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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01 Aug 13, Jordan (South Africa - Summer rainfall climate)
Hi there. It depends on where you live, if you get frost in your area you will probably have to replant every year, if not then there is a good chance that your plants could keep producing chillies for a few years. You can also keep them in pots and overwinter them indoors, this will keep them alive even if you get frost in your area.
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10 May 13, Hannes Stoltz (South Africa - Summer rainfall climate)
We re looking chillie growers around the Rustenburg area to contact Many questions to ask. Tel No required
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24 Sep 13, Corrie (South Africa - Summer rainfall climate)
I am in Rustenburg area, summer rainfall, good soil, plenty water, want to grow chillies in larger quantities, would like to get in touch with Hannes, tel nr available
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18 Jul 13, Pete van Diepen (South Africa - Summer rainfall climate)
I am a grower in the Delmas area. Call me on 083 4500 618
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30 Mar 13, Rae (Australia - temperate climate)
I live in Perth WA and have a jalepeno chilli plant which has been producing abundantly for the past few months. According to people who like chillis' (not me!) they are 'particularly flavoursome'. Over the past few weeks we have noticed small holes appearing in some of the chillis' and inside the pod there appears to be a fungus. Would you be able to suggest a way of treating this problem, please?
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28 Apr 13, Dawn (Australia - temperate climate)
I have had the same prob (and i love to eat my chillis) i find if i leave them to begin to turn red they get attacked by a mite that bores a hole and it does look like fungus but if u leave long enough small worm like creatures grow .. I believe the " fungus " is actually eggs .... I pick mine while still green and they have been clean inside and fine to eat .. Hope this helps ..dawn. ( perth wa)
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25 Mar 13, Heidi (South Africa - Summer rainfall climate)
What types of chillies are found in South Africa?
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23 Mar 13, Sharonpkr (Australia - temperate climate)
I have been growing chillies each year for over a decade now - I have planted my chillies within 20cm of my brick wall and they have been producing abundantly now for 4 years. Each November I simply cut off any dead wood and cut down to a node and the tree comes back to life and produces chillies much earlier than new chilli plants do. I have jalapeño's, long red and yellow banana. I fertilise with dynamic lifter and blood and bone
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23 Mar 13, dale allan (South Africa - Summer rainfall climate)
where can I buy the seeds for the Trinidad scorpion chill and are these seeds available in south Africa at all. also looking for seeds for the jalokia bhut chili ( ghost pepper)
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11 May 13, Harr de Kock (South Africa - Summer rainfall climate)
Hi Dale Try, www.livingseeds.co.za They have a range of chilli seeds including the Bhut Jolokia.
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Showing 291 - 300 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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