14 Jun Growing Tips – Chillies
As the weather warms up, chilli plants that have been slowing ticking over through spring should now begin growing more vigorously. By this time, your plants should be in 9 inch pots of a good container growing mix. They’ll want as much light and warmth as they can get, so give them pride of place in a conservatory or sunny windowsill.
Wather them only when their soil begins drying out and remove any aphids that appear on the leaves. When flowers begin to appear, include some tomato feed or homemade comfrey tea in their water.
Pick chillies green to encourage more flowers, or let them ripen to their final colour on the plant. And don’t forget that chillies cna live for several years if they are protected against the cold and damp of winter.
Happy growing!
For growers who picked up the Cultivate Grow Your Own Starter Pack the following are the varieties of chillie seeds we shared:
Hot Pepper Big Jim
Hot Pepper Gusto Purple
Hot Pepper Jalapeno
Shannon Thaden is an enthusiastic grower of chillies, tomatoes, and squash, and the coordinator of Church Lane Community Garden. He can be found at the garden on Wednesdays and Saturdays or emailed at cg@transitionleytonstone.org.uk