Growing Chilli peppers, also Hot peppers

Capsicum sp. : Solanaceae / the nightshade family

Jan F M A M J J A S O N Dec
                S S    
                    T T

(Best months for growing Chilli peppers in New Zealand - cool/mountain regions)

  • S = Plant undercover in seed trays
  • T = Plant out (transplant) seedlings

September: After risk of frosts

  • Grow in seed trays, and plant out in 4-6 weeks. Sow seed at a depth approximately three times the diameter of the seed. Best planted at soil temperatures between 64°F and 95°F. (Show °C/cm)
  • Space plants: 16 - 20 inches apart
  • Harvest in 9-11 weeks. Wear gloves to pick 'hot' chillies.
  • Compatible with (can grow beside): Best grown in a separate bed as chillies need plenty of light and air circulation.
  • Chilli harvest
  • Small, hot, chilli

Small bushy plants. Dark green ovate leaves.

Chilli need warm frost free weather, so protect with glass or plastic covers if planting outside in cooler areas.

Most varieties need a long growing period to produce many fruit.

There are many types of chilli. Some are more fiery than others. As a general rule, the smaller the pod the hotter the taste.

Culinary hints - cooking and eating Chilli peppers

Chillies freeze very well. Wash, dry, and free whole. Use them direct from the freezer (no need to defrost).
Wear plastic gloves or wash your hands thoroughly after handling and cutting to avoid accidentally rubbing chilli juice onto your mouth or eyes!

Your comments and tips

Post a comment or question Display Newest first | Oldest first, Show comments for New Zealand | for all countries
23 Aug 24, Ching (New Zealand - temperate climate)
When is the time to harvest taro and how?
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04 Jul 21, Prakash Chandra (New Zealand - sub-tropical climate)
To get many fruit from chili plant you need to plant a new plant every year. Last years plant have excessive leaves and very less good sized fruit. In tropical climate chili plant produce fruits up to three or four years.
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05 Aug 22, Anthony (New Zealand - sub-tropical climate)
I agree .best to plant a new one each year, fruit is bigger. Ive done lots of growing experiments with chillies in Auckland i had a jalapeno plant kept for 4 years in a pot which was babied the whole of its life .. only occasionally did it produce several good size fruit the smaller fruit i used in making sauce`s or cooking Another factor i found is dont grow different varieties close to one another as they can cross pollinate, If you are collecting seeds from the fruit for the next season. You may get smaller fruit
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20 Jul 20, Jyoti (New Zealand - temperate climate)
Best is to plant a new chillie plant.i had a plant which survived winter but did not gave as much fruit as it did before.
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11 May 20, Gavin (New Zealand - temperate climate)
I bought a chilli plant, very small, and it grew into a lovely plant, heaps and heaps of chilis. My question, will it flower again each year and produce new fruit each year? Or do I throw it away, and plant a new one?
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07 Nov 20, carol (New Zealand - temperate climate)
I try to take my chillie plants through the winter by protecting from frost and the ones that survive do really well, better than new plants, so I would try to keepit going
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22 Oct 20, villybang (New Zealand - temperate climate)
i have a jelopeno plant that is 5 years old (in a large pot ) It still produces chillies ..loads of them Its a small tree if you google it. produces mostly smaller fruit but . it does yield a few large ones ( probably more then a younger plant will ) pruning it back, sometimes pulling off the new buds, will transfer the energy back into the plant. of course using the right fertilizer, minerals and Nutrients will also help the plant survive overwintering looks like its dead. But it is survivable if done right
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12 May 20, Anonymous (New Zealand - sub-tropical climate)
Best to google it and read up. Can be annual or perennial.
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30 Apr 20, Edward de Bruin (New Zealand - temperate climate)
Hello, I would like to grow rocoto chilli as I have heard that they grow better here in NZ than other varieties. can you let me know when to sow the seeds and when to transplant into the garden or pots please. I reside in Nelson on the south island. Kind regards Edward
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14 Oct 24, Anthony (New Zealand - sub-tropical climate)
Rocoto chillies Originate from the cool mountain ranges of Peru. Unlike most other chili which like 12 hour`s sun ( beware of sun scold ), Rocoto is quite the opposite .. does better inpartly shaded areas. The fruit stays green like forever, almost 4- 6 weeks.. i think they taste better and sweeter while green .. Way too hot for me when red . Best to do your own research..but definitely shade them out in summer
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Showing 1 - 10 of 40 comments
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I don't mean to be rude, but would like to clarify a few things that have been said here, and give a bit of information. The Bhut Jolokia is supposed to be ~1.5 million Scoville units in heat and is realistically about 1 million, compared to a Habanero, which is usually ~300,000 Scoville units. The habanero is too hot for most, and the Bhut Jolokia is only for the diehard Chilliheads. Scotch Bonnets, Habaneros, and Bhut Jolokias are all Capsicum Chinense, whereas the standard chillies (pointy-ended ones) are Capsicum Annuum, and are usually alot more mild. Sweet Bell Peppers (Capsicums) are C. Annuum, and can cross-pollinate with other Chillies. Kate - Chillies are usually fairly slow-growing plants compared to things like Tomatoes etc. Right now, it may be too cold for them to be in full swing. The flowers are self-fertile, so will pollinate themselves, but you need to help them along by sticking pollen to the Pistil using a cotton bud or similar. Swirling your finger around gently inside the flower works too. When the fruit is pollinated, the flower will go brown, and drop off, and the fruit should start growing. Flowers browning and dropping could also be due to a poor feeding regime. On most (all?) fertiliser bottles you will see a NPK number set. N=Nitrogen, P=Potassium, K=Phosphorus. General vegetative growth (leaves/stems) is encouraged by high-N analysis fertilisers, and flowering is encouraged by high P/K analysis fertilisers. At this time of year, I have my chillies inside on shelves in front of a large west-facing window. Usually, I find that if the overnight low temperature drops below about 5 degrees C then they will stop growing/flowering. I would try and be patient with your Capsicums and Chillies. As they are already established, you should get a good head start this season. Good luck!

- Buzz Killington

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