Growing Chillies

Growing Chillies

Scorching Hot: Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About The Worlds Hottest Pepper

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Worlds Hottest Pepper

Have you ever wondered about the worlds hottest pepper?Worlds Hottest Pepper

Which pepper is it?

How do they measure its heat?

Is it safe to eat?

In this article we have answered all your questions about the world’s hottest pepper.

We’ve also squeezed in tonnes more interesting and useful information on the topic, so you feel totally clued up on this spicy fruit by the end.

Let’s take a closer look at the world’s hottest pepper:

 

How Is The Worlds Hottest Pepper Measured?

The world’s hottest pepper is measured in the same way as other peppers, which is with the Scoville Scale, which is often written as SHU which stands for Scoville Heat Units.

The higher the number, the hotter the pepper.

This scale was created by a person called Wilbur L Scoville who created something called a Scoville Organoleptic Test in 1912 whilst working for pharmaceutical company Parke-Davis.

This test was used to measure the amount of capsaicin in any peppers that were tested. Capsaicin is a chemical naturally present in peppers with the highest amounts usually found in the seeds and capsaicin glands (pepper innards).

It is capsaicin that gives you the spicy heat on your tongue when you eat a pepper, and that same heat can also be felt on your skin and other parts of your body.

You might already know this if you have ever accidentally touched your eye after touching a hot pepper!

In this instance Mr Scoville was not testing the heat in peppers for the reasons of cooking, but rather for the use of the peppers in a topical ointment that naturally produces heat when applied.

To find out the amount of capsaicin in any pepper he would dilute an alcohol based liquid mixed with the pepper and sugar until the heat was negligible to those testing the mixture.

This method was then equated to Scoville Heat Units EG: a 1500 SHU pepper would mean a person would need to be diluted with 1500 cups of water to not detect any heat in that water any more.

These days, humans don’t need to go through the same tasting method used by Wilbur in order for a chili to have its heat deciphered.

Instead, something called high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) is used, which measures the capsaicin levels inside a pepper, but the numbers created are then converted back into Scoville units.

Interestingly, whilst you might expect that the original Scoville test was widely subjective (depending on a person’s tastebuds) but not the HPLC because it is the most up to date measuring tool.

In fact, the HPLC has been questioned in regards to its ability to accurately measure pepper heat.

Some people feel that the way the test is done, and then converted to Scoville units places the heat of the pepper lower than it would be if it was put through the original Scoville testing method.

 

What Is The Worlds Hottest Pepper?

At the moment the Carolina Reaper, a cross between a bhut jolokia pepper and a red habanero, is the world’s hottest pepper, officially.

It is tested to have 2,200,000 SHU at its maximum – 200 times hotter than a jalapeño pepper. It was officially the hottest in 2013, but lost its crown until being tested in 2018 where it was found to be even hotter.

Originally named HP22B (Higher Power, Pot 22, Plant B), the Carolina Reaper is bred for its heat and was originally made by Ed Currie.

The fruit must be handled with gloves and although the main source of heat is the capsaicin glands in this pepper, you should use gloves when handling any part of the fruit.

The same can be said for any products with Carolina Reaper powder on, like the Paqui Chips original One Chip Challenge chip that featured all over Youtube a few years ago.

Trust me, this is not the kind of chili pepper you ever want to get into your eye.

 

Are There Hotter Peppers Than The Official Hottest Pepper?

There is a rumour that something called Pepper X, also created by Ed Currie (Carolina Reaper breeder) could be hotter than the Carolina Reaper and therefore could be the world’s hottest pepper.

Currie has suggested that the pepper could be double the heat of a Carolina Reaper, but it has not yet been tested and confirmed by the Guinness World Records team as of 2021.

You can read more about Pepper X here.

Another chili rumoured to be hotter than the Carolina Reaper (but not as hot as Pepper X which is 3.18 million SHU) is Dragons Breath.

Dragon’s Breath chili pepper was tested to be 2.48 million Scoville Units but like Pepper X, remains unconfirmed by the Guinness World Records team.

