LONG GREEN FINGER CHILI

(Siling Haba)

A Terminal Report
Submitted to the
Faculty of the Department of Civil Engineering
College of Engineering & Architecture

In Partial Fulfillment
of the Requirements in
CE 414: Environmental & Sanitary Engineering

Submitted by:

Sheen Ayra Gay C. Rimando

Roma R. Ringor
Jerryca Mel Garbin Rous

December 17, 2018

Introduction
 While the idea of growing fruit and vegetables in your own backyard might sound rather
taxing, the advantages that come along with it are extremely worth it. There is no comparison
between the taste of a garden fresh tomato and a grocery store bought one that's devoid of flavor.
The nature of the food system is that grocery store produce has often been grown hundreds of
miles away, meaning it can be days between harvest and your table. This process results in the
quality of the produce often being compromised. Though growing your own vegetables can seem
overwhelming to some, it’s actually much simpler than it sounds. Even if you don’t have a yard,
consider starting a patio garden or even an indoor herb garden on a windowsill. You’ll be
amazed at how many vegetables or fruits you can grow out of one pot.

Growing your own food provides fresh ingredients for your meals and there are a lot of
benefits that it can give you. Here are some of them;

You eat even healthier because the vitamins and nutrient levels in fruit and vegetables are
at their highest when they come straight from the ground, so it makes sense that the
sooner it’s picked and eaten, the better off you’ll feel in the end. Consider this as well, by
the time you get fruit and veg from the ‘fresh’ produce section at your grocery store, it
has lost nearly 50% of its nutritional value. Consuming more fresh fruits and vegetables
is one of the most important things you can do to stay healthy. When you pick vegetables
right from your garden, the vitamin content will be at its highest. Also, you are reducing
the risk of eating vegetables that contain harmful chemicals–you know exactly what
you're eating. In addition, getting kids involved in the gardening process will make it
more likely for them to try the vegetables. Gardening is a physical activity and pulling
weeds, planting, and digging can burn up to 400 calories per hour. Gardening is also a
good mental exercise and helps keep your mind sharp.
 
Children learn to love them too. Studies have shown that preschool children who have
grown up eating backyard produce were more than twice as likely to eat the daily
recommendation five servings of fruits and vegetables, compared to children who weren’t
If you decide to grow your produce entirely organically, then the earth’s atmosphere is
spared of unnecessary pollution caused by pesticides and herbicides, not to mention the
fossil fuels you’re saving that's needed to transport the produce to the store. Remember,
small efforts = large impact.

It has a better taste because homegrown fruit and veg is unanimously preferred when it
comes to flavor, so give your taste buds the love it deserves.

It keeps you fit because backyard gardening forces you to bathe in sweet vitamin D, and
the act of tending to your plants in the warm sun is a great form of daily exercise.

Unlike store bought produce, when you grow your own fruit and vegetables, you are
aware exactly what has gone onto and into your food. It’s quite a nice feeling knowing
what you and your family are putting into their mouths.

Another is, there’s a level of self-satisfaction you obtain when you’ve successfully grown
your own fruit and veg, and the taste is that much better knowing it was your hands
behind the food. Gardening is a natural stress reliever. Being outside in the fresh air and
sunshine can improve mood and make you feel rejuvenated and overall happy.  Growing
your own produce also gives you a great sense of accomplishment.
You can save money on groceries because one of the benefits of enjoying garden
vegetables is a reduced monthly food bill. You can grow organic vegetables for a fraction
of the cost in the stores.

Humans depend on plants in numerous ways. One reason we depend on plants is

for consumption. You don’t have to be an environmental psychologist to understand that
plants look attractive and can give many benefits. But dig a little deeper beneath their
beauty and you’ll discover that the benefits can go far beyond the aesthetic. Gardening
offers many benefits that go beyond what we need. Whether you choose to go with a very
simple greenhouse or a more elaborate one, you can still enjoy a variety of great
advantages.
Description of the Vegetable

 LONG GREEN FINGER CHILI (Siling Haba)

A variety of chili pepper that is greenish-yellow or red, oblong lanceolate,
narrowing to a tapering tip, up to 6 cm long and 1.5 cm across. It is medium hot, often
used in local pickles (achara) and for seasoning. The siling haba fruit is bright light green
in color. While of moderate spiciness, it is much milder and less hot than siling labuyo.

Scientific Name
 Capsicum annuum var. longum

Common Names
  Siling-haba (Tag.) 
 Siling mahahaba (Tag.) 
 Siling pangsigang (Tag.)
 Siling espada (Tag.)
 Long pepper (Engl.) 
 Spanish pepper (Engl.)

Classification
 Capsicum
- genus of flowering plants in the nightshade family Solanaceae/nightshades, are
an economically important family of flowering plants. The family ranges from annual
and perennial herbs to vines, lianas, epiphytes, shrubs, and trees, and includes a number
of important agricultural crops, medicinal plants, spices, weeds, and ornamentals

Varieties

 Bells
These are identical to the sweet bell capsicum except they are mildly hot. Each
bush may have as few as 5 or 6 fruits, or as many as 20. Each fruit has three or four
locules (lobes) and thick 'flesh'. 

