Peppers and Chillis: Sowing, Cultivation and Harvest

Description and Botany

The genus Capsicum is originally from South America. It has however spread widely across the globe. Many varieties have thus developed and differentiated naturally according to their growing location.

Chili is a perennial plant in its countries of origin, grown as an annual in our latitudes. It belongs to the family of Solanaceae, and the genus Capsicum which includes five species: Capsicum frutescens, Capsicum annuum, Capsicum baccatum, Capsicum chinense, Capsicum pubescens.

• Capsicum annuum is the species most represented in the world, notably due to the bell pepper. This is the variety brought back by Christopher Columbus to Europe from his return from America.

It is interesting to note that the term “bell pepper” is not actually either a species or a variety, but simply a common name used in everyday language to refer to a subset of Capsicum annuum without heat, whose capsaicin content is low enough not to be perceived.

Capsicum annuum, Biodiversity Heritage Library – Flickr

• Capsicum chinense includes most of the world’s hottest chili varieties. Their name “chinense” is a mistake by Nikolaus Joseph von Jacquin who believed they originated from China. It is more likely that these chilies are native to South America and the Caribbean.
• Capsicum frutescens forms shrubs bearing small aromatic fruits with a spicy flavour (high capsaicin content), and is distinguished from other species by its growth habit. Indeed, they tend to point upwards rather than hang down.
• Capsicum pubescens has been cultivated for nearly 6,000 years. Its name refers to its leaves covered in small hairs. The chilies from this species are mostly grown in Mexico, South America, and Guatemala, and are rarely found in other regions of the world.
• Capsicum baccatum is a chili species that includes varieties native to Bolivia. In fact, this is where the most “wild” chilies are found. Its name refers here to its fruits that are very similar to berries.

Although they all belong to the genus Capsicum, bell peppers and chilies come in very varied shapes and sizes. Their thick stems usually bear entire and lanceolate leaves with a thick lamina. Flowering most often consists of flowers grouped and located in the axil of the leaves. In most cases, their fused corolla forms a white or purple cup.

Flower of Capsicum annuum © Gianni del Bufalo | Flower of Capsicum frutescens © QG d’Aqiao – Flickr

The fruits, generally thin-walled and hollow, contain round, flat, white seeds, except for Capsicum pubescens whose seeds are black. The smaller they are, the more numerous the fruits of Capsicum are on the plant. Depending on the varieties, the chili can have upright or pendulous fruits, in cylindrical, rounded, or bishop’s cap shapes, and offer various colours (red, yellow, green, purple, variegated…).

Main species and varieties

Peppers – Capsicum annuum

Chilies – Capsicum annuum

Chilies – Capsicum frutescens

Chilies – Capsicum chinense

Pepper Doux d'Espagne - Capsicum annuum

This vigorous variety produces many large elongated fruits measuring 15 cm long and 10 cm wide. Their green skin turns red at ripeness, and their thick flesh offers a sweet flavour.

• Flowering time June to October
• Height at maturity 80 cm

See the full description

Pepper Sweet Banana

This pepper offers good productivity and elongated fruits measuring 15 cm long, changing from yellow to green, then orange, and finally red at ripeness. Their sweet and tender flesh can be enjoyed raw or cooked.

• Flowering time June to October
• Height at maturity 60 cm

See the full description

Sweet Pepper Yellow California Wonder

This pepper is a productive variety with delicious yellow fruits and thick flesh. They can be consumed both raw and cooked.

• Flowering time June to October
• Height at maturity 60 cm

See the full description

Sweet Pepper Purple Bell

This productive variety offers very unique fruits with purple skin. They also have thick, sweet, and tender flesh.

• Flowering time June to October
• Height at maturity 60 cm

See the full description

Chilli Pepper Serrano

The Serrano chili is hot to fiery. It produces small elongated fruits measuring 5 cm, with a shiny epidermis that is green then red at ripeness.

• Flowering time June to October
• Height at maturity 1 m

See the full description

Chilli Pepper Piment dEspelette - Gorria

This variety offers a very tasty and spicy flavour. This chili is traditionally grown in the Basque Country. Its elongated fruits are 15 cm long and turn red at ripeness.

• Flowering time June to October
• Height at maturity 60 cm

See the full description

Chilli Pepper Tabasco

This condiment chili is a hot variety. It is the source of the hot sauce of the same name. Its red fruits can be consumed raw or cooked.

• Flowering time June to October
• Height at maturity 40 cm

See the full description

Cayenne Pepper - Ferme de Sainte Marthe Seeds

The Cayenne chili is among the 10 hottest chilies in the world. Productive, it offers fruits approximately 15 cm long, with a scarlet red colour at ripeness.

• Flowering time June to October
• Height at maturity 1 m

See the full description

Chilli Pepper Habanero

This variety produces a multitude of small fruits measuring 3 to 5 cm, ranked among the 10 hottest chilies in the world. The fruits are lantern-shaped and scarlet red at ripeness.

• Flowering time June to October
• Height at maturity 1 m

See the full description

Sweet Pepper Purple Bell

This productive variety offers very unique fruits with purple skin. They also have thick, sweet, and tender flesh.

• Flowering time June to October
• Height at maturity 60 cm

See the full description

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Sowing and planting of peppers and chillies

Where to Install Peppers and Chillis?

To thrive, chillis and peppers need to be planted in rich, well-draining soil, but to bear fruit, they also require a warm, bright location. Provide them preferably with a sunny position sheltered from cold winds. If your garden does not offer the right conditions (especially if you live in a cool region), it is better to install your plants of the genus Capsicum under cover.

When to Sow Peppers and Chillis?

Sowing of chillis begins in March, although plants grown in a greenhouse can be sown earlier, as soon as February.