 

Is It Safe To Eat The Worlds Hottest Pepper?

There are all kinds of unconfirmed rumours about people eating the world’s hottest pepper – the Carolina Reaper – and getting severe, permanent physical damage from their experience.

Some rumours even suggest that people have passed away after eating it.

None of those rumours have been confirmed, but all add to the hype of the world’s hottest pepper.

If you’re thinking of trying it yourself it is important to be aware of the risks. There has been a confirmed case of a person getting severe headaches for a short time after eating a Carolina Reaper.

At the very least you should be aware that eating this pepper is guaranteed to put your body through stress.

At the very least this means stomach pain, pain in your mouth and throat, sweating and watering eyes (plus a very difficult toilet time the next day).

At the most, it isn’t out of the question for you to suffer heart issues because of the capsaicin content, as detailed by this scientific paper.

Growers have suggested that the pepper is safe to eat (in a limited quantity) but realistically, even if you are in fantastic health you should be aware of the risks of eating the worlds hottest pepper.

 

The Paqui One Chip Challenge 2021

The original Paqui One Chip challenge featured Carolina Reaper pepper powder on one chip which you eat as a challenge.

It was featured on British TV and on pretty much every influencers channel. It was so popular, in fact, you couldn’t buy one of the chips for a long time because they were sold out and everybody wanted to try it.

The 2021 Paqui One Chip Challenge is even more extreme because it features a chip with the Carolina Reaper powder AND Scorpion pepper powder, the world’s second hottest chili at 1.2 million SHU’s.

It’s even more dangerous than eating the Carolina Reaper alone so proceed with caution.

 

Will You Try The Carolina Reaper?

Whether you try the Carolina Reaper or not, the fact is that the world’s hottest pepper has made a real impact on popular culture.

If you try it yourself, the chances are it will make a real impact on your tastebuds too!

If you do choose to give the hottest pepper in the world a try, please do consider the risks – this little fruit is not something to be messed with!

 

 

Growing Chillies In Pots: Everything You Need To Know When You’re Starting Out

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Growing Chillies In Pots

Are you thinking about growing chillies in pots? Yay!
Growing Chillies In Pots

This is an exciting time. What’s not to love about the humble chilli?

Even better, you’re going to get all the satisfaction, mindfulness and self-sufficient gains of growing your own produce.

The only catch is the growing part, but don’t worry, we’ve totally got you covered with these best beginner tips for growing chillies in pots:

 

First Things First…Why Grow Your Own Chillies In Pots?

Growing any produce takes a little bit of work, so before we give you some great beginner tips for growing chillies, checkout some of the benefits of growing your own little chilli cuties yourself:

Chillies Pack A Healthy Punch

Studies show that chillis contain something called capsaicin, which is thought to decrease inflammation levels and reduce your risk of heart disease. It could even boost your chances of losing weight.

Chillies Work With All Kinds Of Food & Drink

As well as the health benefits of chillies, they also taste delicious, adding a spicy, warming flavour profile to chilli’s, stews, pasta dishes, soups and more.

We particularly love adding warming chilli to a creamy dark hot chocolate when it’s particularly cold. Once you have grown and dried some of your chillies, this spiced hot chocolate recipe is sure to put your tasty produce to good use come winter.

The Environment Benefits From Your Chilli Growing

When you grow your own chillies you actually help the planet. You skip pesticides, shipping and plastic use involved in getting store-bought produce consumer-ready.

Pot Grown Chillies Take Up No Space At All

When you grow chillies in pots and chilli soil you only use up a small amount of space, and can even grow them in your kitchen! So whether you live in a flat, a cottage, cabin or just a dorm room, you can grow your own spicy chilli produce with the space you have.

Gardening Is Great For You

Gardening is proven to be great for your physical and mental health in many different ways, which you can read about in this scientific paper. You don’t have to grow a full veggie garden to get these benefits either. By growing just one chilli plant in a pot you are nurturing both the plant, and your own health.


