Luckily chilli growing season in full swing, so it’s the perfect time to start sowing these fiery fruits. The earlier you start, the longer and more fruitful a harvest you should enjoy.
There are over 4000 varieties of chillies in the world with a phenomenal range of flavours and heats, from fun and sweet to fierce and fiery. In the UK, they are a popular plant to grow in gardens, greenhouses and window sills because they are a relatively low maintenance crop. Originating in hot climates, chilli plants prefer warm and sunny positions to thrive; making a greenhouse an ideal place for them.
The most popular chilli plants to grow in the UK include the Scotch Bonnet, Jalapeno, Tabasco, Cayenne and Habanero varieties.
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The growing cycle of a chilli plant (in a greenhouse)
January |
February |
March |
April |
May |
June |
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Sow | Sow | Sow | Grow | Grow |
July |
August |
September |
October |
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Grow/Harvest |
Harvest |
Harvest |
Harvest |
NB: Cycles like these are always a best guess, and with a good environment, it is possible to sow in January and harvest even into December!
HOW TO GROW CHILLI PLANTS FROM SEED IN A GREENHOUSE
Most chilli plants should be sown between February and April but some of the hotter varieties could benefit from being sown even earlier to allow extra time to grow and mature. Fill some pots with good quality growing compost (a loose structure is best), flatten it out and place the seeds on top. Cover them with a thin layer of compost or Vermiculite. Give your seeds a little water and remember to label! This step is especially important if you are planting multiple types of chillies with differing levels of spiciness!
Chilli peppers like it hot, so aim for a temperature of around 25-30 degrees Celsius during the day and 15 degrees at night. Check out our range of Greenhouse Heaters here!
HOW TO NURTURE CHILLIES
Once your seedlings have germinated and grown their first true leaves, it's time to transplant them into 20-25cm pots, filled with quality general purpose compost (