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 64°F and 95°F. (Show °C/cm)
  • Space plants: 16 - 20 inches 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

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23 Nov 16, gordon bates (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
how long will fruit begin to grow after flowering
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29 Oct 16, Vanessa (Australia - temperate climate)
Can i plant cayenne pepper seeds direct in the garden bed now that its a bit warmer?
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18 Nov 16, John (Australia - temperate climate)
Yes. That is what would happen naturally. Don't cover the seeds too deeply and mke sure they do not dry out.
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18 Sep 16, jordan (Australia - tropical climate)
My bigger chillies going well but just the small ones 4inch chilli leaves curling upwards especially tips which grow tiny so I pull off and then lower leaves grow regrowth but top repeated itself tops are tiny and curled live in cairns queensland
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24 Sep 16, Bob Dobbs (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Your chillies probably have an attack of 'Broad Mite'. I grow a lot of chillies and frequently have to spray for these mite. The small leaves curl up and stop growing. Ask your local nursery what they recommend as a spray and make sure that you spray the under side of the leaves, as that is where they will be. I do not use organic sprays but prefer not to recommend anything in writing. Bob
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17 Sep 16, Paul (Canada - Zone 4b Temperate Warm Summer climate)
I have many green chili peppers on my plant, and frost is around the corner. If I harvest the green chili peppers, and bring them in the house, will they turn mature into red chili peppers?
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21 Aug 16, Freeman (South Africa - Summer rainfall climate)
Hi plz give me the following information.I can i plant chilie during summer and winter? And chilies are on markets.
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16 Jul 16, Mark Rogers (South Africa - Summer rainfall climate)
What is the preffered time to sow Habenero seeds
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01 Oct 16, May (South Africa - Summer rainfall climate)
Hot chillies need a long growing season, so as early as possible in spring would be good, although soil temperature may be too cool still for them to germinate. So best, I think, is to start them indoors, in seed trays, at the very start of spring, using heating if possible to get them going and then planting outside as soon as they are strong enough and it is warm enough. You can sow seeds later during the growing season also if you have a plan to pull them through winter, because they're perennial and that way you'll have strong plants that can start producing asap when the next growing season starts.
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02 Jul 16, Gordon (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Best time to prune and what type of fertiliser
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Showing 171 - 180 of 434 comments
See comments for all plants

Hi. I have my own chilli breeding program going on, and am planning to use a combination of Thai chilli, birdseye chilli, Chilli Diablo, some stock chilli (generic, little spice, huge fruit, and Habanero. All these plants are growing in a full-sun position in neutral soil with some compost and old manure mixed in, making it slightly more acidic, but they seem to love it. I have noticed growth of up to an inch a week if Worm Castings and seasol are mixed with some water and sprayed onto the leaves of the stock chilli and diablo. As the leaves of these two are very large, foliar feeding goes down a treat. The birdseye and thai chillies have smaller leaves, so I just add it into the irrigation water, with equal results. The habanero I have left alone, as a bit of an experiment to see how maintenance-free this part of the veg garden is. All the plants (apart from the diablo) were started from seed in the middle of winter, indoors, and the Thai chilli and Birdseye chillies have been topped as half the crop from them will go into our special family chilli sauce. All plants have abundant flowers, some of which are ready to open, and average about 60cm tall. I hope this helps and inspires some peopleto get into chillies.

- Mick

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