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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12 Apr 16, Cassie (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
Mine too. It's usually because of too much water as chillies dont like to be coddled. Nothing you can do for the ones already on the plant.
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21 Feb 16, Cheryl (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
My chillies are rotting on the bush before they ripen. Looks like something is stinging them and then there is small grubs inside. I am not going to have a crop at all! Is there something I canspray with?
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14 Jun 16, Jason (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Might be fruit fly, a friend mentioned he had fruit fly in his chillies, perhaps it happens if the chillies are not very hot. I have fruit fly in my grapefruit every year, but so far they haven't affected the cayenne chillies which are only 5 or 6 metres away.
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06 Mar 16, Lyndy (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
I haven't a glue what grub you got but you could try spraying the bush with a garlic spray seems to keep most insects,and bugs away. ibuy the powdered garlic for supermarket mix a tsp in a spare bottle and go for it. Good luck.
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08 Jan 17, Ahane (Australia - tropical climate)
It's fruit fly. Had the same problem. Pruned bushes lower, removed all affected fruit and covered plants with insect mesh from the nursery. Cheap as and all new fruit is awesome without pesticides. Just remove netting while they're not flowering.
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20 Feb 16, Dan (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
The flowers generally mean chillies come out of them.
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17 Feb 16, Rocki (Australia - temperate climate)
I am growing a Carolina Reaper that is approx one meter high. It is in a 30 litre pot in full sun. There are lots of flowers but no fruit. Is it a case of waiting, or am I doing something wrong. The Cayenne that is growing next to it is going nuts with heaps of chillies.
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05 Nov 17, Tanya (Australia - temperate climate)
We have a chocolate habanero, jellybean habanero and Devils Brew. We did have a Madame Jeanette but lost that during the first hot winds here. They each get fruit at different times. Be patient, you should get chillies soon.
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16 Feb 16, Mira (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Thanku all-very helpful comments. It looks like the diagram: tiny chillies. What if I plant it into the ground with a shade-cloth roof to protect from frost?
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15 Feb 16, Sandra Roberts (Australia - temperate climate)
I live in Parramatta area and wonder what zone I'm in !! Just seen comment from someone who has Gippsland as temperate ?? Love this site.
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Showing 81 - 90 of 272 comments
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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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