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.
