Chillis, like all peppers and tomatoes, need summer warmth and sunshine to grow.  Now is the perfect time to get a beautiful variety of chillis growing!

Like so many other vegetables, chillis can be planted in pots and put in a warm sunny space, either on a balcony or window ledge. Even if you have plenty of gardening space it is lovely to create a feature of pots together in an unused corner of your garden or patio.

The beauty of pot-planting is the ability to move them around should you choose and, more importantly, to keep them protected from violent winds and heavy hailstorms while at the same time being creative with recycling your old food tins!

It is so easy -Chillis do not have a deep rooting system as they develop a bunch of wiry-looking roots all near the base of the plant, allowing you to use a fairly shallow tin of about 20cm deep and 10cm in diameter - anything more than that will also do.

1. Drill or knock a medium-sized nail through the base of the tin making 8 holes, as shown below.
Make sure you can see through the holes with no pieces of metal causing any obstruction.

2. Place torn up pieces of polystyrene or broken up earthenware at the bottom of the tin to allow for drainage.

3. Prepare your soil mix.  A good quality organic potting soil can be mixed in a 6:1 ratio:

- 4 x 250ml cups of organic potting soil
- 1 x 250ml cup of Vermiculite, which you can purchase at any good nursery or garden centre.

Mix well together and pour over your drainage material in your tin.

4. Create a deep hole to put your seedling in. Just before planting throw a small handful of organic seedling compost into the hole.

5. Pat the soil down around the plant and water.  Put some mulch on e.g. straw or shells to keep moisture in the soil.

Take care to keep your pot plant watered as pots dry out very quickly.

Watering suggestions

Water at least once per day, preferably in the early morning or late afternoon, before and after the harsh sunlight.

If you are unsure whether your plant needs water, you can stick your finger (free of water and dirt) into the soil - if there is any sand left on your finger, this means there is sufficient moisture in your pot plant.

Now all that’s left is to sit back and watch your plant grow happily and produce an abundance of gorgeous fresh chillis, which can be used in Salsa or curries or dried and stored in a glass container for later use.

Please log onto our website on www.soughtafterseedlings.co.za to see our exciting range of 9 different types of chillis, imported from Italy!

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