Growing Chillies - Growing Chillies

How to Make Mulch for Chilies

Mulching is usually an easy and simple process that prevents weed growth. Healthy chili gardens always preserve more water during hot days and also have less weed among plants. Except in a garden, mulch can be used for flower protection as well. You can find out how to make mulch easily in the text below.

There are two types of mulch. The first is organic, and the second one is non-organic. For organic chili mulching, you can use straw, grass, chopped leaves, compost, sawdust, wood shavings, paper, scalloped wood, and pine needles.

Non-organic chili mulch materials are black plastic, stones, gravel, and geo-textile. However, this text clearly explains how to make organic mulch, while non-organic mulching is left for a new one.

With organic mulch, it is important to cover the weed that already exists in your garden, and the cover layer should be thick enough. Remember these two basic rules and always follow them. That way, the weed regeneration is prevented, and your garden is safe.

The layer should be from ten to fifteen centimeters thick, while in parts with insufficient sun rays, it should be from five to eight centimeters thick. The structure of mulch can be different, so you can use various materials to make it.

Stores sell corn shavings and wood as a decoration and you can buy them there. Still, it is the best to use your own corn shavings that you made for yourself. Also, if you know someone who has made it, you may borrow a few packs from him.

Fallen leaves can be found almost everywhere especially during autumn. You can ditch these leaves to make free but quality mulch. The fallen leaves can be minced up with a lawnmower that has a grass catcher in the back.

This mulch is ideal for chilies, but it is not suitable for one-year plants because it takes too much time to decompose and may interfere with your cultivation.

The grass is another organic material that can be used for making chilli mulch. It is particularly good for peppers because it contains a large amount of nitrogen.

Pine needles are also useful material for mulch making. Water can easily pass through them, and they gradually break down.

Compost is good material for mulching too. It will enrich the soil, preserve water, and the plants will get a larger amount of minerals from it. Use a thin layer of compost while mulching and put a thin layer of leaves over it. This way, you will achieve the maximum.

Straw is giving the best results in comparison with other organic materials. It keeps moisture, decomposes quickly, and stops weed growth. So you should definitely consider it. However, keep it away from the chili plants because it may attract snails.

Wilting Chili Plants

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If you notice wilting chili plants, you should pay attention as something is wrong!

Sometimes, chili plants wilt because they’re baking in the hot, hot sun. Another cause of wilting chili plants is the amount of water you are providing them, this can range from too little or too much moisture.

Why do Chili Plants Wilt?

When we get thirsty, our bodies are letting us know that we need more water. It is a feeling we have. Part of the reason for this is that we have a skeleton structure that keeps us standing straight. Green leafy plants don’t have a similar structure, they use water pressure to keep them standing upright. You can think of the plant leaf as being similar to a garden hose.

With the water turned off, the hose is limp–its wilted. When we turn the water on, the water pressure inside the hose increases and the hose becomes stiff. The stiff hose no longer looks wilted. Plants work exactly the same way. In order for a plant to maintain its normal shape, it needs a certain amount of water pressure inside the leaves.

Water pressure is maintained in the leaves by the roots which are absorbing water from the soil and pumping it up into the leaves. Leaves naturally loose water, especially during photosynthesis. Water is constantly flowing from the roots to the leaves. If roots can’t get enough water, they can’t maintain the correct water pressure in the plant and the leaves drop or wilt.

If the plant is overwatered, fungal wilt is probably to blame. Spotted wilted pepper plants, leaves that are dotted with brown or black spots, yellow marking on the leaves or stem are sigs of fungal wilt.

Damaged Roots During Transplanting

When you move a plant, it will damage some of its precious roots. It is quite normal for such a plant to show wilting right after being moved.
It is quite common for people to water far too much after transplanting chilis in order to try and fix the problem. Too much water does not help the problem. One solution is to move chili plants in spring and fall when the temperatures are lower and plants are not requiring full energy. At these times of the year, water evaporation from leaves is less and you get less wilting.

If you do move a plant in summer, it will wilt much less if it is covered for a week or two so that it receives less sunlight.

How to fix wilting Chili Plants?

