Chilli
Capsicum annuum · Chili pepper in the US
In a typical UK garden, sow indoors late January to early March, plant out early May to early June, and harvest mid-July to late October.
When to sow, plant and harvest
Last frost around 20 April, first frost around 31 October.
- Sow indoors
- late January to early March
- Plant out
- early May to early June
- Harvest
- mid-July to late October
Growing facts
- Spacing
- 45 cm apart, rows 60 cm apart
- Square foot
- 1 per square (30 cm squares)
- Sowing depth
- 0.5 cm
- Ready in
- 70 to 100 days from planting out
- Grows to
- 60 cm
- Hardiness
- Tender: killed by any frost
- Sun
- Full sun
- Crops for
- About 12 weeks
Growing tip
Sow early with gentle bottom heat; hot varieties need a long, warm season to ripen.
Neighbours
Grows well with
Nightshades are one crop rotation group. Try not to grow them where any of the family grew in the last two or three years. How crop rotation works
Guides
Growing chillies indoors on a sunny windowsill
Chillies are one of the easiest crops to grow indoors. Sow in late winter, about 6 to 12 weeks before your last frost, grow a compact variety in a 2 to 5 litre pot on your sunniest windowsill, and help pollination along with a soft brush. A healthy plant can be kept for several years.
Sow chillies in February, as hot ones need a long season
Sow chilli seeds indoors from late January to early March, with gentle bottom heat. Plants go into a greenhouse or a warm spot outdoors from early May to early June. The hottest varieties need the earliest start to ripen before the autumn.
More nightshades
Where these figures come from
Every crop in VegLog was checked against published growing advice. Dates are worked out from average frost dates, so they shift with your garden. For chilli, we used:
Grow chilli with VegLog
Add chilli to a bed and VegLog reminds you when to sow, plant out and pick, timed to your own town's frost dates.
