How to Grow Chilli at Home

Scientific Name: Capsicum annuum or Capsicum frutescens

Family: Solanaceae

Growing chilli plants at home is very easy and don’t require any expertise. Anyone can easily grow chillies in an open kitchen garden or in containers. Chillies are one of the most important ingredients used in different dishes all over the world. There are different varieties of chilli available which differ in color, shape, size and pungency. They also differ in flavor and taste. You can choose any variety to grow in your place according to your choice. A single chilli plant can produce up to a hundred chillies and can fulfill your daily requirement easily. Green chillies are rich in Vitamin C and beta carotene. 

In this article, I will tell you how to grow chilli at home easily from the sowing to the harvesting stage.

Propagation Method

You can grow chillies at home easily using chilli seeds.

Growing Season

Chilli plants can be grown all year round. As a summer crop, the best time for growing chilli plants is in January-February. For the Kharif season, you can grow chillies in May-June. And in the Rabi season, you can grow chilli plants in September-October.

Climate Requirement

Chilli is a sun-loving plant and requires plenty of sunlight for better growth and yield. It grows well in warm and humid climatic conditions. Temperature between 20°C to 25°C is ideal for growing chillies. Low moisture content in the soil during the growing period can cause blossom and fruit drops. Also, heavy rainfall can affect the plants adversely.

Soil Preparation

The soil must be well drained and well aerated for getting effective results in chilli production. Usually, chilli plants can be grown in different soils but well-drained loam or sandy loam soil is ideal for chilli plants. You can add a bit of sand to your soil to improve drainage. Also, the soil must be rich in nutrients. You can add organic compost to improve the nutrient level of the soil.

Sowing

You can grow chilli seeds directly or you can use the transplanting method. Fine mulching can be given to prevent excessive moisture loss. The mulch should remove as soon as the germination of the seed start. The seeds germinate within 6 to 10 days and become ready for transplant within 40 to 50 days. 

Water Requirement

Chilli plants require frequent watering but it also depends on the soil type and climatic condition of the area. The moisture content of soil should be maintained throughout the growing period. Also, over-watering can affect the plant adversely.

Fertilizer Requirement

After mixing the compost during soil preparation, you should apply the next dose of fertilizer at the time of transplanting. After that, you can apply nitrogen fertilizer as top dressing. Also, you can use a starter solution during transplanting.

Insect Pests and Diseases

Some of the major insect pests of chilli plants are aphids, thrips, mites etc. Spray recommended medicine immediately after the attack begins. Inter-cropping onion crop also helps to prevent pest attacks. Also, some important diseases are anthracnose, leaf curl virus, bacterial leaf spot etc. Recommended medicine should be used immediately to protect the plants.

Harvesting

The stage of maturity at which chillies are picked depends on the variety and purpose for which they are grown. If you are going to use chillies for vegetable purposes then you should pick them while they are green but fully grown. For preparing pickle harvesting is done either in the green or ripe stage. Chilli used for drying are picked when fully red ripe.

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