You could grow something colourful such as, ‘Fiery Tongues’, or something extremely hot such as, ‘Trinidad Scorpion’, or a great windowsill variety such as, ‘Pikito’. The most desirable varieties sell out quickly, so that is why it’s good to get going now.
If you would like to learn more about growing Chilli peppers, please follow the link to our informative Blog page.
What you need to sow chillies
A shallow seed tray or a 9cm pot
Multi-purpose compost
Chilli seeds
A heated propagator or clear plastic food bags
Watering can
Perlite or vermiculite
How to sow chillies
1. Fill seed trays or pots with multi-purpose compost and firm it with your hands so the compost level is 0.5cm from the top of the tray or pot. Use a sieve to achieve a fine tilth.
2. Water the compost using a watering can with a rose-head attachment on it, so the water sprinkles out of the watering can. Allow the water to drain away.
3. Sow the seeds on the surface of the damp compost, making sure the seeds are evenly spaced and not touching each other – this makes it easier to separate the seedlings later.
4. Cover the seed with a layer of perlite or vermiculite so that the layer is just below the top of the tray or pot.
5. Add a label to each tray or pot, with the name of the chilli variety sown, then place in a propagator at a temperature of 20-25°C.
6. If you don’t have a propagator, cover the tray or pot with a clear plastic bag, attached with an elastic band.
Remove the cover when the seeds have germinated – it should take about 12-15 days – and turn the pot or tray around each day so the seedlings don’t stretch too much to reach the light.
One month to six weeks after sowing, the seedlings will be ready to be potted up individually. Gently tease them out of the compost using a dibber or a pencil and move them to their own individual 9cm pots. Hold each seedling by the leaf as you ease the roots from the compost.
Keep the young plants indoors and pot them into a slightly bigger pot each time their roots fill the pot. Pot your chillies using a mix of equal parts multi-purpose compost and John Innes potting compost. At the end of April, 9cm plants are ready to be potted on in 7 litre pots for larger varieties and 1 litre pots for windowsill varieties.
If you would like to learn more about growing Chilli peppers, please follow the link to our informative Blog page.
What you need to sow chillies
A shallow seed tray or a 9cm pot
Multi-purpose compost
Chilli seeds
A heated propagator or clear plastic food bags
Watering can
Perlite or vermiculite
How to sow chillies
1. Fill seed trays or pots with multi-purpose compost and firm it with your hands so the compost level is 0.5cm from the top of the tray or pot. Use a sieve to achieve a fine tilth.
2. Water the compost using a watering can with a rose-head attachment on it, so the water sprinkles out of the watering can. Allow the water to drain away.
3. Sow the seeds on the surface of the damp compost, making sure the seeds are evenly spaced and not touching each other – this makes it easier to separate the seedlings later.
4. Cover the seed with a layer of perlite or vermiculite so that the layer is just below the top of the tray or pot.
5. Add a label to each tray or pot, with the name of the chilli variety sown, then place in a propagator at a temperature of 20-25°C.
6. If you don’t have a propagator, cover the tray or pot with a clear plastic bag, attached with an elastic band.
Remove the cover when the seeds have germinated – it should take about 12-15 days – and turn the pot or tray around each day so the seedlings don’t stretch too much to reach the light.
One month to six weeks after sowing, the seedlings will be ready to be potted up individually. Gently tease them out of the compost using a dibber or a pencil and move them to their own individual 9cm pots. Hold each seedling by the leaf as you ease the roots from the compost.
Keep the young plants indoors and pot them into a slightly bigger pot each time their roots fill the pot. Pot your chillies using a mix of equal parts multi-purpose compost and John Innes potting compost. At the end of April, 9cm plants are ready to be potted on in 7 litre pots for larger varieties and 1 litre pots for windowsill varieties.
