Growing Chillis

Chilli growing season 2009—2010

Due to the cold start to our spring, I was unable to plant out any Habaneros or Bhut jolokias outside until much later than the previous year, so they spent quite a bit if time in the glass house. This is my second season of growing these chillies so I am still learning, and I had quite a few problems, with white fly infestations, which I had to spray with a organic spray Tui Eco Pest.

Next season I will be planting a much bigger crop with cloches to extend the growing season, and I want to use a different method of controlling pests by using biological pest control, which is introducing insects that pray on whitefly such as the Encarsia formosa - Parasitic wasp.

The original Rocoto chilli bush that I first planted 7 years ago has now died off, but I found that these chillies self seed, and there is a new plant now growing in it’s place, but will take a few years to reach the same growth as it’ mother. These are the easiest chilli plants to germinate with nearly all the seeds germinating, and I will be planting some of those in raised gardens against a high retaining wall to grow as climbers (well that’s the plan anyway).

This has been the first year of growing the really hot Bhut jolokia, which is a interspecies hybrid and they are a tender slower growing chilli which cannot stand up to wind at all. I placed the few that I was able to germinate into the glass house and even though we are into May they are still fruiting.

The Bhut jolokia growing in the glass house	Young Rocoto seedlings
Habnero plants in raised gardens covered with cloches	Habanero and Bhut jolokia’s January 2010

The Rocoto chilli bush has been very easy to grow, and this has now been in my garden for over 5 years. Here in this photo it has only just begun to gain in size after losing about a 1/3 of it in some of the storms we had over winter.

Like most chilli plants, they do not like wind, and we have North Easterly winds that hit our house, so yes make sure where ever you plant your chillies, make sure they are out of the wind.

I am not a horticulturist, some things will grow for me and some will not.
I seem to be able to grow chillies, and I grow everything organically.

For plant food I use Watkins Bounty for foliage and growth (Nitrogen 10. Phosphorus 3. Potassium 7) N.P.K or Natures Own Super Grow Guano (bat manure). For flowering and fruit I use either, sheep manure pellets,
Yates organic Nitrosol which is blood and bone fertilizer N.P.K.3.3.6 or
Natures Own Superbloom.

This chilli bush is now about 1.5 metres high and 2 metres across, with a trunk about 100mm thick, I have seen these chilli bushes grow like a vine over archways.

Last season I dried some of the black seeds and germinated quite a few plants, letting them grow over the winter in the glasshouse. Many I gave away, but I did plant more down on a more protected area of our property.

Two of them were put directly into a slightly sloping level area, and they have been slower to grow, with smaller fruit.

Three we put into make shift raised beds, with lots of mulch, and they are growing faster with bigger fruit.

The leaves were looking a bit yellow so I have given them a small quantity of lime (hopefully that will make a difference)
There has so far, been no insect pests or diseases on these chilli plants that seem to affect them in any negative way

A part from growing the Rocoto's, I germinated a few orange Habaneros. I did leave it too late in the season but as I have a hothouse, they survived through last winter.

Late September 08' I geminated in earnest all the Habanero seeds I had, with great success using the peat pots that you expand in water, and just about every seed germinated.

My plan is to terrace the lawn area that you see in the last photo, but time was limited. I bought black plastic planter bags (PB 40.s) and a trailer load of Living Earth garden mix. Mid November 08' the young Habanero seedlings, which had been in the glass house, were ready to be planted out.

This is where they will live until the terraced raised gardens are built. The plants seem to be thriving like this, and at the moment, I am just waiting for the fruit to ripen. Insect pests have not been too great a problem, apart some whitefly, so I spray weekly with Garlic and Pyrethrum.	These are the young habanero fruit, which will turn orange when ripe.
This is a scotch bonnet, and has the lantern shaped fruit.	It appears there has been some cross pollination, I can see Habaneros and Scotch bonnets on the same plant.
These are the chocolate Habaneros.
I moved all my Habaneros onto my bottom lawn area out of high wind, they are still flowering so I hope to get a late crop. My next step is to start building the raised gardens for these plant plus more. Maybe I will cover them over winter. Also I have germinated some Bhut jolokia, and as some people know these are supposed to be even hotter than Habaneros, and from America I brought in some Red savina, but I am still waiting for these to germinate although I might have left it a bit late even though they are in the glasshouse. The food for the chillies has now changed and I am foliage feeding weekly with Yates Bio-gold and for extra potassium, seaweed concentrate.

Chillies are fascinating and fun plants to grow, and if you want more information on growing chillies here in New Zealand, buy a copy of Gary Somerville's (Kaitaia Fire) book.

As my chilli garden expands I will endeavor to keep this page updated, so for every chilli grower out there, have fun.