Take a careful look at the environment and the soil for clues.
If the weather is hot and the soil is dry, considering covering the chili plant or moving it to an alternate location. Water the soil twice daily ensuring that the soil is moistened and water doesn’t pool. If the soil is already moist watering can make things worse. Do not overwater and considering watering the plant less. Ensure the soil is well-draining.

Prevention is the best cure to avoid wilting chilis. Take precautions to ensure that the disease doesn’t spread or reappear if its fungal wilts from overwater these are soil-borne and can live in the soil for many years. it will take time before planting in the old location is safe again. Choose a new garden location and keep it free of fungus by increasing drainage and only watering when the top 2 inches of soil feel dry to the touch.

How to Grow and Care for Jalapenos

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Jalapeno is a type of hot pepper that comes from the same family of plants as cayenne and cherry. This popular pepper originally comes from a place called Xalapa, in the capital of Velacruz, in Mexico. It is often served stuffed with seafood, and cheese and also used as a spice for tacos in Mexican dishes. Jalapeno has a rating in between 2,500 – 8000 Scoville heat units, which is a medium range of chili intensity. Jalapeno looks like a hard plant to grow but you can actually grow it easily by providing adequate sunlight and water.

Planting and Germinating the Seeds

Firstly, you must decide how many jalapenos plants you want to grow. Then, you can prepare the containers for sowing the seeds accordingly. The container should have holes at the bottom so that the water can drain away when you water it. You can use seedling pots or soda bottle as the container. In each container, you can plant 2 – 3 seeds. The seeds are to be sowed at a depth of 1/4 inch. Not all seeds will sprout so you may want to sow extra seeds.

Jalapenos don’t like cold temperatures so you must wait for the temperature to warm up to 75 – 85 before sowing the seeds. It takes 2 – 3 weeks for jalapenos seeds to sprout. After 3 weeks, you can move each seedling that has sprouted to a 3 inch diameter pot. It is to be placed on a sunny spot indoor, for example, the window sill or under the grow lights.

The potting mix of the sprouted seedlings must be kept moist but not too wet so as to damage the roots. You only need to water the seedlings 1 – 2 times per week to maintain the moisture level. You will have to gradually move the seedlings to a few more bigger pots until it grow a young plant. This should take about 8 – 12 weeks. The final container size will be about 2 gallons. Terra cotta container is the best option for the final container. They offer better result compared to plastic containers.

Transplanting the Young Chili Plant Outside

The young chili plant cannot be moved outside immediately. Instead, you will need to slowly expose it to outdoor conditions to allow it to adapt to the new environment. When it is time to move the plant outside, be sure to plant it in a place that get at least 8 – 10 hours of direct sunlight. The transplanted plants should be about 14 – 16 inches apart to ensure that there is enough air circulation.

Caring for the Jalapeno Plant

The best potting soil for jalapenos is organic, rich in nutrition with good drainage quality. Fertilizer should be added about 1 month after you have transplanted the young plant outdoor. You will want to choose a fertilizer with a NPK of 10-10-10. The addition of fertilizer ensures that the chili plant will receive an adequate amount of nutrition after all the existing nutrients in the soil has been used up. New fertilizer can be added on the third watering. There is no need to add any fertilizer if you are using a high quality potting soil. Diluted fertilizer is easier for the plant to absorb compared to solid fertilizer.

Jalapenos are night shade plants just like tomatoes and potatoes so make sure you don’t plant them close to each other. This is because the pests from your tomato and potato plant can go to the jalapeno plant. Some of the common pests are cutworms, aphids, and flea beetles. You can spray neem oil keep it away from these pests. Additionally, you should hand pick the caterpillar, snails, and worms on your jalapeno plant.

Harvesting the Peppers

It takes at least 90 – 120 days for you to see the first crop of your pepper plant. When the pepper plant is mature, it will grow to 2 – 3 feet tall. You may see 30 – 40 pepper pods hanging from the plant. The pods will grow to 2 – 3 inches long before it is ready for harvesting. If it yield too much peppers, you can use a plant cage as support. You can harvest pods from a jalapeno plant for a few times. You can harvest the jalapenos green or red. Or, you can wait until the full time at the end of 120 days to pick the jalapenos when it is ripened to red color.

