Hot and spicy

Want to grow great chillies for spicy meals? Camilla Phelps reveals the best varieties, including heat ratings, sowing techniques, and tips and tricks for these hot plants

- Camilla Phelps

ONE way to raise the temperature at this time of year is to sow chilli seeds. Chillies need a long time to germinate and mature, so getting them started at the earliest opportunity is the key to success. Sow your seeds now for some spicy suppers come August.

The heat in chillies depends on the amount of capsaicin in the fruits and it is usually measured in Scoville Heat Units or SHU, named after Wilbur Scoville, the scientist who invented the scale in 1912. Chilli growing – and tasting – can get very competitive, with the hottest chili in the world currently measuring 2.2 million SHU. Compare this with the mildest chillies or sweet peppers, ranging from 0-1,000 units.

Productive plants

The wild capsicums that gave us the chillies we have today are from Central and South America. From here they were later exported to Asia with colonial traders – hence the spread of spicy cooking. Yet while most chilies need warm growing conditions to reflect their origins, you don’t need a greenhouse. These are compact plants, ranging in size from approximately 2-5ft (60-160cm), and many varieties will grow happily in a pot on a warm windowsill, balcony, patio or in the front garden.

Chillies are highly productive plants with plenty of fruits appearing from August through into late autumn, especially if you keep picking them. Harvest them green or in their fully ripe red, yellow or purple stages and cook them fresh, or dry and store.

Keeping plants over winter