 Birdseye
The fruit of this type is short - about 40-50 mm long - and thin, two lobed, sharply
pointed, with flesh about 1.5 mm thick. Color of immature fruit may be dark green or
light green depending on the variety. Fruit is held erect on the bush, and there is a lot
of fruit per bush. The most recent varieties have short bushes with fruit clearly displayed
at the top. This feature makes them suitable for trying once-over mechanical harvesting.
However, they are continuous bearers. Very high yields have been reported with hand-
harvesting over a nine month period. Heat level may be in the range of 30,000-50,000
Scoville units, making them very hot. They are usually sold on the fresh market.
 Cayenne
This is long, thin, sharply pointed fruit that may either be held erect on the bush
depending on variety. The length of the fruit also varies with variety and each bush
usually has a lot of fruit. Flesh thickness is about 2 mm. Heat level varies with variety but
is usually in the range of 5000-25,000 Scoville units, making them medium heat. They
usually are fresh market fruit.

 Habanero
The Habanero is a different species from all other chilies mentioned here and is
blistering hot. Fruit has a thin flesh and  a shape similar to a Scotch bonnet or Christmas
bell decoration. Mature color may be orange or red, depending on variety. They are
suited for niche markets.
 Horn
This fruit is the same length as Cayennes but broader - about 25 mm - and usually
slightly curved. One piece of fruit usually fits whole on the side of a dinner plate and is
often consumed that way. Flesh is 2-3 mm thick. The fruit is not large enough for
processing, which makes the Horn a fresh market type. Heat level varies greatly with
variety but they tend to be 1000-10,000 Scoville units, making them mild to medium
heat. This is a popular type in Taiwan and Korea, where many varieties originate.

 Jalapeno
Pronounced 'hal-uh-pen-yah', this type is a great favorite in Mexico and United
States (US), where the industry is very valuable and has grown rapidly. The fruit is about
9 cm long and 30-40 mm wide. Flesh is exceptionally thick (4-5 mm), making this fruit
very heavy for its size (approximately 30 g). Jalapenos have excellent flavor and are ideal
for fresh or processed products. The US market usually consumes green fruit of mature
size because surface 'netting' similar to netting of rock melons develops as the fruit
matures. Netting is preferred in Mexico because the flavor is best in red/ripe fruit. Heat
level varies widely with different varieties from very mild to medium heat (1000-15,000
Scoville units). The netting has made the jalapeno less attractive to Australian consumers.
Edible parts
 Except for the stem, the whole chili is edible including its leaves.

Food preparations or delicacies

 The leaves of the pepper can also be used in various typical recipes, such as
seafood soups and chicken tinola.
 It is an ingredient commonly used in Philippine cuisine, spicing up dishes
like sinigang, dinuguan, pinangat, kilawin, paksiw, and sisig.
 It is the main ingredient in making dynamite sticls/rolls. A known finger food that is
crunchy, tasty and a little bit spicy filled with ground meat and cheese.

Medicinal properties
 Improves immunity: Green chilies are rich in vitamin C. Regular consumption of vitamin
C helps develop resistance against infections, pro-inflammatory free radicals from the
body and harmful diseases by boosting immunity.

 Improves digestion: When green chilies are chewed, saliva is automatically released in

good amount. It helps in food digestion.

 Iron booster: Green chilies tend to be a great source of vitamin C, a vitamin that can
assist your body in absorbing iron from a vegetarian diet and hence plays a key role in
your body's ability to metabolize iron. Also, they improve hemoglobin levels being a
natural source of iron and help fight anemia.

 Reduces blood sugar: Eating green chilies benefits people suffering from diabetes by
reducing their increased sugar levels and further creating a balance in their bodies.

 Anti-bacterial properties: The anti-bacterial properties of green chilliest help protect the

body from injurious effects of free radicals generated during stress and various diseases.
 Benefits your skin: The vitamin C content in green chilies is a potent water soluble
antioxidant that is essential for collagen synthesis. Collagen is one of the main structural
proteins required for maintaining healthy and glowing skin.

 Good for the hair: Due to the presence of natural silicon that improves blood circulation
to the scalp and hair follicles, green chilies act as a natural hair growth stimulator and
shield follicles from harmful effects of di- hydro testosterone.

 Aids weight-loss: Green chilies help burn excess fats of the body by increasing
metabolism and having zero calories.

 Improves vision: Being rich in vitamin A, green chilies help in improving vision among
people of all ages.

 Good for heart disorders: Green chilies are enriched with minerals, including potassium,
manganese, iron and magnesium. These are important components that help control heart
rate and blood pressure.