Picking the peppers early can force more new blossoms. Green jalapenos are not yet ripened so they have milder taste. When it is red, it will have a medium intensity heat flavor. Some people have also picked jalapenos with a mix of red and green color. They make a nice presentation for their dishes. To harvest, you simply pinch the pepper off the vine gently. You can store the pepper fresh in your refrigerator for up to 2 – 3 weeks.

Gardening Guide on Growing Bell Peppers in Container

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Bell pepper, also known as Capsicum anuum, is a must have vegetable crop in your garden if you live in a place with warmer climate. Bell peppers have a crispy sweet flavor which makes it a great addition to a variety of dishes. It does not taste hot like its relatives the chili hot peppers because it does not contain the capsaicin compound.

There are several varieties of bell peppers. The green bell pepper is the most common and cheapest in the supermarket. Next to green peppers on the aisle are the red, yellow, and purple peppers. Green pepper are often cheaper because they are picked early. All colors of peppers keep their colors when cooked except the purple peppers which turned to dark muddy color when cooked. You can buy bell pepper seeds at your local nurseries or online from amazon. You should always look for varieties that can ripen fast. Some of the recommended varieties are lady bell, gypsy, orange sun, and Golden California Wonder.

When to Sow Bell Peppers

Bell peppers like cool temperature in between 21 – 25 degrees. It will not grow well if it is too hot or too cold. Therefore, the best time to plant it is a few weeks before Spring in February or in the Fall time in September.

Sowing the Seed

A good pot of seeding mix will consist of cocopeat, vermicompost, and sand. When you plant the seed, make sure you don’t bury it too deep. You only need to bury the seed about 1 cm deep. If the seed is sown too deep, you will not be able to see the leaf when it germinate. The birds always like to eat new seeds that are just sown so you should cover your pot with a polyethylene cloth.

The pot with the newly sown seeds should be exposed to at least 4 hours of sun in order for germination to take place effectively. Bell peppers is like a small tree and it will produce lots of small branches with leaves when mature. So, if you plant in a big pot, you can at most plant only 2 seeds. The seeds should be planted about 6 – 8 inches apart.

Preparing the Soil for Transplanting Bell Peppers

Bell pepper likes loamy soil that is well drained. You can make the soil well drained by lining it with porous landscape fabric or plastic. If you use plastic, makes sure to punch holes on the locations where the drainage holes are. The soil should not be too wet and muddy or else the root will become rotten. It also should not be too dry until it show cracked lines as it will result in blossoms drop.

Prior to transplanting, you can add aged compost into the soil. The aged compost will work as fertilizer and as mulch to assist in the retaining of the water. It is recommended to continue adding other fertilizers for maintaining the bell pepper plant. For example, you can add compost tea or fish emulsion solution every 10 days or so.

High nitrogen fertilizer can prevent the plant from bearing fruits so it should be avoided. Many people also like to add plastic mulch to increase the yields. On the other hand, organic compost mulch can lower the amount of weeds and reduce the need for watering. Organic compost mulch does not help in any way in the fruit yield.

Caring for the Young Bell Pepper Plants

After the young plants are successfully transplanted, you must keep watch for weeds that will spring up every now and then in the planting beds. In addition, you should also don’t forget to water 1 – 2 inches of water every week. You need to keep in mind that pepper is a heat sensitive plant which means you must water daily if you live in an area with warm climate. You can apply a solution that consists of a mixture of detergent and water on your pepper plant to keep away the aphids and whiteflies. It is important to keep the bell pepper plant in a place with the suitable temperature otherwise it will not bear fruits.

Harvesting and Storage

Usually, it takes around 2 months for the bell pepper plant to grow to full size. It is best to harvest the peppers when it has changed to the color you want. For example, if you want to use green pepper in your cooking, then you can pluck it when it is green. However, if you want to use yellow pepper, you should ideally wait until it has changed to yellow color. It will also work if you pluck it green and then keep in place that has sunlight so that it can change to red and then yellow. However, it will not taste as sweet as when you pluck it in yellow color from the plant.

