Chillies

If you’re new to growing your own fresh food, chillies are a great way to start. They are easy to care for, and can grow right on your windowsill!

Chillies are easy to grow at home, and actually grow best when you start them inside. Not only that, but they are an easy way to add incredible flavour to many dishes!

– Before planting, soak chilli seeds in warm water overnight.

– Put some soil in a shallow container or pot. Place your chilli seeds on top of the soil, leaving a few centimetres between each seed. Sprinkle a little bit of soil onto the seeds to cover them.

– Cover with a lid if you’ve used a container (make sure there is space under the lid for the chillies to start to grow) or cover with a sandwich bag.

– When your chilli plants are 2.5cm each, move each into their own bigger pots. Still keep them on the windowsill.

– When the plants are about 20cm tall, use some string to tie them to a supporting stick which you have placed next to the stem. This is to keep them growing upwards and not leaning down.

– When it is warm enough outside and your chillies are getting too big for their pot, transfer the chillies to the ground outside, giving them lots of their own space to grow! Remember to keep watering them regularly!

Top tips

– The redder your chilli is, the spicier it will be. They turn redder as they grow. So, how long they will take to grow to your liking will depend on how much heat you enjoy!

– Chillies grow best in the springtime (February to April). They are best to be planted outside around May, when any risk of frost is gone.

– If you see roots growing through the holes in your pots, it’s a sign that your chillies need to be in a bigger pot.

– You do not need to water your chillies every day if they do not look like they’re drying out – just keep an eye on them and water when they need it, it is not good to over water them!

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