How to Sow Peppers and Chillis?

© manuel mv – Flickr

Sowing of Capsicum is always started in a warm environment, indoors or in a heated shelter. The optimal germination temperature is around 25°C. Feel free to place your trays on a radiator to maximise your chances of germination. It is also possible to use a heated propagator. In any case, place your chilli seeds in a bright location. When these conditions are met, the seeds usually germinate in 10 days, sometimes less.

• Push the seeds 1 cm deep into trays filled with good moist potting soil.
• Place the chilli seedlings near a window or under heated frames.
• When they reach 7 cm tall and have their first two leaves, transplant the young plants into individual pots.
• Use a mix of garden soil and potting soil as substrate.

When to Plant Peppers and Chillis?

Young plants of peppers and chillis are planted in the ground in the vegetable garden after mid-May. Any risk of frost must then be eliminated. Depending on your region, it is advisable to wait until June to plant your chillis outdoors. Indeed, they are sensitive to cold and only thrive from 15°C.

Note: the smaller chilli varieties can easily be transplanted and grown in a large pot on a balcony.

How to Plant Peppers and Chillis?

© Forest and Kim Starr – Flickr

• Start by weeding, loosening, and enriching the soil in the vegetable garden.
• Dig planting holes three times the volume of the root ball.
• Plant your chillis and peppers spaced 50 to 60 cm apart.
• Although not essential, you may stake your plants, especially in windy conditions.
• Keep the soil moist by watering at the base.

To help your plants adapt to the open ground, feel free to use a cloche for the first 2 to 3 weeks after planting.

Harvest, storage, and use

Harvest

Chillies and peppers are harvested at ripeness, between mid-August and the end of October, approximately five months after sowing.

Be careful not to pull the fruits off as this may damage the plant. Instead, cut the fruits one by one using a pair of small scissors or a knife, leaving 1 to 2 cm of neck.

If they are not fully ripe, you can also cut entire stems from your chilli plants and hang them upside down in a cool, dry space to allow them to finish ripening.

Note: peppers can be consumed and therefore harvested while still green. However, they only develop their full flavour once fully ripe.

Storage

Note that chillies and peppers last on average 1 week in the vegetable drawer of the refrigerator. In a dry, cool room, this duration can be extended to about 2 weeks.

Chillies are usually bunched together and left to dry in the sun or in the oven (the former being the most recommended option). They can then be ground into powder, or preserved in vinegar, brine, or oil. It is also possible to freeze your chillies, which should then be consumed within 6 months.

Be careful when handling hot chillies; avoid any contact with small wounds, eyes, and mucous membranes…

Culinary Uses

The pepper is part of many recipes. Raw or cooked, marinated, stuffed, grilled, in salads, in cakes, in sauces… the possibilities are endless.

Chillies are used as condiments to flavour and spice up hot or cold dishes. They can be added during cooking, or used for seasoning. It’s best to add them 10 to 15 minutes before the end of cooking in your hot dishes, so they can concentrate all their flavours.

Virtues and Benefits

Low in calories, chillies and peppers are very rich in vitamin C, carotene (especially the red, yellow, and orange ones) and vitamin E. They are, in fact, known for their antioxidant properties. Chillies are also rich in fibre, vitamins B6 and B9, and contain little sodium, with a high water content.

Garden Use

Chilli maceration is an excellent natural repellent to combat insect invasions.

• Use 25 cl of hot chilli for 50 cl of water.
• Let it macerate for 24 hours.
• Then dilute 15 ml of this preparation in 4 l of water before applying by spraying.

Be careful not to use this chilli maceration on your young plants.

Care and maintenance of chillies and peppers

Once well established, chillies and peppers do not require much maintenance, apart from regular watering in summer to encourage abundant fruit production.

Weeding and hoeing will also be necessary here, although all these tasks can be largely limited to the bare minimum thanks to the installation of good mulching. Place thin successive layers of dry leaves or grass clippings at the base of your Capsicum plants.

To avoid a build-up of pests and depleting your soil, ensure you respect a gap of 3 to 4 years before replanting chillies in the same spot.

→ Read also the pruning of summer vegetables

Diseases and potential pests of peppers and chillies

Chillies and peppers can be affected by the same diseases as tomato. Downy mildew and anthracnose are, however, much less common in them than in tomato. To further reduce the risk of diseases, avoid wetting the leaves of your Capsicum plants during watering, and ensure you adhere to the recommended planting distances. If necessary, spray Bordeaux mixture on your plants.

Chillies and peppers are very rarely subject to attacks from pests. Only aphids are to be feared here. However, these can easily be eliminated by spraying a mixture of water and black soap on the leaves and stems of the plant.

→ Learn more about diseases and pests of peppers

Multiplying peppers and chillies

As we have seen previously, the propagation of chillies is done by sowing.

To harvest the seeds of chillies, be mindful of the risks of cross-pollination. Always choose a chilli that you are sure has not been pollinated with pollen from other plants growing nearby. Similarly, make sure to collect seeds from fully ripe fruits. They will thus be well-formed, dry, and easy to detach from the fruit. Preferably select the most vigorous and attractive plant, a sign of good health.

• Wear gloves before handling the chillies and their seeds.
• Cut the fruits in half and scrape out the seeds to detach them.
• Keep only those that are well-formed, showing a cream colour.
• Let them dry (without washing) for 24 hours.
• Place the dry seeds in paper or fabric bags.
• Label the bag with the variety.
• Store them in a dry place away from light.
• The seeds will retain their germination capacity for 4 to 5 years.

Pairing Peppers and Chillis

Peppers and chillies grown in open ground can be favourably associated with cabbages, carrots, and African marigolds (which stimulate their production). However, avoid any proximity to other solanaceae (aubergine, tomato, potato…)