not let it dry out.

-          Germination 2-4 weeks, slow and erratic 

 These seeds are a challenge but the uniqueness of these Hot Indian Peppers makes all the effort worth while.