You can store bell peppers in plastic bags in the refrigerator for up to 1 – 2 weeks. You can also store peppers in dried forms. To dry the peppers, you must first remove the seeds and then cut into strips. The strips are to be spread out on a baking sheet and baked for 10 minutes in the oven. After that, you can remove the peppers from the oven and let it cool down. Once cooled, you can put the pepper in bags and store them in the refrigerator.

Check out our great range of chili seeds and products!!

How To: Everything You Need To Know About Growing Peter Peppers

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Peter Peppers are a cutely named pepper that have a phallic shape, so they can be appreciated for both novelty value and flavour. Whether you want to grow these cool looking fruits, try them, or you’re just interested in knowing more, we’ve put everything together so you can get the complete lowdown on Peter Peppers.

Let’s take a closer look at these phallic fruits:

What Is A Peter Pepper Chilli?

A Peter Pepper Chilli is also known by its Latin name – Capsicum Annuum Var. Annuum, or as the penis pepper or willy pepper. It is a Capsicum Annuum chilli type, although it hasn’t been given that official status as of yet as a cultivar of the Capsicum Annuum family.

You can find the pepper growing in Texas and Mexico commonly, as well as some parts of Asia. You can also grow your own Peter Peppers if you want to either in your garden (if you live in a hot climate), in a greenhouse or indoors in a sunny spot.

Peter Pepper Appearance

The Peter Pepper is most known for its appearance, rather than its flavour. It looks like a penis, which gives it a really interesting, and novel look. It is so detailed, in its penile features that it has won an award for being the ‘Most Pornographic Pepper’.

For that reason, the Peter Pepper is often recommended as a plant for display rather than for culinary uses, although you can pickle the fruits.

Pickling Peter Peppers

Pickling peter peppers sounds more like a nursery rhyme than an activity, but it really is possible if you want to make the most of these phallic fruits. You can find easy directions on pickling your chilli peppers in this Youtube video. You can also enjoy Peter Peppers in multiple cooking applications like hot sauce or marinades.

It sits at about 6 times hotter than the average jalapeño, somewhere around the 5-30,000 mark on the Scoville Scale depending on the type. It is similar to the Serrano in that respect but is less meaty and dense in texture making it a great choice for drying, as well as using it freshly prepared.

How To Grow Peter Peppers

You can grow your own peter peppers for fun or for use in cooking. As it is so rare, you may wish to grow this type of pepper if you have prior experience with growing peppers, or if you have the seeds or starter plants at a good price.

Otherwise, cheaper plants or easier-to-come by chilli peppers like jalapeños or serrano chillies could be a better choice.

If you are growing your own peter peppers there are some easy steps to follow to get a great fruit yield:

Around two months before the last frost in your area, plant seeds in potting soil that has been moistened, and keep temperatures above 75 degrees but no higher than around 95 degrees. It is best to keep your seed starts indoors at this point.
Water the soil whenever the surface seems dry and ensure good circulation around your containers particularly when the seeds have germinated.
Once around four leaves have grown you can transplant your starts into larger containers. You’ll want to expose plants going outside to filtered sunlight for a couple of weeks before they go completely out. If growing in pots indoors, plants can be placed in their ‘forever home’ right away.
Create enough space outdoors to plant the chilli pepper plants around 50 centimetres apart. Alternatively they can be placed in individual pots as single plants.

Extra Growing Tips

To grow your peter peppers effectively it is important to grow it in the best soil for chilli peppers. The soil has to be loose, because hot peppers have shallow root systems.

Plenty of perlite (about 10%) in the mixture will help with this, although it is important not to add too much otherwise the water will drain too quickly through the soil and the plant won’t get the nutrients it needs. Vermiculite (about 10%) can help with this issue as it helps to retain nutrients in soil.

If you mix compost into the soil you grow your chillies in they should have plenty of nutrients to help you grow lots of delicious peter peppers. However, if you cannot add compost there is always fertiliser to do the same job.

