Chilli Hungarian Hot Wax
Chillies love heat so it's essential to start them off inside, but they can be moved outside from June, providing you've got a sunny and sheltered spot for them. If not, just keep them in pots indoors on a sunny windowsill or in a conservatory.
Hungarian Hot Wax produces big lush chillies, which are best eaten during the Summer/Autumn rather than dried for the Winter.
Time from seed to plate: 20 weeks
Sowing Calendar
Sow
Sow chillies early in the year so they have plenty of time to ripen in the summer sun. Our propagator kits with 'Jiffy 7' compost pellets are ideal for sowing. Unless you want mountains of chillies four jiffys should be enough. Soak the pellets in water till they expand and sow two seeds in each one so they're just covered with compost. Put them in the propagator, cover, and place on a warm windowsill or in a greenhouse. Keep moist.
Within one or two weeks the seeds should sprout. Remove the propagator lid at this stage. If two seedlings come up in the same jiffy remove the weaker one.
Growing method: seed propagating kits for sowing
Grow
After a month or so the roots will have filled the jiffy and it's time to either transfer the plant to a bigger pot (minimum 5 litre, like the one recommended above) filled with compost and keep inside on a bright windowsill/in a greenhouse, or plant it outside in your plot. Only plant outside from the end of May when the frosts are well and truely over. Remove the jiffy bag encasing the compost before planting for best results.
When the plant is 8in high pinch out the growing tip to encourage it to bush out.
Once the plants start fruiting it's a good idea to give them tomato feed every couple of weeks - it will ensure a bumper crop!
If you are growing outside, push a cane in next to each plant and loosely tie in a couple of times as it grows.
Harvest
Your first green chillies should appear in August. Pick them green, or leave them for a couple more weeks by which time they'll have turned red and become much hotter. Snip off your chillies regularly to encourage the plant to produce new fruit.
Eat the last of your outdoor chillies in October before the frosts arrive. Big and fleshy Hungarian Hot Wax chillies don't dry well, so you'll have to scoff the lot!