This rare heirloom chilli is a stunning ornamental plant as well as a versatile culinary pepper with medium heat and a sweet finish. Chilli 'Buena Mulata' bears slender, 6-7-inch-long fruit which undergoes a remarkable colour transition, starting a beautiful violet hue, morphing to orange-brown and then maturing to red. Mature fruits develop a sweet, cayenne-like flavour and register between 30,000 to 50,000 on the Scoville Scale. A highly productive plant which looks wonderful when packed with pods in their various colour stages. Maximum height: 60cm (24”). Spread: 45cm (18”). Sowing Information Sow Chilli Pepper seeds on the surface of a good, free-draining, damp, seed sowing mix and cover with a fine sprinkling of compost or vermiculite. Place seed trays in a propagator at a temperature of 18-25C (64-77F) until after germination, which takes 7-10 days. Do not exclude light as this helps germination. When seedlings are large enough to handle, transplant into individual 7.5cm (3") pots of compost and grow on in cooler conditions. When plants are well grown and all risk of frost has passed, transplant them into grow bags and containers, or plant them in well prepared beds of fertile, moist, well drained soil. Chili peppers may be grown undercover in a greenhouse or polytunnel, or grown outdoors in a sheltered position in full sun. When growing chilli peppers outdoors, gradually acclimatise them to outdoor conditions over a period of 7 to 10 days prior to transplanting them. Space pepper plants at a distance of 50cm (20") apart.