Magnesium surface and bone meal are a great option to add to the soil when you plant the peppers out from their germination pots. You could also add these nutrients again when the plants show signs of fruiting. Otherwise, you shouldn’t need to add fertiliser more regularly than this.

Lastly, you’ll want to master pruning your peter pepper bushes to make sure they grow as bushy and fruitful as possible. We recommend checking out this pruning video so that you can follow step by step instructions to get your plants in great shape for the growing season.

Will You Be Growing Your Own Peter Peppers This Growing Season?

Now you know everything there is to know about these wonderful willy shaped peppers.

Whether you want to eat them or just marvel at their novelty appearance, peter peppers sure are unique as a table piece, gift or growing project.

The Ultimate Guide To Drying Chillies

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Thinking of drying chillies? You’ve come to the right place!

In this article we have everything you need to know about what dried chillies are, why to dry them, which chillies work well when dried and how to dry them.

By the end, you’ll be an expert at preserving these spicy fruits.

Here’s your complete guide to drying chillies:

What?

Dried chillies are a type of fruit that is produced and prepared commercially through many different methods. In hot places like India – where 1.74 million tons of dried chillies and peppers are produced – they can often be dried in the sunshine.

Commercial factories might also dry them in large ovens, heat racks and freeze-drying units.

When we talk about dried chillies in this article, we are talking about drying chillies that are fresh. This can be done with many different types of chilli, although some are more suited to drying than others.

For example; jalapeños are better pickled or frozen because the texture is very juicy and succulent, and that juice can be lost during the drying process.

Drying chilies like bird’s eye, cayenne and poblano chili peppers are really great contenders for drying, so if you have a glut that you have grown or been given, it is word considering drying them for use.

Why?

There are many different reasons that you should give drying chillies a go including the following:

To Intensify The Heat

One of the key reasons that people choose to start drying chillies is to intensify the heat. Chillies are hotter once they have been dried and so, you need less in a recipe for the same amount of heat as a fresh chili.

To Avoid Food Waste

Globally we get rid of 900 million tonnes of food of which 17% available to consumers goes in the bin and 60% of that comes from domestic waste. Using methods like pickling, freezing and drying of products like chili helps to avoid food wastage, prolonging the usable time of the produce.

To Create A Beautiful Aesthetic

Dried chillies fall very well into the cottagecore decor trend along with jars of preserves, baking apparatus and dried flowers. Some people like to dry chillies as decorations that add a splash of colour to a neutral aesthetic.

For Convenience

You can use dried chillies in all kinds of recipes, like those in this handy Youtube video.The great thing is, when you have a string of dried chillies you can just take one and use it. No need to get fresh chillies from the store. Just a quick bit of spice right from your store cupboard with minimal effort.

To Make The Most Of A Glut

If you grow chillies you probably already know that you can get a glut, which is loads of chillies at the same time, too much to use. Although you can give those chillies away, it makes good sense to try drying chillies so that you can also store them for yourself for future use. That way your fruit harvest goes way beyond growing season.

To Grind

Dried chili peppers can be ground down to make chili powder, which is a fantastic store cupboard item or gift. You can also use the dried flakes in lots of recipes to add instant heat. We particularly love them sprinkled on top of a salad for a bit of yummy warmth to contrast with the cool, crunch of the produce.

Lastly, it is worth noting that drying chillies is fun. The same as making jam, or baking bread, drying chillies is a little bit of wholesome fun to have with natural produce and your hands.

How?

Drying chillies is really easy, and there are multiple ways to do it. Let’s take a closer look:

Plate Drying In A Polytunnel/ Greenhouse

If you grow your own chillies in a polytunnel or greenhouse you can simply leave the chillies to dry on a plate or rack inside those places.

The only thing you might want to do first is rinse them off if you have used any pesticides on the produce as they have been growing.

It is also important not to leave the drying chillies within reach of areas where water could splash on them, as the chillies will spoil and rot if they are constantly left warm and moist.

Oven Drying

To oven dry your chili peppers you simply need to cut them in half (lengthwise) and then arrange them onto a clean baking tray allowing them to bake in around 120 degree heat for as long as they need to dry out.