Beginner Tips For Growing Chillies In Pots

Now you’re super excited for growing chillies in pots, the below tips will help you get the best possible chance of growing healthy, bushy plants that make you plenty of delicious, spicy produce:

Start Early

By sowing your seeds nice and early from the end of winter and as late as the middle of spring, you can enjoy getting chillies sooner, and for longer.

Don’t Grow From Seed If You Lack Time & A Hot Spot

When you start growing chillies in pots, growing chilli from seed is a great idea if you have a nice, sunny, hot growing space that gets maximum sunlight in your home/ greenhouse or polytunnel. If you live in a very hot climate, you can also grow chillies outside.

If you do not have a bright, hot space for growing your chillies from seed, they could end up stunted or weak as seedlings. Rather than struggle with weak chilli plants, skip this part of the growing process and purchase some young, strong chilli plants from a local grower or garden centre in spring.

Give Your Plants All Of The Nutrition

One of the best ways to create strong, fantastic chilli plants when growing chillies in pots is to use the right chilli soil for growing. You’re looking for nice loose soil that supports the plant without compacting or clumping, especially after watering.

At the beginning of the growing process you actually want to use nutrient-poor soil because those nutrients can hinder the growing process. Once you have an active plant, you can then use a more nutrient-rich soil with the following components to support your plants:

  • 75% tomato soil
  • 10% vermiculite
  • 10% perlite
  • 5% sand or fine gravel

You can also purchase chilli soil yourself ready made if that is easier for you when you prepare for growing chillies in pots.

You can then fertilise your plants with a chilli plant fertiliser or diluted fish, seaweed or diluted Epsom salts (once they are established) throughout the growing process.

Always follow the instructions of the fertiliser manufacturer for the best results.

Top & FIM (Fudge I Missed) Your Chilli Plants

When your plants get to around 8 to 10  leaves in size it is time to get your pinch on. By pinching the tips of any new shoot tips that come through you encourage extra branches, which makes a bushy plant that produces lots of yummy chillies.

Experts recommend cutting across (the FIM method) and also cutting the top off the plants. You can checkout how to do both of these methods to your plants in this handy video.

Work With Your Local Climate

Some people grow chillies indoors, some people grow them indoors then move them outdoors, some people have polytunnels and some people can grow chillies outdoors from scratch.

The best way for you to start growing chillies in pots depends on your local climate, and perhaps the outdoor space you have.

Where your chillies will do best in their pots depends on your local climate and by speaking to local growers and gardening clubs, you can best tailor a growing plan for your chillies that works best.

Don’t Be Put Off By Pests & Disease

As a beginner grower it is so easy to feel defeated by all the diseases and pests that seem so desperate to destroy your plans for growing chillies in pots.

Although it can be really difficult to continually find a new pest or problem with your plants, the great news is that there are all kinds of methods, products and practices to combat the attacks.

As a general rule, checking your plants daily (ideally with a loupe or a magnifying glass) will help you catch any problems nice and early, before they overwhelm the plant.

“To nurture a garden is to feed not just the body, but the soul.” – Alfred Austin

Growing your own chilli plants has so many benefits, it has to be worth a try!

Using our tips above, you can get the very best out of your chilli plant growing endeavours, growing chillies in pots that are strong, healthy and delicious this year, and hopefully for many more growing seasons to come.


Growing Peppers – Tabasco Pepper

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Tabasco Chillies

One of the world’s most recognised chillies is the Tabasco. It’s no doubt that Tabasco is most famous for the sauces that these chillies are made into. This is possible because Tabasco peppers are not dry, the inside of the fruit is wet. Tabasco chilis rate between 30,000 and 50,000 on the scoville scale.

The Tabasco plant is quite distinctive as its very bushy and unlike most chilis the Tabasco fruits grow up rather then hanging down from the stems.

The Tabasco peppers grow to about 4cm and change colour from light yellow and green to orange then eventually ripen at a bright red colour.

