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 S S            
        T T T          

(Best months for growing Chilli peppers in Australia - tropical regions)

  • S = Plant undercover in seed trays
  • T = Plant out (transplant) seedlings
  • 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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05 Mar 18, Mike (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Read the notes here. Plant during the summer. Has a long growing season. Take 9-11 weeks to produce fruit. Needs warm and airy space. 1. Flowers will produce chilli I presume. 2. Yes the chilli should come from the flower pod. 3. Look up a spray on the internet for spraying chilli. Or put bird netting over it.
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27 Feb 18, Phil (Australia - temperate climate)
I'm not sure the best section to post regarding bitter melon, so have ended up here. Can someone possibly explain what would cause a bitter melon to get a horseshoe shape, in fact one is almost full circle. Stress?
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01 Mar 18, Mike (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
You may be right - water or nutrient stress. Cucumbers can do this sometimes.
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04 Mar 18, Phil (Australia - temperate climate)
For a while I thought it was poor pollination but I've been noticing the tiny bitter melon behind the opening female flower is already horseshoe shaped on many occasions, and only on plants in one part of the garden near grapevines while further away they are unaffected. They all get the same water and fertiliser treatment. Perhaps the grapes are stealing a lot of the nutrients. I'll take a chance and increase the fertiliser routine for those two closest to the vines and see what results. I have seen some badly shaped cucumbers and that has generally been caused by poor pollination.
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13 Feb 18, Len (Australia - temperate climate)
Hi all...i'd like some advice on chilles..i have two or three plants in that produce pretty well,not sure of the name,there pretty good and hot lol however i seem to be growing the small ones,then i go to the super market and they have quite large ones that look pretty good and juicy so they must have a name as i'd like to grow some of them large ones...i live the other side of Mildura in the North West of Victoria near the N.S.W border. whatcha reckon? cheers Len.
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13 Feb 18, Mike (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Len - I have never grown chilies but here is my two bobs worth. I have read the smaller the chilli the hotter it is. If you want to know what kind of chilies you have or the supermarket have, then go to a few seed selling companies websites and check out the different varieties. Try Seed collection - Boondie Seeds - New Life seeds. Plenty of photos there to check.
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22 Apr 18, Alex (Australia - temperate climate)
The big ones in the supermarket are possibly jalapenos which are relatively mild. We have just grown Anaheim for the first time this year & they are very large & mild. Might be worth giving them a go (our plant was in a mixed pack from United Nurseries).
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30 Nov 17, George Tsui (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Blueberry dying: After growing in pot for nearly a year, my Blueberry starting to die, can some advise me why???
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10 Jan 18, Edward S (Australia - temperate climate)
Check your soil pH. Blueberries require acidic soil. If pH>5.5, add peatmoss to the soil. Also, try not to water with tap water. Tap water is alkaline. Water with rainwater.
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03 Dec 17, Mike (Australia - temperate climate)
Why would you ask about blueberries in the chilli section? I have no idea - water, heat ????. Google how to grow blueberries.
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I don't mean to be rude, but would like to clarify a few things that have been said here, and give a bit of information. The Bhut Jolokia is supposed to be ~1.5 million Scoville units in heat and is realistically about 1 million, compared to a Habanero, which is usually ~300,000 Scoville units. The habanero is too hot for most, and the Bhut Jolokia is only for the diehard Chilliheads. Scotch Bonnets, Habaneros, and Bhut Jolokias are all Capsicum Chinense, whereas the standard chillies (pointy-ended ones) are Capsicum Annuum, and are usually alot more mild. Sweet Bell Peppers (Capsicums) are C. Annuum, and can cross-pollinate with other Chillies. Kate - Chillies are usually fairly slow-growing plants compared to things like Tomatoes etc. Right now, it may be too cold for them to be in full swing. The flowers are self-fertile, so will pollinate themselves, but you need to help them along by sticking pollen to the Pistil using a cotton bud or similar. Swirling your finger around gently inside the flower works too. When the fruit is pollinated, the flower will go brown, and drop off, and the fruit should start growing. Flowers browning and dropping could also be due to a poor feeding regime. On most (all?) fertiliser bottles you will see a NPK number set. N=Nitrogen, P=Potassium, K=Phosphorus. General vegetative growth (leaves/stems) is encouraged by high-N analysis fertilisers, and flowering is encouraged by high P/K analysis fertilisers. At this time of year, I have my chillies inside on shelves in front of a large west-facing window. Usually, I find that if the overnight low temperature drops below about 5 degrees C then they will stop growing/flowering. I would try and be patient with your Capsicums and Chillies. As they are already established, you should get a good head start this season. Good luck!

- Buzz Killington

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