Naga Morich - Separating the Facts from the Rumors

[Omri]

I've heard a lot of information regarding the Naga Morich, but not all of it match.
Here are some questions I hope will put an end to it (at least for me):

To what color does the pod ripe, orange or red?
How many pods grow on a single plant per season (in perfect weather)?
How much time does it usually take for a seed to sprout?
How many seeds are in each pod?
How hot is the average pod (in Scovilles)?

[BobsYourUncle]

I'll try to answer, although this is my first season growing them and I don't have any ripe pods yet.

- They ripen to red
- again, my first season, but one of my plants already has 15+ chillies on it, and it's not even summer here yet. The plant is about 3-4 months old. Compared to the other varieties I'm growing, it looks like it will be one of the heaviest producers.
- My seeds took between 5 and 7 days to sprout if I recall correctly.
- Again, I haven't had any ripe pods, put from everything I've heard there aren't as many seeds per pod as other varieties.
- Well, according to the hplc tests that have been done, about 1 million. But it'd depend a lot on growing conditions, heat, amount of water, etc. Judging be the reactions people have when they eat them, I think it's safe to say they will be some of, if not the hottest chillies you'll ever eat.

[cmpman1974]

#1: Under the correct conditions, red is the final ripe color. In cooler climates, it can be hard to get past orange (as in mine).

#2: I'd say I had 50+ pods on one plant grown in the ground. Similar pod set on another plant growing in a VERY LARGE pot (20" diameter).

#3: Usually 7-21 days, depending on viability of seed, germination conditions, temps, etc.

#4: Didn't officially "count", but I'd venture between 20-30 in an average full size mature pod.

#5: Don't have an official way to test, but as mentioned, probably one of the hottest you'll ever put in your mouth. I'll never have ideal growing condiitons such as New Mexico, USA or Asaam, India, but they'e hot enough to blow me away!

I hope this helps. :)

Chris


I've heard a lot of information regarding the Naga Morich, but not all of it match.
Here are some questions I hope will put an end to it (at least for me):

To what color does the pod ripe, orange or red?
How many pods grow on a single plant per season (in perfect weather)?
How much time does it usually take for a seed to sprout?
How many seeds are in each pod?
How hot is the average pod (in Scovilles)?

[Omri]

Thanks it did help me, a lot. :)

[Philipperv]

After growing this for a complete season I am convinced that there are substantial genetic variations. I get completely different looking fruit from different plants grown from the same seeds. I understand now how the Brits in Dorset were able to breed their own unique variation. It is actually quite easy to do.

[POTAWIE]

Alright, here's my take.
-Ripen grom green to orange to red
-# of pods depends on size of plant. My huge Dorset naga produced 1500-2000 pods.
-My seeds probably took a week to germinate
-Probably 20 or so seeds per pod.
-The scoville will likely vary quite a bit with different climates and different growing tequniques and environments. My early Nagas didn't seem as hot as the ones picked in hotter temps but I'm a terrible judge for heat. The Morich has been tested as high as 1,598,227 SHU

[Omri]

1,500-2,000 pods?! In one season?! How old was that plant? :O
Also if the color is indeed red, why do some people pick them at the orange stage?

[POTAWIE]

I think my big Naga was started around this time last year, maybe December.
From what I've heard, in India/Bangladesh they generally eat the pods when green? I don't know why. Most people here pick them when orange because they can take a long time to go red and the heat is already there.

[Omri]

Are you telling me that when my Nagas will be a year-old, they'll give me that many pods?

[POTAWIE]

No, but the potential is there.

[Omri]

No, but the potential is there.
So basically a lot, and I mean a LOT of peppers are gonna be here next year. :lol:

[POTAWIE]

With your ambition, I sure hope you do well but experience is always a factor.;)

[Omri]

True. :)

[woody]

Pods on the plant should go red, if you pick the pods green they will only go orange.

[Omri]

Pods on the plant should go red, if you pick the pods green they will only go orange.
o0o... that's a new one.
If true then all the orange ones are defective. :lol:

[chuk hell]

I've picked pods that were tri-colored...green tip to orange to red by the stem. In a couple days they turned red when left un-refrigerated.

They are very pretty when tri-colored.

[Pepp3rFreak]

dang your a compulsive poster Omri :lol: :lol:


It looks like the others gave you good answeres, but I thought I'd just also account for your furute Nagas as I supplied you the seeds and I have high hopes you'll be pleased. I can tell you that they will in fact produce about as good of results as Potawie's as all mine grew about 3 feet tall and produced about 50 peppers at a time and after picked would keep producing. Unfortunately I started mine to early and only got about 3 pickings from the plants but they all turned a beautiful dark evil red and were plenty hot. Good luck!

[Omri]

Thanks, you are no doubt the man! :D
I also have some Nagas from Slinter, so I didn't use all the seeds you sent me (Saving them just in case...).
I got great answers, and I'm actually really happy about it.

