Varieties of chilli – from gentle to astronomical!
Anaheim – A bushy plant can grow up to a metre in height with chillies about 20cm long, with a fresh green taste usually available in its green form, but can be left to ripen to red which is then a bit hotter, a close relative to the New Mexico Chilli.
Cayenne - Pencil. This cayenne-type chilli is perfect for Indian cooking. The thin, pointed fruit are uniform, measuring around 140mm long, and hang down from the plants like Christmas tree decorations. They turn from pale green to red as they mature and are medium hot. The upright, medium-tall plants can be very productive and are suited to growing, with some support, in large pots and grow bags.
Dorset Naga is one of the hottest chillies in the world. Its heat level is strongly influenced by growing conditions, so though Dorset Naga fruit will always be extraordinarily hot, there is no guarantee every crop will reach such an astronomical level. The scorching heat of the fruit is combined with a distinctive fruity aroma, making this an exceptional chilli.
so if your seedlings are spindly, you can transplant them so that their stems are covered by the soil up to the base of the bottom cluster of leaves.
As the plants grow you will need bigger pots. A standard progression is, 7cm(3in), 15cm(6in) and then the final 20cm(8in). Bear in mind that the bigger the pot the plant lives in the bigger the plant will get. Once they are in bigger pots you can fertilize every day with diluted feed.
The growing process after that is straightforward and often dramatic as the chillies will flower and form quite rapidly, depending on the temperature, but again it’s a question of the hotter the better.
When flowers appear, help out the bees with some hand pollination - gently dab a cotton bud into each flower.
Snip off the first chillies while green to encourage fruiting all season - July to October. You can let the next fruit mature to red for a more rounded flavour.
The hottest and more unusual varieties, such as the habanero, take longer to ripen.
If you can get a plant through the winter, the fruit yield will increase in the second and third years. At the end of the growing season choose a healthy plant and cut it back to leave the stem and a few healthy branches.
Make sure the plant is free from pests and that the compost is relatively fresh. Place plant on a warm windowsill and give an occasional liquid feed.
An overwintered plant will produce fruit earlier and more prolifically. After four or five years, yields begin to fall and it is time to retire that plant.
Wheathill Garden Centre For all your gardening needs and much more... Open: Mon - Sat 9.00 - 5.30, Sunday 10.00 - 4.00
Quick Chilli Pasta
Serves 4 Ingredients
2 cans of tuna (2 x 185g) Jar of pasta sauce (500g) Bunch of spring onions 1 fresh courgette Handful of oregano (chopped) Handful of parsley (chopped) A few sprigs of thyme (chopped) Seasoning (black pepper and salt) 1 fresh pepper (red or green) 1-2 medium strength green chillies A little oil mixed with chilli oil Dash of chilli sauce Pasta of your choice Some grated parmesan cheese Fresh basil
Method
Fry the chopped spring onions, pepper and finely chopped chilli in a little oil which has had some chilli oil added. Add the herbs, sliced courgette and seasoning. Cook for a few minutes before adding the pasta sauce and chilli sauce. Stir well and continue cooking for a few more minutes before adding the tuna. Continue cooking for a further 10-15 minutes. Cook the pasta according to the instructions on the pack before mixing in a drizzle of chilli oil. Pour the mixture over the pasta and top with grated parmesan and fresh basil leaves.
With thanks to Jane Eayrs at Farmcote Herbs and Chilli Peppers, Farmcote, near Winchcombe, GL54 5AU
www.farmcoteherbs.co.uk
TEA ROOMS OPEN DAILY.
Tel: 01963 251500 Wheathill Lane, Milborne Port, Sherborne, Dorset, DT9 5EY Country Gardener
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