Characteristics of the Tabasco bush
Plant height – 4-5 feet
Stem color – Green
Leaf color – Green
Leaf size – medium
Fruit color – light yellow and green to orange and bright red at maturity
Fruit shape – long and conical
Fruit length – 4cm
Fruit width at shoulder .5 cm
Fruit surface smooth

Tabasco Planting tips

Tabasco chillis like most other chillies grow best in warmer weather. People in colder climates should plant the seeds indoors in a warm spot during the winter month. The seeds will germinate and start to grow. When the winter is over the plants can be moved outside ready for the spring and summer months.

When potting Tabasco plants make sure that there is good water drainage. They also like sandy soil conditions so don’t be afraid to add in some sand.

Regular watering is required and if ensure the Tabasco plant has good sunlight and daily watering you should see fruits appear in about 120 days.

Once you have some Tabasco chillies try to make some Tabasco sauce. A simple recipe is provided.

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Homemade Tabasco Sauce

Ingredients:
1 pound fresh red Tabasco peppers, chopped
2 cups distilled white vinegar
2 teaspoons salt
1 clove garlic (optional)
Directions:
Combine the chiles, garlic and the vinegar in a saucepan and heat. Stir in the salt and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, cool, and place in a blender. Puree until smooth and place in a glass jar. Allow to steep for 2 weeks in the refrigerator. Remove, strain the sauce, and adjust the consistency by adding more vinegar if necessary.

Check out our great range of chili seeds!!

How to Grow Chillies from Seeds

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Grow Chillies from Seeds

One of the best ways to Grow Chilli is by starting from seeds. Seeds can be obtained from the chillies that you used in your kitchen (this is how our Bird’s eye chili plant got started) or you can buy seeds from local store, plant specialist, department store or right here on the internet. It is recommended you purchase chili seeds from a store as you can then select the type that suits you best.

Grow Chillies from Seeds

Each packet might suggest different things for how to germinate the seeds but here is a method we have been using to grow chillies from seeds ourselves with great success.

Prepare a container that will be the seeds home for the next few weeks. Germination times vary between each chili from 2 weeks onwards. The container can be something like a ice cream container or Chinese container.

Something 2-3cm deep and big enough to hold one to two dozen seeds. The container should have light well mulched soil so that the young plants can grow easily in. Soil should be able to drain water well.

Preparing the chili seeds is a vital part. For best results we have been soaking our chili seeds in some water for a few hours before planting them. This helps to soften the seeds and lets the small plant break out of the seed quicker.

After the seeds are soaked the next step to growing chillies is to place the seeds in some paper toweling and sit them on a shallow plate. Water well and sit in a warm place. After a few days the seeds will have small shoots coming out of them. This is the beginning of the plants life.

Carefully remove all seeds from the paper toweling and place them into the soil filled container. We like to place them about 1cm into the soil. Make the hole with your finger and lightly cover the hole back up with soil.

Ensure that the small plants are put into sunlight as they will need it to grow. Watering daily is essential to keep the soil moist. After a week or so you should notice the chillies emerging from the soil and sprouting. Continue watering daily until chillies are 4-5cm tall.

The next step is to re-pot the young plants. Come back and visit the Growing Chillies website for more tips, tricks and information about how to grow chilli.

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Growing Pepper – Habanero Chili

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Habanero Chilis

The Habanero chili is one of the worlds hottest peppers!!! The chili’s name  derived from the name of the Cuban city of La Habana, which is known as Havana in English. Although it is not the place of origin, it was frequently traded there. Mexico is the largest consumer of this spicy ingredient but its flavor and aroma have become increasingly popular all over the world.

The Habanero chili most likely originated in the Yucatán Peninsula of Mexico and even to this day the crop is most widely cultivated there. In fact about 1,500 tons of Habaneros are harvested each year in Mexico. Panama, Costa Rice and several states in the USA also grow and produce the chilly. It is often mistakenly referred to as the hottest pepper in the world and once upon a time it was until the mighty Bhut Jolokia came along! Habanero chili peppers are rated 200,000–350,000 on the Scoville scale.

