Chillies

A chilli pepper makes an attractive pot plant, for a sunny windowsill or warm spot outdoors. The peppers usually start green, ripening to blazing red or even dark purple. They get hotter as they mature. Your first harvest will be around 20 weeks from sowing. Chillies can be round, pointed or boxy, tiny to quite large. They range from mild to sizzlingly hot. Pick green to encourage more to grow, or leave to colour up. Chillies can also be dried or frozen. A plant or two should be enough for most cooks.
Suggested pot size: 15-20cm wide and deep, depending on variety.

All chilli varieties can be grown in pots.

Some to try: Apache small, pointed red fruits Hungarian Hot Wax starts sweet, gets hotter Habenero one of the hottest. Small wrinkled red/orange fruits Early Jalapeno early maturing, pointed red pods
1.  Fill a small pot with moist compost and firm down gently. 2.  Sow 2 seeds, and cover with a layer of compost, less than 0.5 cm deep. 3. Water well. 4.  Cover with a plastic bag and keep in a warm place until seeds come up. 1.  Remove bag and snip off one seedling, if both came up. 2. Keep in a warm light spot till 3-4cm tall. 3.  Remove plant, and its root ball and soil, from the small pot. 4.  Plant into a medium sized container, at the same level. Cut off chillies as required. They can be used at any size, depending how hot you want them to be.

Chillies
Growing tips
Sow in a warm place. When the seedlings come up, move the pot into a light, warm spot. Once growing well, plant up into the final container. To grow well outdoors, chillies need a very warm, sunny spot. Keep the plants inside until the summer has really arrived. Compost to use: Potting compost, organic and peat-free. Watering tips: Use water at room temperature. Support: Tie taller plants to a short stick if needed. Protection: None. Feeding: Use an organic liquid tomato feed once fruits start to form.

Plant

Grow

Eat

Spring Mar Sow indoors Plant up plants Harvest Protect from cold Apr May Jun

Summer Jul Aug Sep

Autumn Oct Nov

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The One Pot Pledge concept was devised by Food Up Front, the urban food growing network. Trade Mark registered to Food Up Front. Garden Organic is a registered charity no. 298104