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 Feb 14, Emile Marais (South Africa - Dry summer sub-tropical climate)
Hi. I am looking for contact numbers for suppliers or buyers for chillies. I am from Namibia and need prices on wet and dried chillies in order to market my product.
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07 Jan 14, mapula (South Africa - Summer rainfall climate)
I live in limpopo and interested in growing chilli pepper. I would like to know of consultants to help me with the market.
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19 Dec 13, Ayesha (South Africa - Summer rainfall climate)
How do I know which is the hottest chillies that is available ib south Africa because I've grown to my disappointed the wrong chillies thanx
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09 Feb 14, mark (South Africa - Summer rainfall climate)
the 3 hottest chillis in the world are the bhut jolokia or ghost chilli, the trinidad moruga scorpion and the carolina reaper. carolina being the hottest. unfortunately not many of these seeds are available in south africa. but you can order them from overseas and it works out cheaper than if you were to buy from a south african supplier. i grow all three of them and i ordered mine from amazon.com for more information on some of the hottest chillis around feel free to email me. [email protected]
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10 Nov 13, Bill (South Africa - Summer rainfall climate)
I have just started growing Jalapeño chillies for own consumption and notice they start turning black before they are fully grown(fruit). Is this a problem or just the type of chilli.
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31 Oct 13, moussa (Australia - temperate climate)
Can I grow chilli seeds in November and how long does the shoot take to come out cheers
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29 Oct 13, Leti (Australia - temperate climate)
Hi, I've had a beautiful chili plant which has been doing great for the last 5 years at least. This year we harvested lots of chilies but now they leaves are sort of wilting, facing downwards, pale and although we still get lots of chilies they are very small in size. Can you please help? I live in the Hunter Region, NSW. Funny thing I have another chili plant which is only a metre away and it looks fine.
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15 Oct 13, gary (South Africa - Summer rainfall climate)
I'm in Cape Town , and a first time chilli tree grower . The wind howls here in spring and I'm scared my potted chilli plant is going to be ripped by the wind . Should I rather keep it indoors ?
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08 Oct 13, dr andrewartha (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
How would i go about growing peppers inside in the cool mountains range
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03 Nov 13, Matthew (Australia - tropical climate)
I would recommend that you start by planting the chilli seeds in a propagator (costs about 10 dollars at Bunnings), and placing it on top of the fridge with the lid on. This will allow the seeds to germinate. Once the chilli seedlings grow their first "true" leaves, place them (while still in the propagator tray) in a sunny spot for a couple hours per day.
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Showing 271 - 280 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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