 

A ripe habanero is 2–6 centimetres (0.8–2.4 in) long, 3-5cm (1 to 2 inches) in diameter and they are lantern-shaped, round or oblong. Habanero’s are green until maturity when they then turn to colours such as orange, red, white, brown, and pink.

Habaneros are similar to most other chilies and thrive in hot weather. Morning sun is ideal with slightly moist soil. In tropical regions the Habanero is one growing chilli that can produce all year round. Colder climates the plant will die off in the winter.

The Habanero’s heat, its fruity citrus-like flavor, and its floral aroma have made it a popular ingredient in hot sauces and spicy foods. In some cases, particularly in Mexico, Habaneros are placed in tequila bottles for a period ranging from several days, to several weeks, to make a spiced version of the drink.

Check out our great range of chili seeds!!

Growing Chili – Bugs and Pests

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chili pest control

So, you’ve bought (or saved) your Chili seeds, carefully planted them and provided the optimum growing chili conditions. However danger lurks in every corner of the garden with a whole host of beastly pests and diseases ready to indiscriminately strike down your plants at a moment’s notice. These pests include insects, bacteria, fungi and viruses.

chili pest control

Slugs or Snails

Slugs and snails love to dine on a chili bush. They will nibble away the leaves and minimise the health of your plant. Fortunately slugs and snails are not too hard to prevent or remove.

Hunting down snails and slugs and disposing of them can be a highly satisfying exercise particularly if the little blighters have already struck your prized plants. There is also some chemical solutions for treating your chilli plant from pests. They are listed below.

Aphids

Aphids are the little green creatures you see on your plants. They are very sneaky and camouflage themselves to the stem or leaves and suck the sap from the trees veins. They too are easy to control.

Spraying them with a very diluted soap solution, about one teaspoon of liquid pure soap (as near to 100% fatty acids as you can get – avoid antibacterial, perfumed, & detergent based soaps) to a couple of liters of water.

Chili Plant Pest Control Products

There are various products available for pest control.

Copper is known to repel slugs and snails because it produces a very slight electric charge that they hate. You can purchase copper rings to place around the base of plant pots or can place copper tubing or piping round you raised beds. The slugs and snails can’t stand it so much they avoid crawling over to get to your chilies and will head off elsewhere in search of food. The downside to this is that copper piping or rings can be expensive, however once purchased it should last you for years.

Home Remedies to use are egg shells sprinkled around the base of your plants. Slugs hate crawling over the shells. Another method is to sprinkle used coffee grounds around the base of the plants. This is not only a snail deterrent but it helps add much needed nitrogen to the soil, aiding your pepper plants growth.

Homemade Spray A tried and tested spray made from 100g of fresh garlic, crushed and fermented for 2 days in 2 tablespoons vegetable oil and 2 tablespoons of liquid soap or soap powder. Strain into a garden sprayer and dilute 1 part to 50 parts water. Garlic acts as a repellent to further Aphid attack.

Chemical Control There is a range of chemical treatments that you can get from your local garden center or hardware store. Below is the top control product we have found.

 

Check out our great range of growing chili products!!

Worlds Hottest Pepper – Naga Jolokia or Bhut Jolokia

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Worlds Hottest Pepper

The worlds hottest pepper is officially the Naga Jolokia also known as Bhut Jolokia. When translated in Hindi this means Ghost Chili which is also another common name.

Worlds Hottest Pepper

The chili hails from Bangladesh but is also found in Sri Lanka and India. The Guinness Book of Records officially named it the worlds hottest Pepper (or chili) in 2007.

To give you a idea on how hot it is, Jalapenos are about 6000 Scoville Scale units, while Tabasco measures in at about 195000 scoville scale units. The Naga Jolokia is a burning 1 million scoville scale units.

This is about 400 times stronger then Tabasco. When eating this chili it BURNS!! then it gets worse. Effects can last up to 30min. Milk can help sooth the burning but will not eliminate it.

