How to Grow Habanero 'Big Sun' Chillies from Seed

September 16, 2026

Chilli Growing Guides · Capsicum chinense

How to Grow Habanero 'Big Sun' from Seed

Habanero flavour and heat in noticeably larger pods, ripening to sunset orange. Better yield by weight, and far quicker to process for sauce.

Habaneros are not usually grown for size. The standard orange habanero is a small lantern of a pod, fiddly to process in quantity. 'Big Sun' is a habanero in every respect that matters, with the same tropical fruit and considerable heat, but its pods are noticeably larger, and the flavour has not been traded away for size.

Because each pod weighs more, the yield by weight beats a standard habanero from the same plant. If you make hot sauce in quantity, or dry and grind your own habanero powder, this is the one that saves you an afternoon.

Quick Facts at a Glance

Species

Capsicum chinense

Heat

Very hot

Sow

January to February

Harvest

September to October

Best Grown

Under cover all season

Difficulty

Full growing method

'Big Sun' is grown like every other Capsicum chinense. Our species guide covers sowing temperatures, potting on, feeding, pollination, overwintering and problems step by step.

Read the Capsicum chinense guide →

About this Variety

The fruit

Larger than standard habaneros, ripening from deep green to full sunset orange.

The flavour

Fully coloured pods carry the tropical fruitiness on top of the burn. Underripe pods are mostly heat.

In the kitchen

Hot sauce in quantity, or dried and ground habanero powder.

The plant

Upright and well behaved, carrying a heavy crop without much fuss.

Handling

Wear gloves when cutting, deseeding or grinding habaneros, and keep your hands away from your eyes and face.

Sowing & Harvest Calendar

Sow in January or February at 25 to 28°C and expect the seed to take its time. Keep plants under glass for the rest of the year, with steady warmth into autumn so the last pods colour. It will still be ripening in October.