Chilli Capsicum /Frutescens L/
A branching perennial herb up to 1.5m. Chillies come in a diversity of varieties according to the fruit’s colour, size, shape, thickness, heat and taste.
Uses
Usage
Chilli peppers are eaten fresh or can be processed into a wide range of products. Dried, smoked, made into jams, salsas, sauces, curry pastes.
Different varieties are suited to different uses depending on their heat and flavour.
Production Requirements
Climate
Tropics/subtropics. Chillies are a warm season crop with a long growing season. They are generally grown as an annual but will behave as a perennial in ideal growing conditions.
Cultivation
Chillies will grow on a wide range of soil types but for best results, grow in a fertile well-drained soil.
Plant the seeds in Spring.
To keep varieties pure, when saving seed separate by at least 150m or bag the plant to avoid cross-pollination.
At the end of Summer, give plants a prune, a feed of compost and mulch well.
Edible parts
Fruit and leaves.
Keep the plant pruned low to halt flowering and harvest the tender, mildly spicy leaves.
Risks and weed potential
None known.
Harvesting & Processing
Harvest
Harvest fruit when green for a milder flavour or allow to fully ripen for a sweeter and much hotter taste.