How To Grow Chillies

Whether you like your chillies just slightly warm or scorching hot, there is sure to be a variety just right for you. One or two plants should keep a family going all year as they are usually heavy croppers and fairly easy to cultivate.

The heat of a chilli comes from the production of a potent chemical called capsaicin which is measured in Scoville units, ranging from 0 to 577,000. As a comparison, the Jalapeno chilli measures 2,500 – 8,000 and the Scotch Bonnet 100,000 – 325,000. As you can imagine, getting this chemical in your eyes or any mucous membrane causes a painful, fiery sensation so when handling the fruit, wear gloves.

Seed can be sown between February and May but the hotter varieties need longer to ripen so should be sown early. However, some prefer to start with young plants which are readily available in late spring.

Here we show how to get started on growing your own chillies, from seed, and how to care for young bought in plants.

Sow the seeds

Fill some fibre pots with good quality seed compost or coir pellets then firm down gently. Place one seed in each pot and cover lightly with compost or vermiculite and water with a fine rose. Put the pots in a propagator with a lid, or enclose in a plastic bag. Find somewhere warm, like an airing cupboard, and leave until the first shoots start to appear which will be between 14 – 28 days. Then, move the pots to a warm, light position on the windowsill, conservatory or greenhouse. Continue to water when necessary making sure that the compost is moist without being waterlogged.

Transplant into larger pots

When two or three sets of leaves appear and you start to see the roots growing through the walls of the fibre pots, it’s time to move the young plants to larger pots, about 10cms.  The beauty of using fibre pots initially is that when you are ready to pot them up, you bury the whole pot, complete with baby plant. This reduces the risk of any root disturbance; the chilli hardly knows it has been moved. The final pot size should be about 25cms or you could have two in a grow-bag. In the warm areas of southern England you may be able to plant your chillis outdoors after acclimatisation,   but in most parts of the country they will have to stay in the light and warmth. If you do not have a greenhouse, they do quite well on a bright windowsill conservatory.

Aftercare

Some varieties can reach up to a metre in height so require some support especially when they are laden with fruits. Start by tying the stem to a cane when the plant is about 20cms high and continue tying it in as it grows. To encourage a bushy plant, pinch out the growing tip when the chilli is about 30cms high.  The flowers will soon start appearing and you can help the insects pollinate by gently touching a small paintbrush lightly into each flower.  Try to mist spray the plants as this encourages the fruit to ‘set’. Harvest the first chillis at the green stage to stimulate the plant into producing even more flowers and therefore more fruit.

Storing chillies

Chillies fruit profusely and there are times when you just can’t use all your produce. Fortunately, they store very well. You can freeze them or more commonly dry them. Put them in the freezer straight after harvesting as there is no need to prepare them in any way. Sadly, the flesh of the chilli tends to go soft after defrosting so they would only be suitable for cooked dishes but the heat does not diminish at all.

To dry chillies, use a needle and thread through their stems to make long strings.  Hang these up in a warm, dry, well ventilated place and they should be ready in about 5 weeks.

Published March 20th, 2015 by Jordan. Article ref 3690

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