Characteristics of the Naga Jolokia or Bhut Jolokia Chili plant

Plant height 45–120 cm
Stem color Green
Leaf color Green
Leaf size 10-14.5cm by 5.5-7.5cm
Leaf width 5.4–7.5 cm
Fruit color at maturity Red
Fruit shape Sub-conical to conical
Fruit length 5–9 cm
Fruit width at shoulder 2.5–3 cm
Fruit weight 6–9 grams
Fruit surface Rough, uneven
Seed color Light tan
Seeds per chili 19–35

This chili is so hot, that in 2009, scientists at India’s Defense Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) announced plans to use the chillies in hand grenades, as a non lethal way to flush out terrorists from their hideouts and to control rioters. It will also be developed into pepper spray as a self defense product.

We would love to hear from you if you have tried this chili or grown it. We hope to obtain some Naga Jolokia/Bhut Jolokia Seeds shortly.

Check out our great range of chili seeds!!

Grow Chilli – Peter Peppers

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growing-chillies-peter-peppers

You have to see this to believe it. Peter Peppers are a conversational piece to say the least!!!!
The peter pepper chilli pods look like “a man’s private parts”. Hence why they are known as the Penis Pepper and Chili Willy.



This chilli is quite rare and comes from the southern states of Louisiana and Texas.

Peter Peppers are listed as a medium heat on the scoville scale ranking. Peter peppers are 5,000 to 30,000 Scoville Units which is hotter than Tabasco and even more hotter than the Jalapeno.

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Characteristics of the Peter Pepper Plant
Plant height up to 3 feet
Stem color Green
Leaf color Green
Fruit color at maturity green and red
Fruit shape conical
Fruit length 2-4inches
Fruit width at shoulder 1inch
Fruit surface shaped

Peter peppers seeds can be purchased and grown within 6-7 months. Germination tips, soil tips and all other growing chillies from seed guides are available from growing chillies. As with all chillies they need regular watering and plenty of sun for optimal results.

Willy Peppers Chili Pepper

Peter Peppers are a defiant must for the chilli growing enthusiast. They would make great presents for a fellow gardening enthusiast also. Purchase some peter pepper seeds today and let us know how your plant went.

Check out our great range of chili seeds!!


Soil For Chilli Plants

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soil for chilli plants

Although chillies can be grown in many varieties of soil and we have compiled some of the best soil for chilli plants to get your chilli plants grounded and fruiting consistently. soil for chilli plants

Growing Chillies in a pot lets you build and maintain the optimal soil conditions. When is the last time you have seen chillies grown in swamps…NEVER!!

Chillies plants are quite fragile and need good draining soil. The top layer of the soil should be a light but moisture holding mulch. Topping up the mulch every 4 weeks or so will keep the nutrition running through the chillies roots.

To Grow Chilli choose a soil or mulch that is higher in potassium. Chilli plants fruit better when potassium is slowly feeding through the roots and plant. Try to avoid nitrogen as the plants will grow soft leaves and minimal fruit will be produced.

If you really want to make your chillies thrive and fruit well as soon as the plants start growing little flowers place some premium organic soil or fertiliser on top of the pot. If you’re on a budget any multipurpose compost is will help out.


soil for chilli plants

Remember that Growing Chillies requires regular watering, once a day they must be watered to keep the soil moist and the roots nourished. And don’t forget Growing Chillies in sunlight will keep them at optimal health.

Chilli Plant Care: 7 Huge Mistakes To Avoid When Growing Chillies

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chilli plant care

Chilli pepper plants produce yummy, spicy fruits that can be used in all kinds of delicious recipes. chilli plant care

That is, however, only if you get chilli plant care right and grow healthy, strong plants that produce fruit.

Unfortunately, many mistakes can scupper even the most dedicated gardeners’ chilli growing plans.

From diseases, to pest damage, stunted growth and more, there are many issues people run into when growing chilli plants.

To help you produce delicious chilli fruits on healthy, happy plants, here are 7 huge mistakes to avoid when growing chillies:

 

1.   Using Compost With The Wrong Amount Of Nutrients

Good chilli plant care involves growing your chillies in a good-quality compost once you pot them up, as shown in this video.

