From the average supermarket packet to seeds being exchanged between experts by hand, chillies are one of the most favourite plants to grow. I tend to plant them in February as they take very long to grow. For this reason, I tend to plant them in a propagator that is covered from the top to ensure the soil remains moist whilst the flies are keeping out!
Always put two seeds in every slot and pick the weaklings out when grown bigger. This will ensure greater success in planting and cropping.
Once chillies are big enough to be re-planted, move them to their final position which should be a small pot. Once transferred, cover with insect netting, this is to avoid fruit flies finding a new home in the soil.
Fruit flies love soil where chillies are growing. If left uncontrolled they will expand to all available pots around very very quickly. Avoid by covering the plant with insect mesh netting before they appear.
They say it’s impossible to kill a chilli plant, but take it from someone who managed to lose multiple plants for many consecutive years: don’t overwater them! Chillies need very little water, just add a glass whenever they seem weak otherwise their roots rot and they quickly die.
Keep going till the first few flowers appear…at this point, another chilli favourite can make an appearance: Greenfly! This little aphid sticks on to the leaves and places strategically a vast amount of eggs and sticky stuff.
Don’t be tempted to take the insect mesh netting off completely so these funny little aphids don’t get a chance to make a home out of your plant. Open the netting for long enough to pollinate the flowers, then cover again.
How to pollinate chilli plants
Leave your plants to self-pollinate and all you’ll find is dying stems…a cotton bud and a bit of feeling the plant is the solution to your problem! This is a simple but time-consuming exercise that will guarantee a decent crop. All that needs to be done is to visit all the flowers one after the other once or twice per day and just shake them with the cotton bud to mix the pollen. A few days later you’ll start seeing some chillies growing – keep going for as long as there’s flowers!
At this point just keep watering when required and keep picking as they come to enjoy with your salads, pizza or sauces!
Storing chillies
There are many ways to store them. My preferred method is to leave them on the plants for as long as possible. Then around mid-September cut them all off and put them in a fruit/vegetable bag/mesh that is breathable and leave them hanging in the kitchen.
Use them fresh for as long as possible, then keep using them as they dry up in the warm kitchen throughout the winter. Ensure you save some seeds in a piece of kitchen paper towel and store in a dry place for next year!