[lennyk]

mine turn very quickly to red, once they start from green to red, they are completely red within a week

[imaguitargod]

Here's my experience:

To what color does the pod ripe, orange or red?Red
How many pods grow on a single plant per season (in perfect weather)? ALOT!
How much time does it usually take for a seed to sprout? 2-4 weeks
How many seeds are in each pod? 5-10 seeds
How hot is the average pod (in Scovilles)? 900,000-1,000,000+

[Omri]

5-10 seeds? :(
That's not a lot. :(

[imaguitargod]

5-10 seeds? :(
That's not a lot. :(
Yep, not much.

[chilliman64]

5-10 seeds? :(
That's not a lot. :(

luckily you don't need many of these pods or plants to get a lot of heat

did I mention that I put down 20 bhut jolokias? :shocked: :cool:

[BobsYourUncle]

What are you going to use them all for? Sauce? I've got 4 dorset and 4 morich (although 2 of each are a little stunted from a problem I had with my potted plants a while back). Still, the others are covered with fruit and flowers, so I think I'll have enough to get by...

[chilliman64]

I plan on eating as many as I can while fresh. I will dry some and make sauce from some, maybe give some away, collect lots of seed and hopefully never have to buy seed ever again!

[Biscombe]

POTAWIE, I'm inspired by your pics! thanks for posting them!

[billyboy]

POTAWIE, I'm inspired by your pics! thanks for posting them!

Truly awesome looking plants.

[Pam]

POTAWIE, I'm inspired by your pics! thanks for posting them!

I'm thinking Interpol is going to start listing him as a pr0n pusher.

[darlochileman]

Hi Guys,

many of you will have had seed from me in 2005 or 2006 so heres my tuppence worth

1.To what color does the pod ripen to?

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y295/thechileman/Naga%20Morich%20Gallery/naga_morich.jpg

In perfect conditions & with a long growing season RED, if not they will struggle to get past the orange stage. The bangladeshi only use them in there green stage and even then they only wipe cut pods on the food and rarely eat them. Wimps!!

2. How many pods grow on a single plant per season (in perfect weather)? How about this:

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y295/thechileman/Naga%20Morich%20Gallery/IMG_0375_1.jpg

Only Joking!! My 2/3 year plants can produce over 150 pods in a good season. Thats 15 bottles of Naga Snakebite Private Reserve per plant :-)

3.How much time does it usually take for a seed to sprout?

In the right germination conditions (65-80oF), about 4 to 8 days in my experience. If your having trouble and want a more detailed germination guide, just drop me a PM.

4. How many seeds are in each pod?

Not many (viable seeds) compared to other Chinenses. Total seeds maybe 30 or which only a handful will be fertile/viable. When saving seed I end up discarding at least two thirds. This is why some peoples germination rates are poor as people save all the seed.

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y295/thechileman/Naga%20Morich%20Gallery/Nagacross3.jpg

5. How hot is the average pod (in Scovilles)?

Depends on the growing conditions, soil medium, water regime etc etc. I have to import most of the pods for the snakebite sauce direct from Bangladesh as the UK growing conditions just arent good enough to make it into the sauce. A university here in the UK tested one Naga pod and it measured 1.598m SHU. The average pod (grown in the right conditions is probably nearer the 900k -1m SHU mark)

If you still have any doubts as to how hot these bangladeshi bad boys are. ready the entry 'The worst day of my chile life' in my journal here:

http://thechileman.blogspot.com/

You can find much more info on the Naga Morich in our database here:

http://www.thechileman.org/results.php?chile=1&find=naga+morich&heat=Any&origin=Any&genus=Any&submit=Search

and here:

http://www.thechileman.org/naga_morich.php

All the best

Mark

[Omri]

o0o... thanks, I'm pretty sure now I know what's what. :)

[chilliman64]

will seed saved from the orange pods germinate?

[Omri]

will seed saved from the orange pods germinate?
Finally a question I can answer, yay! :onfire:
The answer to your question is 'YES'.
How do I know that? because I used some seeds from orange pods myself, and they sprouted all good and nice. :lol:

[chilliman64]

that's very interesting. so orange and red must both be mature pods!

[Omri]

I think orange is the 'defective' mature version of the pod.
Red is healthy color (again, just assuming).

[chilliman64]

why defective? defective means there's something wrong with it?

[Omri]

why defective? defective means there's something wrong with it?
Well Mark said that it would go red in optimal conditions, so it means the color should be red.
If it's not the color that should have been, it's defective. :oops:

[darlochileman]

Red pods are fully mature. There is nothing wrong with orange pods its just most of the seeds might not be viable. You will get much better germination rates from seeds taken from red pods.

[chilliman64]

thanks darlo

[POTAWIE]

Early in the season it would take forever for my nagas to turn from light orange to red. Later in the season many pods skipped orange and went straight to red.

[rainbowberry]

In a couple days they turned red when left un-refrigerated.
I left the few I had on the plant when multi-coloured or orange, but same here, it only took a couple of days for them to turn red.