If you leave the oven open a bit it will enable the moisture to escape the oven but it isn’t 100% necessary.

Oven door open or not drying the peppers does not have a set time, you simply need to keep checking on them until they are totally free of moisture.

Dehydration

Using a dehydrator at 145 degrees for about 8-10 hours you can dehydrate chillies easily. Just make sure that the chillies are evenly spread out so that they can dry out fully.

Natural Air Drying

You can dry your chili peppers whole by tying up your chili peppers by the stalk and then leaving a few inches between each one until they are all tied up.

You then need to hang them up so they are totally separate and allow them to dry in direct sunlight (kitchen windows are a great choice).

This will take weeks for the chillies to fully dry but they will look great in the meantime. Some people also string their peppers in a way that they are touching, a bit like garlic.

This method can work well too, and you can learn how to do it in this Youtube video.

You’re Ready To Start Drying Chillies!

Hopefully, with all the information above you are completely setup to start drying chillies.

As soon as they’re ready to go you can start making yummy, delicious recipes with these spicy fruits day after day, all whilst enjoying their bright and beautiful aesthetic in your family kitchen.

It’s a win, win!

Troubleshooting: Pepper Plant Problems & How To Fix Them

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Pepper plant problems are common and they can really scupper your growing efforts.

Once you get your pepper plants in the ground or a pot, as long as they have sun and water they usually do OK. However, as with all plants, sometimes there are issues.

The good news is, that there are actually as many common fixes as there are common pepper plant problems.

There are lots of ways that you can rescue your pepper plant from completely going over the rainbow bridge.

To help you fix a multitude of pepper plant problems, here’s a lowdown of the most common issues and how to fix them:

Underwatering

Underwatering is usually noticeable by the chilli plant having very droopy leaves that may appear lacklustre. Chronic dehydration in chilli plants can lead to reduced crop quality and yield.

It happens mostly when the days are long and hot, which can be surprising because chilli plants love direct sun. Every plant has its limits though, and sometimes more watering is needed for the plant to keep itself cool and properly hydrate itself.

The best way to avoid common pepper plant problems like underwatering is to never let your chilli plants dry out until the soil is so dry, there is a gap between the substrate and the pot.

You should also water at sunrise, or early morning and dusk which avoids the water getting evaporated before the plant has had a chance to absorb it.

If the plant is showing very droopy leaves midday, water it right near the plant stem and that should help it recover.

If dehydration continues to be a problem you need to create shade for the plant, water it with more water, or water it more often overall.

Overwatering

Overwatering chilli plants presents by it having yellow, floppy leaves. This is usually too much water being given to the plant, and not enough ability for the water to drain away.

To prevent pepper plant problems like this happening when the plant is exposed to lots of natural watering from the rain, provide more aerated soil and better drainage overall.

You should also do this so that there is no salt and water build up from your watering.

It is also important to allow the soil to properly dry out and then continue with a watering regime that allows the soil to be dry for the first few inches before watering each time.

Slugs and Snails

Slugs and snails love a juicy pepper plant and they will get through succulent little pepper shoots at speed if they are not controlled.

When controlling these little critters it is important not to use slug pellets or similar toxic products because they are very bad for the environment.

A slug can eat one, pass away and then get eaten by a garden bird which is eaten by a bird of prey which will die from exposure to the product.

The same chain of issues occurs in all kinds of different ways, as well as family pets getting poisoned by these nasty garden products.

Instead, avoid pepper plant problems like slugs by using more organic methods of slug control such as:

Barriers
Beer traps
Shell pot topper (crush any shells to make a sharp soil topper)
Cinnamon
Increase garden biodiversity for natural predators

Hornworm

Hornworm caterpillars will present themselves in pepper plants by munching holes in the leaves often from the outside in. These caterpillars can simply be moved off to a more suitable plant that they feed on.

Scalding From The Sun

Scalding from the sun shows up in chilli plants by giving them white leaves that are also a bit droopy. This happens most often when you put a new pepper plant that has been growing in the shade, into a sunny spot.

This can be lethal for the plant if it is very young which is why it is important to prevent this happening. It also happens to pepper plants that have been protected over winter.

