Growing Chile Peppers

Chile peppers are fairly tolerant of their growing conditions and will survive in temperatures ranging from 7 to 29 degrees centigrade and in areas with an annual precipitation varying from 0.3 to 4.6 metres. The soil pH can vary from an acidic pH 4.3 to an alkali pH 8.7 Chile peppers are sensitive to the cold and generally prefer to grow in a well-drained, sandy or silt-loam soil. Pepper plants can also be grown in containers.

This web page gives general hints and tips on growing chile peppers from seeds, as well as some reference sources for further reading.

10 steps to 'pepper heaven'

Use only disease and insect free plants that have not been crowded

Test soil for fertiliser requirements and nematodes

Use good weed management practices

Plant carefully to get good stands

Cool the fruit soon after harvest

Adjust soil pH to around 6.5

Apply fertiliser carefully

Side-dress 2 to 3 times

Use well-drained soils

Control insects

Look after your seeds

Seeds are living things. They are always conducting metabolic processes, although it is at a very low level, until they germinate. The lifetime of any given seed will vary with both its innate vitality (some plant seeds naturally live longer than others) and its environment. Generally speaking, seeds that have been kept cool and dry will live longer (and therefore have higher viability) than seeds that have been kept warm and wet. When you by seeds from a supplier, check the date on the packet; it will indicate the year/season they were packed for, or the year/season they should be planted by.

If you keep your seed dry and as cool as possible, you can use the same seed (in most cases) for several years. Just put them in an airtight container in your refrigerator. Putting silica gel packets or powdered milk (or even dry rice) in with them, will keep the humidity at a lower level. When you're ready to use them, pull the container out and let it warm up before opening (to minimise condensation on the inside of the container and/or on the seeds themselves).

Chile pepper seeds are classed as 'long-lived seeds'. If you keep them cool and dry, they should maintain good viability for five years or more.

Germination

Chile seeds germinate at soil temperatures of 75 to 90degF, (20 to 35degC), with 85degF or 30degC ideal. A simple heating pad and an inexpensive gardeners dial thermometer work just as well as those expensive plant propagation mats you see advertised in the catalogues. Plant the seeds in a moist, not wet, sterile potting medium in pots, 1/4 inch - 1mm deep, and 1/2 inch - 2mm apart. Cover with plastic for at least 8 to 10 weeks, before the last frost date for your area. Water should be boiled to sterilise it and, if it comes from a public water system, should sit for a day prior to sterilisation in order to allow the chlorine to dissipate.

Some chiles are slower to germinate than others, so don't give up. Once the seedlings are up, remove the plastic cover, but do not let the soil dry out. If the seedlings are allowed to wilt, they may not die, but their growth will be set back. Some varieties seeds take a long time to germinate, but they should do so using these instructions.

Precautions need to be observed if chile seeds are going to be planted directly outdoors. Chile is a warm season crop that requires about the same growing conditions as tomatoes. Chile plants are susceptible to spring frosts and grow poorly in the 40degF to 60degF temperature range (5degC to 15degC). If seeds are planted too early in the spring, germination rate is slowed. Typical low soil temperatures in April and early May delay emergence and growth. Rapid emergence is important to ensure a good stand and adequate yields. Higher yields result when daily air temperature ranges between 65degF and 90degF (18.5degC and 32.5degC) during fruit set.

There are some sources that suggest that prior to planting, the seeds should be soaked in a 1:4 bleach:water solution for 40 minutes, under constant agitation. The seed should then be rinsed in vinegar and then in water. This is said to reduce the chances of infection from bacterial spot disease.

Improve the soil

Before planting into the garden soil, a good quality manure or compost should be dug into the soil to enrich it and to improve its quality. A well drained loam or sandy loam which holds moisture and has some organic matter in it, is ideal. Most peppers are usually grown in soils with a pH range of 7.0 to 8.5.

