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)
'Cross breeding' can only affect plants of the next generation ie the offspring of your current jalapeños
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16 Mar 16, Natalie (South Africa - Summer rainfall climate)
I recently bought chilly seeds from seeds from seeds of Africa in Cape Town, i am so impressed, my carolina ghost reaper is finally bearing flowers...cannot wait :)
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15 Mar 16, Hishaam Salie (South Africa - Dry summer sub-tropical climate)
Good day I've recently gotten my green fingers and have created a beautiful garden with my wife ,its smells of herbs in the day and jasmine in the evening with a colorful variety of trees and plants,sadly to say we've been trying for a while now to germinate a chili tree from its pips of the fruit.My question which would be the correct method to follow and how do we maintain its up keep and which method of planting is the correct method in a pot at first or directly into the soil
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17 Mar 16, Bee-Pie (South Africa - Summer rainfall climate)
Growing peppers is easy. I like to sow seed in seed trays, but it really doesn't matter. Just ensure that if you plant them in situ (directly into the ground) that you offer them protection from nocturnal critters as well as birds. Cover seed to a depth of three times their size. Peppers, in particular, do not like to germinate in wet soil. Moist soil only. Peppers take approximately 7-8 days to germinate.
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14 Mar 16, Hantie (South Africa - Summer rainfall climate)
Can I still plant chillies in March?
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29 Mar 16, Sanet (South Africa - Summer rainfall climate)
Hi Hantie, yes, you can if you keep the seedlings inside the house or somewhere warm. Chillies don't like cold weather. And it may take longer for the seeds to germinate during colder seasons - if at all. I've planted chillies right through the year, keeping them in our scullery with layers of newspaper underneath the seedling trays to keep them warm, and they germinated beautifully. Good luck!
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14 Mar 16, Cal (Australia - temperate climate)
Hi, keen to start growing some naga or similar - I'm based in Sydney and am aware that summer is ending as I write this, will this delay the germination/growth/harvest or are they quite resilient to seasons? I intend on using a heat map in my apartment to begin with, before potting and moving outside onto a balcony. Let me know if this sounds like it'll work - all advice appreciated!
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05 Mar 16, yvonne (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
i have planted jalapeno chillies but the fruit has no heat just like a green capsicum! what can iI do to make the fruit hot Or is it best to just start again with new plants?
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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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Showing 191 - 200 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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