Quick growing tips

First, the good news - peppers are easy to grow. They have a few basic needs, but on the whole they're not too fussy. That said, there's always scope for growing them better, so here are some tips to help you raise your game.

Choose your chilli

Chillies and sweet peppers fall into a number of different species, and within those there are endless varieties. So it helps to pick one that you've got the right conditions to grow. Here in the UK, they're generally going to do better in a greenhouse or on a sunny windowsill, but you can certainly grow them outdoors, particularly in the South. The habanero types (Capsicum chinense) are the least-suited to outdoors, while rocotos (Capsicum pubescens) are considered the best. You can learn more about species here (once I've written it!), and information on plenty of varieties here.

Warmth

Most Capsicums relish warmth and stability. If it's cold, they may not fruit, and if it's even colder, they don't grow. Colder still, and they drop their leaves, and when it gets to zero, they die. Keep them above 13°C though, and they'll plod along okay.

But it's also worth saying that too much heat can be a bad thing. Leave your plants in a shut greenhouse on a hot morning and the temperature will quickly rise above 50°C; plants will droop, leaves go thin and limp and stems flop over. Water gets used up rapidy, and as the roots dry out the situation gets far worse. Cool them down and give them a drink, and they'll be back to normal in a few hours, but leave them too long and they're off to Chilli Heaven. So be sure to ventillate greenhouses and polytunnels; better that they're' cold and slow, than too hot and dead!

Light

Light is a big factor, so you may find it's better to grow in the cooler outdoors than in a warm but gloomy house. They need to be on a windowsill, and a sunny one for preference. Plants will bend toward the light on a windowsill, so turn them periodically to encourage even growth. This isn't a problem outdoors, where the sun moves around and there's more indirect light.

Water

Peppers like their roots to breathe. If you leave them in waterlogged soil, the roots will rot and the plant will fail. They do need water to grow, but too much and they're unable to take up nutrients. So the best way to water them is little and often. Alternatively, give them a soaking but then leave them to mostly dry out before watering again.

Food

A happy chilli is an extremely productive plant, so it needs a feed if you're to get the best out of it. Like tomatoes, they'll benefit from a fortnightly dose of high-potassium fertiliser once they've started to flower.

That's not all though. These can be big plants, with abundant foliage and extensive roots, so if you're keeping them in a pot they can soon run out of nitrogen and trace nutrients. Mine get a regular splash of dilute organic seaweed, and occasional epsom salts for magnesium. Large 'dead' spots that appear on larger peppers are blossom end rot, caused by lack of calcium, but this can be due to too much or too little watering preventing nutrient take up, so check that first.

Soil

Because they don't like to be sat in water, a free-draining soil is prefereble. Use a good quality peat-free compost, and ideally add something to help the drainage, such as horticultural grit, perlite or vermiculite. My basic mix is:

You can put your plants in the ground, but if the soil is not free-draining you'll want to dig in a lot of organic material to loosen it up, otherwise you're in for a disappointing season.

Pots

The ground where I am is heavy clay, which peppers really don't like, so I usually keep mine in pots. The bigger the pot, the bigger the plant although what that means in practice depends on the variety - some will be small whatever. Ideally, choose deep pots rather than wide ones, as these better suit the growth habit and help with drainage.

I start small, repotting as soon as I see roots appear at the drainage holes, ending up with my best plants in 18 litre pots (mine are square, about 28cm across). This is a big pot, but it also allows for big plants - near 6 foot in some cases, bearing hundreds of fruits. Larger pots are also less prone to overheating, and don't dry out as quickly. But not everyone wants a 6 foot plant and hundreds of chillies, so choose a pot that suits your needs.

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