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.
Table of Contents
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.
FAQs
How do I know when my chillies are ready?
You can determine it by their size. Also, you can determine it according to its colour. Chilli will change colour from green to red, black or orange as per their variety. If you want a clear idea of whether chillies are enough ripe for picking, give it a taste! Generally, it takes 60 to 100 days to get ripe enough for harvesting.
Do chillies need the sun to ripen?
Yes, chillies require proper sunlight and a warm temperature for ripening.
How long do chillies take to grow?
It varies from different variety to variety but in general, a chilli plant takes almost 60 to 100 days from sowing to get ready for harvesting.
How many chillies do you get per plant?
This factor depends on different things like how you treat them in terms of watering, fertilizing, available sunlight, variety of chilli etc. A single chilli plant can give you hundreds of chillies.
How long do chilli plants live?
The life span of chilli plants varies from species to species. Mostly it is between 1 to 10 years.