10:01 - 04 March 2011
Chillies are one of the most widely grown and eaten crops in the world. They mostly originate from South America where the climate is much warmer than the UK and they need plenty of warmth to grow. That means to get them to germinate either needs additional heat early in the season, or you need to wait until the weather warms up. A greenhouse is the ideal place to grow chillies, as the plants will thrive in the warmer environment. They need similar conditions to tomatoes, but are less intensive in terms of maintenance and after care.
There are thousands of different varieties to choose from so spend some time choosing the right one for you.
Generally the smaller the fruit the hotter they are, but there are small, ornamental chillies that are heatless. The hottest chilli in the world is fairly big – 2inx1inch at the shoulder and lightweight and thin-skinned.
Unless you eat chillies daily or are planning to dry them for winter use, two or three plants will supply enough chillies for most families. Chilli seeds are inert, it’s actually the placenta that they are attached to that creates the heat and in some chillies that material can spread down all the way down the sides to the ends. If it is a hot chilli then chop it finer and put less in.
But if you grow more plants you can swap them with friends or take them to sell at a plant fair, the village fete or the school fair.
Start them off
Start sowing chilli seeds in March in a heated propagator in the greenhouse. Fill small pots or modules with a quality seed compost. Make a hole in the compost with a dibber about 3-5mm deep and drop one seed in each hole. For pots you can sow three seeds to a pot, for modules sow one seed into each module. Place inside a heated propagator and keep moist. The seeds will germinate in a few days or sometimes a week or more. When the seedlings are large enough to handle, carefully tip them out of the pot and separate them. Take great care not to squash the stems. If they are growing in modules then wait until the roots start to show through the bottom of the pot before repotting. Repot individual plants into 15-20cm diameter pots filled with fresh, clean potting compost. Keep these in a warm greenhouse environment and don’t let the temperature drop below 12C.
Once the roots have filled these pots and your plants are growing strongly you can either repot them into large pots for the rest of the summer or plant three established plants into a deep growing bag. For best results keep the plants in the greenhouse where they will thrive in the warm growing conditions.
Chilli Growing tips
For best results keep the soil warm. If the soil is warm enough they will grow well.
If in doubt don’t water, watering can reduce the soil temperature and these plants are used to a little drought.
Use a liquid feed, such as a seaweed feed and feed fortnightly to keep them healthy.
Keep a watch for aphids, which can be a nuisance and use a biological control if they become a problem.
Chillies are self-pollinating, but good ventilation will help improve fruit set. Hoverflies and other beneficial insects also pollinate them.
