Chili

Plant family

Solanums (Solanaceae)

Cultivation Break

Season Overview

Details

Light requirement

Sunny

Water requirement

Moist

Soil

Light (sandy)

Nutrient requirement

High

Light germinator

Germination temperature

24 - 28 °C (Degrees Celsius)

Plant distance

40 cm

Row spacing

50 cm

Seeding depth

0.5 cm

Instructions

Beginning of February

Propagating

Description

Chilies are perennial, cold-sensitive plants that belong to the nightshade family (Solanazeae). There are many varieties whose fruits differ in shape, color and pungency. Chillies, like sweet peppers, belong to the genus Capsicum, with 5 different species. The most important is Capsicum annuum, which includes varieties such as Cayenne and Jalapeño. Varieties of this species can be found in almost all heat ranges, except extremely hot. Another species is Capsicum chinense, to which the habanero belong. They originate from Peru and among them are extremely spicy varieties. Unlike the white flowers of the other chili species, the Capsicum baccatum species has yellowish to greenish spots on its flowers. The fruits of some varieties are also striking, hanging from the plant like bells, or 'UFO's' (Bishop's Crown). For the species Capsicum frutescens the flowers and fruits always standing upright on the plant are typical. In Europe, the species Capsicum pubescens is still quite unknown. Since its stem quickly becomes woody, the name tree chili is occasionally used. Striking features of this species are its hairy leaves, blue-purple flowers, and black seeds. The fruits are thick-fleshed and spherical. Excitingly, its fruits can be perceived as differently spicy by different people due to the particular composition of capsaicin and dihydro-capsaicin.

Growing tips

Chili should be grown in nutrient-rich soil in a sunny location. For a rich harvest, the first flower (terminal bud/'king flower') should be broken out. This encourages flower and fruit formation on the side shoots. However, this is not as important with chili as it is with peppers. Pull the plants with 3-4 shoots and remove the remaining shoots. In Central Europe, the cultivation is usually annual, but the highest yield is achieved only 2-3 years after planting. For this, the plant must be overwintered indoors. Harvesting of fruits takes place from July to September, depending on the variety and weather conditions.