How to grow chili

In this article, I will give you some tips that can help you grow chili.

First, a short introduction on chili. Chili is the fruit of the plants from the genus capsicum. They are a subset of chili peppers, usually comparatively smaller and hotter than other types of capsicum. There are many variants of chili, and different species require different conditions to thrive. The following is a general guide as there is no one size fits all approach to growing chili.

By nature, chili isn't hard to grow though it requires constant care in order to survive. You would probably want to grow them indoors first as they are vulnerable to harsh weather for the first few weeks. Ideally, chili should be grown towards the late part of spring after all the frost is gone. They grow best and produce hot fruits in tropical regions with year long summer.

Start by preparing a small pot inside your house. The pot should be around 3 inches in diameter and be filled with rich topsoil. Holes at the bottom will allow excess water to drain out. Fertilizer can be added at a later time once the plant starts to flower. Personally I think that asian varieties of chili such as chili padi are a great choice to grow. Place the pot in an area that receives plenty of sunlight as chili plants need plenty of sunlight. Start by sowing the seed approximately 6mm below the soil. Make sure the soil is well aerated. Add some water to the soil and wait for the seed to germinate, which should take anywhere from 4 days to over a week. Even before germination, water regularly, ensuring that the soil is damp but not soaked.

If conditions are not too warm, water the plant two to three times a week, otherwise water the plant every two days. Especially in hot tropical regions, chili plants can lose water quickly and wilt. Water early in the morning before it gets too hot. Do not water so much until the soil gets completely soaked as the roots will have no air and begin to rot, killing your plant.

When your seedling grows to good height, you might want to transplant it to a larger pot. Continue watering it regularly. When it begins to flower, you may want to help it along by adding some organic fertilizer every few weeks. Leave the flowers on the plant as they will die after a few weeks. If all goes well, chilies may start to form.

Chilies will take a few weeks to develop and a further couple weeks to turn from green to red. You may pick them off the plant any time after they are fully developed but the longer you leave them on the hotter they will become. Do not leave them on for too long though, as delaying after the chili is ready for harvest will result in a decline of further yields.

Chili can be used to spice up many dishes and is a good source of vitamin C.