However, a common mistake is assuming that compost contains everything your chilli plant needs to thrive. If your plant is growing well, the chances are it does have everything it needs to thrive.

If you’re seeing any issues with the plant, it could be the soil. Here are some common signs the compost needs adjusting:

  • Low Potassium – any new leaves come through with yellow edges
  • Low Manganese – older leaves show yellow spots and holes (potentially in newer growth as well)
  • Low Nitrogen – older leaves start yellowing and the yellow spreads up the plant eventually
  • Low Iron – yellow patches start showing between the veins of the leaf
  • Low Calcium – new leaves have a crinkled look
  • Low Phosphorus – Older leaves go really dark, or even purple and the damage spreads up the plant
  • Low Magnesium – yellowing older leaves starting from the tips and moving inwards

Once you have identified the deficiency (and ensured the problem is not a pest or disease) you can add nutrients to the soil accordingly.

2.   Reacting Rather Than Preventing

There is a lot of chilli plant care advice that works on the idea of reacting, rather than preventing common issues. This is a mistake, as often prevention is better than cure. Lots of simple precautions taken when growing chillies prevents a multitude of issues.

Here are some preventative tips to follow when growing chillies:

  • Keep plants with plenty of space between them (two foot if grown in a bed) or one to a pot so that there is lots of airflow between plants
  • Always ensure plants dry between watering
  • Ensure your watering regime is regular, so plants don’t get stressed
  • Water plants in the morning or evening to avoid leaf burn
  • Keep your plants growing in a stable temperature
  • Trim your plants to encourage plenty of airflow & good fruit growth

3.   Assuming The Plants Will Be Pollinated

If you grow your plants outdoors, the pollination aspect of your chilli plant care is usually minimal. Hopefully pollinating insects will do their job and ensure you get plenty of chillies growing.

However, if your plants grow inside or pollination is an issue, you will have to lend a helping hand. You can do this by gently tapping the flowers everyday, or using a paintbrush or makeup brush to spread the pollen from flower to flower, just like a bee would.

4.   Over Fertilising

With chilli plant care, over fertilising is a common issue. Gardeners can get a bit overzealous with the fertiliser, which then damages the plant. When you’re growing chillies, you actually need to only fertilise your chilli pepper plants twice.

Once when you apply the compost for them to grow after moving juvenile plants into their permanent growing position. If the compost is full of the right nutrients, you only then have to apply fertiliser again when the plants have started to form peppers.

5.   Shallow Watering

Gardeners can water a little everyday, leaving the soil moist and the plant never getting a proper drenching, which can lead to plant disease, stress and stunted growth.

For the best chilli plant care you have to water deeply, regularly and when the soil has dried out to the first two inches of your finger.

6.   Lack Of Drainage

If the water cannot drain out of your pepper plants well enough you may get root rot, which will eventually kill the plant. Any salts and unwanted nutrients may also not be able to rinse out of the plant, which could also be a problem.

To avoid this and maintain good chilli plant care you simply need to ensure that water can rinse through the soil well by adding some horticultural grit to the compost, ensuring the drainage hole is blocked and making sure the trays they sit in are regularly emptied.

7.   Ignoring Pest Issues Before It Is Too Late

If your chilli plant care seems to be going well everyday, you may not necessarily do a deeper check of your plants until you see a reason to act. Unfortunately, by the time there are signs of pest issues it can be too late.

If you can, use a magnifying glass or a loupe to spot check your growing chillies and the plants they are on once a week. Check for eggs, living animals, webbing and dirt. If you are unfamiliar with the kind of pests seen most commonly on chilli plants, you can learn more about them in this handy article.

Spotting these pests early means you can treat your plants with safe pesticides before they take hold and scupper your chilli plant care.

“To forget how to dig the earth and tend to the soil is to forget ourselves.” – Mahatma Gandhi

The 7 common mistakes with chilli plant care above can be easily avoided with some quick adjustments to your chilli plant care regime and habits.

With the right adjustments, you’ll be growing chillies well this season, for delicious, spicy fruits to use in all kinds of wonderful recipes in your home kitchen.