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Germinating Chilli Seeds

Chillies can be germinated much as any other seed. You can place the seeds in between two sheets of damp cotton in a container in a warm,shady place. This will help keep the heat and the moisture around the seeds, making the germination process quick.

After 2-5 days days you will probably notice some of the seeds will have swollen up and maybe beginning to sprout even. Now is the time to plant the seeds.

Planting

You can plant your chilli seeds into a tray filled with soil, leaving about 5cms apart. Lightly cover the seeds with about soil (just enough to cover them) and spray the tray lightly with water. Check them every day and spray with a little water if they look a bit dry. The aim is to prevent the compost from drying out rather than keeping it wet.

The main things that the seed needs now are heat and moisture. It must be relatively warm , receive enough sunlight and not stay too wet.

Germination can take anything between 1-6 weeks. It is important to be patient!

Potting On Your Chili Plants/ Out

Once the seedlings have formed their second set of leaves, it is time to re-plant them into the soil in large pot or in the ground. You should be careful not to hurt the seedlings during this process. Collect some of the soil along with the seedling roots to avoid damaging them.

Initially you might want to get them used to their new by placing them outside for just a few hours a day. This will get the plants used to the direct sunlight and wind that they may not have experienced so far during their indoor life.

What to feed chilli plants

When the plants are small, water them once in 2-3 days or whenever the soil is looking dry on top. As it gets hotter in summers, or when the flowers begin to form, water the plants everyday.

Chilli Plant Flowers and Fruit

As your chilli plant begins to mature you will see flowers beginning to form.

Pollination will be taken care of naturally by bees and other insects if you plants are kept outside. If grown inside your house, you can do the pollination by your self. Don't worry, this is not difficult! All you need to do is wait until you have a few flowers on your plants then lightly rub your little finger inside the flower heads on your plants. You could even use a paint brush or a cotton bud. This will do the bees job of moving pollen around from flower to flower.

Eventually you will see that some of the flowers will go brown and drop off. Do not get scared, this is probably just a chilli pushing its way through the flower. Make sure to continue giving it water and wait for your chillies to ripen.

Harvest

You can harvest your chillis when they are green, or you can wait until they turn to orange or red.