Transplanting

When the first true leaves (pointed) reach 3/8 inch to 1/2 inch wide the seedlings can be transplanted to jiffy pots, six packs or even to waxed milk cartons. Soil temperatures should be kept to a minimum of 70degF for fastest growth. Most good potting soils contain some nutrients, but a good non-burning liquid high phosphorous fertiliser can improve root growth which is most important at this stage. Apply according to package directions, about once a week. Phosphorous is the middle number between Nitrogen and Potassium, (hence fertilisers referred to with their N-P-K ratios). A 15-30-15 fertiliser has twice as much Phosphorous (P) as the other two elements.

About two weeks prior to planting in the garden, about one week before your last expected frost, begin hardening the plants gradually increasing the amount of sunlight and wind which they are exposed to. Any good gardening book will explain more about this procedure. Before transplanting, be sure that the soil temperature is at least 65degF. If it is not that high, the blossoms will drop and you'll get leaves, but no chiles.

When transplanting from containers, there will be some root damage which will slow the plants, so try to be as careful as possible. If you use jiffy pots, cut off enough of the top of the pot without disturbing the roots so that it can't act as a wick to dry the soil and plant out. If cutworms are a problem in your area, a paper cup with the bottom cut out, placed around the stem about 1/2 inch into the ground should protect the stem.

Fertilisation

Fertilise your seedlings with a high quality fertiliser. The use of fertiliser should not be restricted to a once-a-year application. You may need to fertilise 2-3 times a years, as well as varying the type of fertiliser used as the growing season progresses. Try to use a balanced N-P-K fertiliser, one labeled 15-15-15, where N = Nitrogen, P = Phosphorus and K = Potassium, is suitable.

Goat manure is extremely mild smelling. Horse manure may contain many weed seeds from hay. Pig manure breaks down slowly. Worm manure is an excellent soil conditioner. If you cannot use manure, why not try making your own compost to use to enrich your soil with.

Save seeds for next years crop

Seeds kept from year to year may lose some or all of their viability or ability to germinate. Proper storage of seeds is important if satisfactory germination and growth are to be expected. Time also affects seeds. Long storage times are usually detrimental to germination and vitality. It is preferable not to use seed that is more than one year old. If you do use older seed, sow it thicker than usual to insure a good stand of plants; then you can thin if necessary.

Select chiles that are ripe, fully coloured and show no signs of disease. When cleaning large-fruited chiles, break or cut the flesh off without damaging the internal core. The stem should be left attached to the core and will act as a handle. The blade of a small knife can be used to carefully scrape the seeds into a bowl.

Chiles can also be cleaned in a blender or food processor, if the flesh is not going to be eaten. Cut the stems off the flesh less seed cores, adding enough water to cover the cores. Blend until the cores disintegrate and the seeds are free. Gently stir the mixture and the good seeds will sink to the bottom. The immature seeds and flesh fragments will float and can be poured off with part of the water. Add more water, blend the mixture, pour off more debris, and repeat until clean.

Small chiles can also be cleaned using a blender or food processor. Cut off the stems and a little bit of their shoulders, before putting the pods and water into the blender. After all the debris has been poured off, dump the remaining water and clean seeds into a strainer. Wipe the bottom of the strainer on a towel and dump the seeds onto a dish to dry.

Pepper seeds should be dried away from direct sunlight, until they seeds break when folded. If the seeds bend instead of breaking, additional drying is necessary.

Seed saved from open-pollinated peppers can be expected to produce offspring similar to the parent plants, assuming that only similar plants are allowed to contribute pollen and make seed. Hybrid seed, especially F-1 hybrids, are produced by crossing two open-pollinated varieties. The parent types are generally highly inbred, so they will express their genetic traits uniformly. Because of this, you generally cannot expect satisfactory results saving seed from hybrids.

Containers used for seed storage should always be airtight. Glass and metal are the only common materials that are completely moisture-proof. Glass jars with good rubber seals under their lids, such as baby food jars or canning jars with new lids, provide a nearly airtight seal when screwed on really tight.

India is the world's top producer of chillies, exporting an estimated 35 tonnes a year.