Growing Chilli peppers, also Hot peppers

Capsicum sp. : Solanaceae / the nightshade family

Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
S	S						S	S	S	S	S
T	T	T							T	T	T

(Best months for growing Chilli peppers in Australia - sub-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.

Small bushy plants. Dark green ovate leaves.

Chilli need warm frost free weather, so protect with glass or plastic covers if planting outside in cooler areas.

Most varieties need a long growing period to produce many fruit.

There are many types of chilli. Some are more fiery than others. As a general rule, the smaller the pod the hotter the taste.

Culinary hints - cooking and eating Chilli peppers

Chillies freeze very well. Wash, dry, and free whole. Use them direct from the freezer (no need to defrost).
Wear plastic gloves or wash your hands thoroughly after handling and cutting to avoid accidentally rubbing chilli juice onto your mouth or eyes!

Your comments and tips

12 Jan 25, Sharon (USA - Zone 8b climate): New beginner. I need you to break down t,p,s for me.i want to plant tomatoes, cucumbers, cabbage,lettuce, onions,hot peppers, white potatoes .any advice
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29 Feb 24, Mike (USA - Zone 5b climate): What does T and S mean is that when I would want to move the indoor seedlings outdoors?
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12 Mar 24, Liz (Gardenate) (New Zealand - sub-tropical climate): S means sow (suitable time) and T means transfer seedlings to growing bed. You could harden them off a bit by putting them outside (in their little pots or trays) during the daytime and then moving them under cover at night. Do that for about a week, then going out into a garden bed will not be such a temperature shock for them.
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11 Mar 23, Luis O. (USA - Zone 9a climate): Will Habaneros or Ghost Peppers grow in Zone 9a?
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21 Mar 23, Anonymous (USA - Zone 9a climate): Check the planting guide.
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10 Feb 22, Thomas Perry (USA - Zone 8b climate): Can I bottom water superhot peppers, (reapers, ghosts, scorpions) through grow bags? Will doing this cause my 7 gallon grow bags to rot out? Will the water even reach my plants in a container this size? Thank you for your help!
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19 Mar 22, Elder (USA - Zone 7b climate): Absolutely, the purpose of the grow bag is to weep the moisture from the ground. If you have the bags on a different surface than bare soil/(non-permeable) you're not using them the way they were intended to be used. You could actually use a bathroom scale and weigh the bag filled with soil/ and planting before watering. Get them all around the same weight, remember or record. Totally saturate the bags, wait until all water dissipates from around them/ excess water drains out and weigh them again, record. You will know exactly how much moisture/medium they hold (8lb/1gal). Over the course of the next days/weeks depending on your conditions, if you go so far as to monitor the weight via the scale or just pick them up to see how heavy they feel you will learn when they (??)
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27 Aug 21, Marie Blonde Jennings Paul (USA - Zone 13b climate): Last year I had a great crop of Scotch bonnet peppers from a plant that was given to me and I saved some of the seeds. How do I start making seedlings and when do I start planting them for this year?
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01 Sep 21, (USA - Zone 13b climate): Go by the planting guide here when to plant and read the planting instructions.
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29 May 21, Tammy (USA - Zone 7b climate): Have you considered the Carolina reaper? You may have to order plants but it is a very hot pepper..supposedly hotter than ghost
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Snails love small chilli plants so when you plant put some snail pallets around. Chilli doesn't grow well in small cup size plastic pots so don't use them or if you buy a chilli plant in one transplant to a large ceramic pot immediately. Grow from seed in a sandy garden bed seems to work very well to germinate, when the plants are as tall as your finger transplant them into a largish ceramic pot 2 litre minimum and don't be scared of leaving them in a large pot as they grow well in pots. Use a reasonable quality potting mix and water every day, mornings best, Full sun is best so find a spot where the chilli gets the maximum sun possible. The potting mix will have enough fertiliser for the next growth stage so don't add any fertiliser for the next month. Then add blood and bone and watch them grow quickly and start to flower. I've had really good results with blood and bone so have not needed to try alternative fertilisers like manure. The beauty of blood and bone is it is almost impossible to burn or kill your plants. Finally add potash fertiliser a month after the blood and bone to ensure the chilli bush has plenty of fruit. The chilli's ive grown in big pots grow jjust as good as the ones in the garden beds if not better. L put that down to the warm soil and potting mix. I live in Perth too so I hope you have luck with your chilli's

- Peter

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Growing Chilli peppers, also Hot peppers

Capsicum sp. : Solanaceae / the nightshade family

Culinary hints - cooking and eating Chilli peppers

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