To prevent pepper plant problems like scalding happening it is important to gradually introduce the pepper to the new conditions it will be living in, which should stop this scalding occurring.

Simply putting the pots in the sunshine for more and more time everyday until transplanting should help the transition run smoothly.

Calcium Deficiency

The pepper plant will get leaves that are very wrinkly and lacklustre if it gets a calcium deficiency. You can easily rectify this by slowly adding more calcium to the soil.

Clam, oyster or egg shells are cheap and easy ways to do this. You can also work lime, wood ash, calcium nitrate or bone meal into the soil, depending on what you have.

If it is provided in the right amounts then the plant should look better in about a week or so.

Aphids

You can easily see aphids as they are quite large and obvious walking around the underside of the leaves of the chilli plant. They slowly kill the plant by sucking fluid out of it which is why the leaves start to curl or die off with a big infestation.

This is unlikely to be one of the common pepper plant problems you see with pepper plants outside because ladybirds and other bugs will take care of the issue for you.

Indoors though, in the house or a greenhouse, there are no natural predators so if you don’t spot the issue the plants will eventually die.

Even worse, the aphids can also give other plants diseases such as mosaic virus, which is very bad news.

To prevent common pepper plant problems such as plants getting aphid infestations, you need to make them as healthy as possible as a first port of call. Try to make sure the plants you put indoors over winter are properly pruned, are not stressed and properly watered.

A little insecticide wouldn’t go amiss a few days before moving them indoors too. If you do get an infestation, quarantine affected plants and then spray the aphids off before adding more insecticide.

You can try some of the homemade insecticides here and here but do research the use of different products on pepper plants so you feel comfortable with how they work, and any precautions that need to be taken.

Mosaic Virus

Mosaic virus was discovered in the 1800’s and can infect over 350 plant species. It presents in pepper plants by giving them yellow splodges and wrinkly leaves that are not quite crispy, but not soft like a leaf usually is.

This disease stunts the growth of the plants and affects the fruit they produce. If your plant has mosaic virus you need to get rid of it and any surrounding weeds or plants, ensuring that those plants are not composted.

You will also need to dispose of the soil as the virus can live in the soil for over a year. Once that is done, disinfect your pots and tools before using them for other plants, as shown in this video.

Lastly, the virus can be transmitted through your hands and clothes too. Whilst dealing with mosaic virus plants you need to avoid touching any other plants. You should also wash your clothes before wearing them again for gardening.

You’re Ready To Battle All Of The Pepper Plant Problems

The fact is that every plant has its problems and pepper plants are no different.

Most pepper plant problems do have multiple solutions though and if they don’t, there’s a lesson learnt to boost future pepper growing plans. A mistake made I the garden is never a wasted experience.

Hopefully, with more practice, trials and tribulations you will be able to grow healthy, strong pepper plants next season for lots of yummy, sumptuous fruits to use in your family kitchen day after day.

Pickling Chilli: What, Why & How

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If you’re topping up your storage cupboard, or you simply fancy a fun and wholesome afternoon kitchen activity, you’ve come to the right place.

We’ve got all you need to know about pickling chilli like a pro for perfectly preserved spicy treats made to last.

In this article we will look at what pickled chillies are, why you should pickle them and how to get the job done.

By the end, you’ll be ready to get your spicy glut pickled up and ready for using in all kinds of yummy recipes.

Here’s everything you need to know about pickling chilli:

What?

You may have heard about pickled items like gherkins and cucumbers, which account for nearly 60 thousand metric tons of vegetable production coming out of Canada alone.

What you may not have heard of is pickled chillies, which are not as common, but they are just as tasty!

A pickled chilli can be any chilli that is put into a sterilised container with vinegar (different types are used) and then sometimes spices and seasonings are added.

They can be pickled roughly chopped, sliced or whole depending on your preference and the size of the chilli/ receptacle.

Why?

Why try pickling chilli when you can buy pickled chilli?

Firstly, you can save money. If you like to have a larder full of tasty preserves and pickled foods, pickling chilli makes sense.

