Chi-Chien Hot Pepper Seeds | Capsicum annuum | Asian Heirloom Chili

Chi-Chien Hot Pepper — Fiery, Ornamental & Prolific

Bring bold heat and striking color to your garden with Chi-Chien (Capsicum annuum), an extra-spicy heirloom variety prized across Chinese cuisine and ornamental gardens alike. Slender, thin-skinned red peppers ripen to a vivid crimson and deliver intense, lingering heat — perfect for fresh cooking, drying, or grinding into flakes.

Why Growers Love Chi-Chien

• Exceptional heat — one of the hotter Asian chili varieties, ideal for hot sauces, stir-fries, and salsas
• Dual-purpose plant — stunning ornamental display in beds or containers, plus a generous edible harvest
• Versatile harvest — enjoy green for milder heat, or let ripen to full red for maximum spice and drying
• Prolific producer — abundant yields of medium-size peppers throughout the season
• Adaptable — thrives in all Sunset climate zones; performs best with warm summers and mild winters

Growing Guide

• Site: Full sun, well-drained soil, sheltered from strong wind
• Soil prep: Till in compost or organic matter to 7–8 inches; add 1 lb of 20-20-20 fertilizer per 100 sq ft
• Sowing: Direct sow when soil temperature exceeds 75°F — ¼ inch deep, ½ inch apart, rows 2–3 ft apart
• Germination: 15–30 days; keep soil consistently moist throughout
• Thinning: Space seedlings 2 ft apart after germination
• Weed control: Use black plastic mulch or a 1–2 inch layer of organic mulch to retain warmth and suppress weeds
• Fertilizing: Apply 1½ oz ammonium sulfate per 10 ft of row, one week after blooming begins
• Harvest: 8–10 weeks after germination — snap or cut stems carefully to avoid breaking branches

Culinary & Storage Uses

Chi-Chien peppers are a staple in spicy Chinese dishes and pair beautifully with Caribbean-style hot sauces. Use fresh, dry whole for storage, or grind into chili flakes. Their thin skin makes them ideal for quick drying.