 Bone care: Green chilliest are rich in calcium and vitamin K that help decrease your risk
of osteoporosis and over bleeding when you're injured. They also contain vitamin A that
is helpful in maintaining healthy bones, teeth, mucous and membranes.

 Prevents constipation: To help resolve and prevent constipation, choose green chilies that
contain plenty of dietary fiber.

 Stabilize mood: Green chilies contain capsaicin that aids the release of endorphins (feel
good hormone) into the brain. Hence they are known as mood stabilizers.
Care and Maintenance
The green chili pepper is one of the best types of chilies to grow in your garden. Along
with Jalapeños, they are versatile and you will find lots of recipes where they will shine. Besides
they are easy-to-grow, sturdy plants that will give you lots of satisfaction with almost no effort
on your part. Chilies can be used in dried form, and even frozen, but for some recipes it is best to
have them fresh and nothing it’s fresher than obtaining them right from your garden.

You can always buy the seeds (ensuring their quality to some degree) but if you can get
your hands on fresh peppers in your region you can obtain seeds from the pod.

How to grow green chilies

1. Choose a ripe chili pepper. You will know it's ripe because rather than green it will be
orange or red. Or you can choose one that's still green but with ends changing color.

2. Put it in a moisture free environment and let it dry (the edge of a window is usually a
good choice).

3. The pod will become redder and then brittle and translucent (see image above) and the
seeds will become loose inside.

4. Open the pod and get your seeds.

 How I know when it is ready? if you shake the pod it will rattle.
 The pod may look like a thin brittle shell but it is still very hot. Be careful not to touch
your eyes, mouth or any sensitive skin because it will burn like hell (I learnt this the hard
way, don't let it happen to you).

Germinating the seeds and potting your pepper plant

1. Sow the seeds into a seed starting tray. They must be covered with 5 mm of compost or
garden earth. (You can use egg cartons as starting trays).
2. Peppers will germinate within one to three weeks, depending on the variety and climate
conditions.
3. A good practice is to sow three seeds together to increase the chances of germination.
4. If all seeds germinate you'll need to pull out the weaker plants.
 5. When your pepper seedlings have two pair of leaves, you can move them to their final
container or pot.
6. The container should be medium to large (at least a 5 gallon container).
7. If you live in a warm area you can sow the seeds directly to the pot.
8. Set them 5 to 10 cm apart and make sure they receive enough water (it may filter quickly
to the bottom of the pot).

Taking care of your chili pepper plant

1. Provide plenty of light and water.

2. They are warm weather plants, protect them from low temperatures.
3. The fruit that is exposed to harsh sunlight may decolorize on the exposed surface. You
can move the pot to another area at noon or you can put them close to other plants so they
shade each other.
4. They are very hardy, but you must protect them from extreme wind, rain and hail.
5. Like with all plants that grow in pots, you must check for adequate drainage and try to
avoid wetting the leaves when watering to prevent diseases.
6. Best time to water: early in the morning. Second best: late in the afternoon or at night.
7. Keep the container weed free. Remove weeds early before it gets too difficult.
8. You may need to tie up the chili plant to a pole or stake as it grows to avoid bending.
Don’t tie it up too hard and don’t use cords or wire that can damage the stems. My
recommendation: use discarded pantyhose.

Impressions on the Activity

In this activity we didn’t only had fun but we learned so much knowledge and lessons
that we can apply in our daily lives. We learned to look at things from a different perspective,
from looking at plants in our surrounding to planting one. We discovered to appreciate the
importance of every little things especially the plants and our environment. We also discovered
that the most beautiful things in life are sandwiched between a rock/soil and a hard place. We see
beautiful things everyday but do we even label plants and seeds as one of them? The truth is, in
today’s generation, we rarely give appreciation to these small creatures and we often give
importance to money and luxuries. Every good thing requires hard work and cooperation, so we
didn’t just plant it but we take good care of it and we can say that, it’s worth the time that we
consumed to grow it successfully. Hard work is the secret ingredient for every good thing in life,
especially really hard work. The harder you work at something, the better it will be. The
unexpected can often be beautiful and magnificent. Just like our gardens and plants, life is short,
fraught with the unexpected, filled with failure and adversity, and never seems to go as we
planned. It’s also magnificent in its beauty as we experience love and laughter, adventures, and
the small joys that can fill us with sublime happiness. We learned also that growth doesn’t happen
all at once. Gardening has taught us patience. And lastly we founded friendship and proved that
you really reap what you sow. Clich of all cliches but it is a cliche because it rings true. If you
sow good organic seeds in that healthy foundation you are going to grow amazingly healthy food
to nourish you and your loved ones. In life we need to sow the sort of goodness we want to grow
(love, respect, charity, goodwill).

References

Materials used in planting

 Mineral water container
-we recycled it and used it as a pot

 Soil
-organic matter in which plants grow, a black or dark brown material typically
consisting of a mixture of organic remains, clay, and rock particles
 Water
-use to water the plant

 Seedling
- the green chili seedling

 Bamboo stick
-for the plant’s support