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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10 Aug 18, Darren (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Can they grow in a green house
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12 Aug 18, (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Probably depends what you line it with. Plastic might make it too hot, shade cloth might cut out too much sunlight, maybe insect netting is the go. They grow chili in Bundaberg (sub tropical) out doors.
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28 Jul 18, Prakash (New Zealand - sub-tropical climate)
About chilli peppers If you see the leaves have got burnt with frost better to harvest all chilli and grind in food processor or leave it whole and store in the freezer and use it when needed. Trim the trees heavily ie only leaving about 30 centimeters above ground. It will or may grow back in summer. You can add some mulch around the plants too. Seeds can only be obtained from ripe chilli. It’s much better to buy plants and grow them then trying to plant from seeds. Plant after Labour weekend only if the soil is not too cold.
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03 Jun 18, jack mac (New Zealand - temperate climate)
will my chilli plants survive in a hot house all year on the hauraki plains
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19 Apr 18, Adrian (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
My question is I'm in Queensland Brisbane wanting to grow chilli seeds over the winter ready for summer if I use a heat mat will that be sufficient enough to get them ready for summer
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22 Apr 18, (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Think about whether you live in a frost free, then read the above again. Time to plant what temperature you need, time it takes to grow. It is all there.
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22 Apr 18, Lina (Australia - temperate climate)
I'm in Melbourne and grew chili seeds over winter successfully just by putting the pot in a sunny window over winter, then planted them outside in late spring. If that works down here it should work up there without a heat mat too... :)
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20 Apr 18, John Macmahon (Australia - temperate climate)
G'day Adrian. I tried with the heat mat last year and did not get a very good result and a late crop. Having said that I now have 1.2m tall Carolina Reaper, Moruga Scorpian and Bhut Jolokia from which I will be striking cuttings for next season to increase production. I have previously got from three to five years cropping from well cared for and fed plants.
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06 Oct 18, Susan (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
John, my son has had trouble getting his hot hot chilli seeds to germinate also, and he too used a heat mat. Not being accustomed to subtropical growing of anything, can you make a suggestion as to why this seems to be a feature of the hot varieties of chilli?
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18 Apr 18, school student (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
thanks, very helpful.
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Showing 111 - 120 of 432 comments
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Tammi - could be mice or rats, they can do this also. Its happened to me in Perth. Megan - Chillies will only grow vigourously during the warmer months, depending on where you are, they will either slow down, go dormant, or die altogether, depening on how cold it gets, a severe frowst will kill them. Wait until summer, they will flower all over, and give you lots of fruit. If you want a hotter chilli, water them less, let them dry out a little (but not all the way). A stressed plant will give hotter fruit. If you want hotter fruit still, get a different variety. Look for a chinense variety. Gareth - Most people raise chillies in punnets/starter pots, then into medium pots (10-15 cm across at the top), then onto final larger pots or garden beds when they have outgrown the medium one. You can tell when they are ready to be moved as they will have roots coming out the bottom. Julie - feed them with tomato food, probably in liquid form, is pretty good for flowering chillies, also, mulch and compost the soil if you can. Murray - depending on the variety, chillies can take up to 6 weeks to germinate, and they also need warm humid conditions to do so. Chillies are originally grown in warmer humid places, so they better you can recreate this, the happier they are. Keep them moist, (but not wet or soggy), perhaps put half a coke bottle over them to keep the humidity up, put them somewhere warm, they dont need sunlight to germinate, so the top of the fridge will do. When they do germinate, move them to a sunny windowsill or similar until they are ready to be hardened off to go outside. Michael - an NPK ratio of 10-5-10 for when they are growing works well, then 5-10-10 for flowering, if using bought fertilizers. Otherwise, a well composted mix of garden waste should work well, with some animal manure thrown in. Dont forget to mulch the soil to stop evaporation.

- Simon

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