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Growing chilli (hot pepper)
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Chilli bush
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Red hot and fiery, chillies (also known as hot peppers) are an essential
vegetable to grow if you like a hot and steamy meal. I love chillies in
cooking. They're also (allegedly) meant to speed up your metabolism. I
don't get to put this theory to the test very often as Paula hates hot
food. She won't cook it for me. She won't let me cook with it (if she's
eating the meal which is almost always). What do we do with them? In the
past we've given them away mostly; my sister, my mother, Paula's sister,
Paula's sister's friend who runs a restaurant. Basically anyone but ourselves.
Chillies are really the same as capsicums (bell peppers) except instead
of being sweet they're fiery. Chillies are also very high in vitamin C.
Growing conditions
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Chillies are grown in the warmer months of the year but can be grown
year round in subtropical climates.
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They love a sunny, warm aspect.
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Chillies like an organically rich, free draining soil.
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In a 4 bed rotation system chillies
are grown with tomatoes, capsicums (bell peppers), eggplants and basil.
Garden care
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It's usually easier sowing chilli seeds into seed raising mix.
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These can then be transplanted either to larger pots or directly
into the garden when the seedling has at least two true leaves
and all danger of frost has passed.
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Chillies grow well in containers only requiring a shorter stake.
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Feed them with a liquid organic fertiliser when flowering begins.
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Fruiting may drop off during cold or overly hot temperatures.
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From our own experience chillies don't have much of a problem
with leaf eating or sucking pests. Their chemical balance is
too hot. In fact a good organic solution to pests eating your
other vegies is a water and crushed chilli spray (with a touch
of crushed garlic for good measure)!
Harvest time
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Like capsicums, chillies are more flavoursome and hotter when
they change colour from green and ripen.
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Using scissors or a knife cut the stem of the chilli when harvesting.
Last Updated
17 November, 2008
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