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Tips for Growing Hot Chile Peppers
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Jun 24, 2005 - 1:03:00 PM
Chiles are botanically classified as “nightshades” (Solanaceae) and belong to the genus Capsicum. Chiles are related to the tomato, eggplant, and potato, which are all from the nightshade family. The nightshades are a fascinating and diverse family which contains a number of poisonous plants including Belladonna (Atropa belladonna), Jimpson weed (D. stramonium), Henbane (H. niger), and Mandrake ( P. Peltatum).
Many botanists theorize that chiles originated in South America. Their migration is probably due to both animal and human influence. Birds are especially attracted to chiles and have helped them spread throughout the Americas. Birds do not fully digest chile seeds and don’t feel the heat of spicy chiles like we mammals do, making them perfect animals for carrying and spreading chile seeds. The ethno-botanist Gary Nabhan has written some excellent articles on the chile/bird connection.
Also see Aztec Gardens for more info on the origins of chiles and many other common crops.
Check out this great ebook with recipes using a variety of chiles.
Chile seeds need rather warm conditions to germinate successfully. If you live in a colder climate, you should consider starting your chile peppers indoors several weeks before spring begins. Before transplanting the seedlings, it’s a good idea to gradually expose them to the outdoors by setting them outside for a few hours each day, and slowly increasing the time until daytime temperatures average about 70 degrees F. Nighttime temperatures shouldn’t drop lower than 55 degrees when you plant your chiles. If your nighttime temperatures reach above 85 degrees, your plants may have trouble setting fruit.
If you buy your chiles as starter plants, you should plant them spaced out around 18 inches between each plant. If you’re planting several rows, you should space the rows about 2 feet apart. If you have limited space in your home, chiles also grow very well in raised beds and containers.
Chiles require full sun and soil with a high content of organic compost worked in. Home composting is an easy way to get a good source of organic material for your soil. Chiles won’t do well in extremely sandy or high clay soils. Adding compost will also help improve soil texture. If you don’t know much about composting, you should check out this great Guide to Composting. If you haven’t started a home composting system, you should begin today. You should also check your soil pH before you plant your chiles. The pH should be around 6.5.
Your chiles should be watered daily during the hottest months of the summer, at least 20 minutes will do. Chiles are quite sensitive to getting their flowers wet. For this reason, they are ideal for a soaker hose or a drip irrigation system.
There are a lot of chiles out there, literally dozens of varieties. You can try growing something as common as the Jalapeño, Anaheim, or Serrano, or experiment with something more exotic like the Thai Dragon Pepper. Depending on the region, some chiles of course grow better than others. You should talk to your local nursery to see which kind of chiles will grow in your state and microclimate. Chile varieties vary in the time they take to mature, and some chiles will take as long as 130 days to produce fruit. Plan and plant accordingly.
These two sites are great resources for learning more about growing hot chiles:
* Chile Pepper Institute
* UCSC Garden Ideas for Chile Peppers
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