Plant care tips

Chilli plants growing in well drained soil so as to avoid root rot.
Ensuring that your do not overwater is important.

Chilli bushes are hardy plants and relatively easy to grow. if you are growing chillies just be mindful of the following plant care tips and you should achieve excellent results from your crop.



Chilli plants in well drained soil should be watered about 2-3 times a week and to the point where the soil is damp but not soaked. Overwatering or leaving plants in waterlogged soil can rot their roots.  At the same time you should avoid letting the soil dry out too much; when growing chillies you should use a little mulch laid out to cover the soil above the root system, leaving about a 2cm radius clear around the stem of the plant to avoid rot. Mulch will also improve the soil slightly as the plant grows and will help stop it drying out too quickly.

Chilli plants like pruning

Pruning the growing tip of the  young plants will
generate considerable extra leaf and stem growth.

When the plants reach about 15cm to 20cm in  height you can cut off the topmost tip which will stimulate the plant into bushing outwards more.  The extra growth generated by this simple step can be quite impressive.

It is beneficial to support your plant with a slender garden stake incase of a heavy fruit crop, especially in windy conditions as their roots tend to be very shallow.

If growing chillies in a partially shaded position you may find they bend to grow towards the position of sun that gives them the optimal growth during the day, if they are in pots you can turn them 180 degrees once a week to counter this.