Chilli

Plant of The Month

Chillies (Capsicum annuum or variations of species) are a popular staple for a kitchen garden because they produce an abundance of fruit on a single plant.

There are over 400 different species of chilli that vary in heat/spice 🌶 Chillies are part of the Solanaceae family along with Tomatoes, Capsicum, Eggplant and Potato.

Chillies thrive in warm weather and are mainly grown over summer. The great thing about Chillies is that you can grow more than enough in a pot or container. Great for renters or those with limited space.

Chillies are measured in heat using the chilli Scoville rating. The hottest part of the Chilli is often in the seeds. Removing the seeds can reduce some of the heat. Chilli also often get hotter and sweeter as they mature and ripen.

What parts of Chilli are edible?

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PLANT

Sow seeds indoors at the end of winter or early spring. Or plant seedlings after last frost.

SOIL

Will grow in most soil types but benefits from added compost.

LOCATION

Full-part sun. Protect from harsh midday sun in summer.

CARE

Regular water.

FERTILISE

Easy to grow and doesn’t need much help. Compost teas or added compost.

PESTS

Snails, slaters, spider mites and aphids.

HARVEST

Harvest regularly to encourage more production.

REPRODUCE

Allow to go over-ripe and save seeds.

Why Grow Chilli?

There are many reasons to grow Chillies and they are so easy to preserve!

Here are some of the many reasons to grow Chillies

Easy to grow
One plant provides an abundance
Grows well in containers
Low maintenance
Flavour enhancing
Easy to preserve
Immune booster
High Vitamin A and C

Popular Chilli Varieties

Long Cayenne – Capsicum annuum – Long chilli that turns from green to vibrant red. Mild heat and seeds can be removed to be even milder. Popular all round Chilli. Produces around 1kg per plant.

Jalapeno – Capsicum annuum – Popular Mexican chilli that is best suited to pickling and cooking (stuffed jalapenos!). Prolific producer. Pick green or red.

Padron – Capsicum annuum ‘Pimientos de Padron’ – Popular Spanish chilli. Great for stir-fries. Mostly mild but some will randomly be HOT! Heat increases as they get Redder.

Hungarian Hot Wax – Capsicum annuum – Yellow – orange colour and a popular mild chilli. Can get hot the more mature they get. Great fresh, as garnishes, pickled or stir-fried.

Birds Eye Thai – Capsicum annuum – Small hot chilli popular in Thailand. Prolific producing and although small you don’t need much! Upright standing chilli. Colder tolerant than other varieties.

Carolina Reaper – Capsicum chinense – Named the hottest chilli in the world 😳 Be very careful handling these (gloves and eyewear). Needs a heat mat to promote seeds to germinate.

When to Plant

Chillies thrive in warm temperatures and don’t like the cold. Plant your Chillies from seed in late winter – early spring inside or in a greenhouse. Plant seedlings out in Spring after your last frost. In tropical Australian locations plant in Autumn.

How to Grow

Choose a sunny spot with dappled or part shade in the heat of summer.
Prepare the soil with free-draining compost
Plant one seedling per pot or in the garden bed at least 50cm apart
1 plant is plenty or try different varieties
Can benefit from protection during the heat of summer.
Plants will tend to die off in winter and are often grown as an annual. You can overwinter your plants to get a few extra years out of them – Click here

Care/ Maintenance

Chilli plants are pretty low maintenance. Ensure they don’t dry out during hot weather. Plants can be pruned and “over-wintered” to get a second season out of them.

Pests / Disease

Chilli are pretty hardy and will thrive with minimal effort. Birds and rats will still eat your bright colourful chillies and are not put off by their heat! If this happens you might need to construct a cage or net around them. Care for young seedlings using natural pest management.

How/ When to Harvest

Once the plant is well-established it will start producing flowers and that turn to chilli. Some plants produce upright chillies and others hang down.
Most chilli will start off green and ripen to other colours. You can harvest chilli in all colours. The more mature reds and purples will be sweeter and have different flavour profiles.
Harvest the chilli often to promote new fruit.
Harvest in the morning or evening when the plants are hydrated and fresh.
Harvest before heavy rains. Chillies can split open with excess water and spoil.

Reproducing

Chillies can be grown from cuttings but it is easiest to save seeds and re-grow each year. Allow a few chillies to go over-ripe and start to shrivel on the plant before harvesting. Be careful handling chillies and wash hands thoroughly after or use gloves. Scrape out the seeds and allow them to fully dry on a plate for a week before storing them.

Cooking and Using

Chillies can be used fresh, dried or frozen. They defrost quickly and can be used just as you would fresh ones.

Chilli pairs well with: Garlic, Citrus, Chocolate, Avocado, Spinach, Ginger, Tumeric, Cucumber, Eggplant, Mint, Basil, Parsley, Loquat, Pumpkin, Radish, Zucchini, Broccoli, Mango, Papaya, Pineapple, Guava

Chilli ideas: