Give chillies an early start

You’ll need a polytunnel, greenhouse or a very light windowsill in the house to sow the seeds, which germinate readily in a small pot or tray of seed compost, kept at an even temperature around 25°C (a heated propagator will help you achieve this). Once the seeds have germinated, prick the seedlings out individually into small pots and grow on.

Young plants in 9cm pots will need potting on towards the end of April. Photo: Shutterstock

Usually after about one month to six weeks, they’re ready for small 9cm pots, and at the end of April can go into their final pots. Choose pots with a capacity around 6-7 litres and keep these in the greenhouse or position them in a warm, sunny spot outside in the garden.

Multi-purpose compost is fine for chillies. Alternatively, you can plant them directly into the greenhouse or polytunnel border, if you have one. A bigger root run will ultimately give you a bigger yield.

Plants can be grown outside in a sunny spot. Photo: Shutterstock

As the plants are growing, make sure they’re well-fed. A foliar feed such as SB Plant Invigorator is a good choice. Water when the compost is dry and don’t let the roots get waterlogged. In fact, underwatering can increase the flavour and heat in chillies. If you encounter a problem, use biological control against pests such as whitefly and red spider mite at the first sign of symptoms.

‘Apricot’
A fruity flavoured, heatless habanero, which is a C. chinense variety, best sown in January.

Chilli ‘Apricot’. Photo: Sea Spring Seeds

‘Lemon Drop’
Bright yellow chillies that are hot with a citrus-like flavour. The plants tend to be tall and straggly, so may need supporting as they grow. Best sown in February.

Chilli ‘Lemon Drop’. Photo: Sea Spring Seeds

‘Dorset Naga’
For