Globally, the sales of naturally healthy food and drink is worth nearly $260 billion USD, but you can save those dollars for yourself! At least with pickling chilli, which you can do yourself easily.

Secondly, it makes the most of your chilli harvests. We have been pickling our veg pals for 4,000 years to avoid food wastage and to build stocks between harvests. If you grow your own chillies or you get a few at a great price, pickling them stretches out the time that you have to enjoy those hot, spicy, tasty treats.

Another great reason to pickle chillies is for the health benefits. Pickled vegetables lose some nutrition when they are preserved, but they gain really helpful bacteria that boost gut health.

Chillies themselves are also healthful, and although they lose some nutrition when they are pickled, they don’t lose all of it. They contain vitamin C, B6, K1, potassium, copper and vitamin A as well as bioactive plant compounds and antioxidants.

All the benefits above give you an extra bonus of creating great preserves for yourself and to give as gifts to friends and family.

Pickled chilli look great, have a great shelf life and they give your loved one tons of healthy benefits too.

How?

Pickling chillies is really easy and best done if you have a glut of homegrown chillies, or you’ve been lucky enough to have been given a big batch.

To prepare pickle chillies, you should give them a good wash, and you can then either leave them whole or slice them.

Unless you tend to serve them up whole, usually it’s best to slice them and pickle them so they’re ready for use right out of the jar. They can be used in all kinds of yummy dishes like pasta arrabiata, chilli, guacamole and pizza.

Instructions –

Sterilising

We’ll give you instructions for the yummy pickling mixture below. First, here’s how to ensure that you keep the results nice and sterile. This process is essential to stop bacteria being introduced to the pickled chillies, which will then lead them to degrade and deteriorate.

By sterilising them you protect the items inside until you’re ready to open the jar and get stuck in to your tasty spicy treats.

To sterilise you need to:

Wash the jars in hot soapy water, rinse them and then leave them to dry naturally on a clean surface
Put the jars in the oven at about 175 degrees c for 15 minutes
Place your hot pickling mixture into a receptacle that is very easy to pour without spillage, like a spouted kitchen jug
Fill the jars leaving around ¼ an inch at the top taking care not to get any mixture on the rim
Do not allow the mixture to cool, and instead put the lids onto the jars (with a wax paper seal if preferred) when the mixture is still hot and seal tightly. You can also use a wax paper and cellophane seal secured with an elastic band
The mixtures will keep for about 6 months on average if kept in a dark and cool larder if jarred in this way. They should also last about four months in a fridge (once jarred and cooled) unopened

Pickling

To make the pickled chillies please follow these instructions:

Ingredients –

*Adjust according to the amount of chillies/ weight of chillies you are using*

One pound of chillies
½ cup of vinegar (usually white or cider vinegar works best)
⅓ cup white sugar
2 tsp high quality salt
1 tbsp mustard seeds
1 tbsp coriander seeds
½ cup of water

Instructions

Place the prepared chillies into jars along with a couple of bay leaves
In a saucepan mix together vinegar, mustard seeds, coriander seeds, salt and sugar and bring to a boil (open the windows as the mixture can smell really strong!)
Follow the instructions above to add the mixture to the jars

Which Peppers Are The Best To Use When Pickling Chilli?

When you are pickling chilli you can choose any chilli pepper you like, there are no restrictions on the veggies that you store.

Jalapeños lend themselves to the process as they are naturally juicy but not too hot, so they go with everything.

If you want to make more of an impact with a jarred gift, pickle some Carolina reapers or ghost peppers for a super hot addition to any meal. Just be sure to warn the recipient of the absolute fire contained in the jar!

You’re Ready To Pickle Chillies!

With all the tips above you are ready to start pickling chilli. Yummy meals and recipes are in your future with this brand new preserving skill!

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

Belle Pepper Growing Chillies June 1, 2022Worlds Hottest Pepper 0 Comment

Have you ever wondered about the 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!

Soil For Chilli Plants

Belle Pepper Growing Chillies June 1, 2022grow chilli, growing chili soil, growing chillies, mulch, soil, soil for chillies 0 Comment

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.

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.

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.