Growing Chillies
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Now's the time to sow your Chillies. Sow inside a polytunnel or on a windowsill. There are many varieties of chillies to choose from that vary in heat from the sweet bell pepper to the Carolina reaper.- Sow during January, February and March, Maintain at 21ºC (70ºF) until seedlings germinate, ideally in a heated propagator , as some varieties need high temperatures to germinate reliably
- When large enough, prick out seedlings into 8 cm (3 inch) pots. Pot-on into 15 cm (6 inch) pots as they grow, before moving them to their final home.
- Chillies can be grown in the greenhouse/polytunnel border or in growbags or 20–25 cm (8–10 inch) pots. Try to maintain temperatures above 16C
- Some varieties grow as high as 90 cm (3 feet). The stems are brittle so the weight of fruits can break the plants if they are not tied to canes.