Growing Chilli peppers, also Hot peppers

Capsicum sp. : Solanaceae / the nightshade family

Jan F M A M J J A S O N Dec
    S                  
        T T            
        P P            

(Best months for growing Chilli peppers in USA - Zone 5a regions)

  • S = Plant undercover in seed trays
  • T = Plant out (transplant) seedlings
  • P = Sow seed
  • Grow in seed trays, and plant out in 4-6 weeks. Sow seed at a depth approximately three times the diameter of the seed. Best planted at soil temperatures between 18°C and 35°C. (Show °F/in)
  • Space plants: 40 - 50 cm apart
  • Harvest in 9-11 weeks. Wear gloves to pick 'hot' chillies.
  • Compatible with (can grow beside): Best grown in a separate bed as chillies need plenty of light and air circulation.

Your comments and tips

28 Jul 12, Christine Houweling (Australia - temperate climate)
i am on very alkaline soil, can't get pH lower than 7 no matter how much i try. I live in Port Lincoln at the tip of Eyre Peninsula. it would be nice to see pH preferences for plants in your guide. I think your service is fabulous.
27 Jul 12, wayne (Australia - temperate climate)
sounds like sooty mould.???
27 Jul 12, wayne (Australia - temperate climate)
probably getting past it's growing season although I have had birdseye chilli that lasted three years. I actually made a small hothouse to help them through the colder months. warmer climate they will probably keep going OK
27 Jul 12, wayne (Australia - temperate climate)
I solved the problem of the wildlife eating my vegies by buildin a large cage, it's 8m by 3m and looks like a bird cage it's 2.5m high. Yep now I get to eat my veg. cost was about $400. The wire was the most expensive bit because it was a small hole which kept the sparrows out and away from the lettuce and silverbeet. A cage is the way to go
18 Jul 12, Andrew (Australia - temperate climate)
Do u have to cut back chillis plant back in winter?
04 Aug 12, frosty (Australia - temperate climate)
Cant hurt them and I find that it improves growth of plant and bigger harvest.
15 Jul 12, Betty Devonshire (Australia - temperate climate)
I have several chilli bushes and everything was looking good. The chillis developed beautifully and were ready to start picking. The I noticed they chillis started disappearing. I couldn't see any that may have dropped of on the ground !!! The I noticed a bird swooping down and taking off with the chillis. Has any one ever had this problem? I also noticed that the ducks love them too !! Help
25 Jul 12, Westy (Australia - temperate climate)
hey I find with chilli plants they produce hotter chillies when they are not watered too much, receive a lot of sunshine, and are left to fully mature on the plant. also try a hotter chili variety such as the 'diablo' or 'red hot'. these chilies aren't overly hot, and are ideal for asian and mexican cooking, and they produce amazing amounts of chillies per plant
30 Apr 12, Lani (Australia - temperate climate)
Ive transplanted a chilli plant into a new garden bed recently. I cut back a lot of the outer steams off the plant. I've applied dynamic lifter and it's well watered. But it's looking a little worse for ware :( any advice on how I can bring it back to its glory days?
08 Jun 12, Brent (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
Realising the comment was written late April: I also did this myself, and thought I had killed the plant. The thing to keep in mind is they are a fairly hardy, yet slow-growing, plant so those leaves will grow back and you might find it will fruit like crazy. Dynamic lifter is good, but only when fruiting. Not sure what you have done since your post, but try using something high in nitrogen (this encourages leaf growth) like 'blood and bone' and do it sparingly as it is that time of year the plant grows even slower due to the soil temperatures (unless you live in a tropical climate).
Showing 311 - 320 of 432 comments

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