I have seen and grown Chilli plants in my garden but like I faced many problems in growing this plant when I was a beginner, many garden enthusiast faces the same problem.
They watch a lot of videos on How To Grow Chilli In Pot but while growing they get sad because of either stunted vegetative growth in chilli plant or diseases.
If you are excited to grow this plant in your garden then you are at the right place. In this article, I will discuss every detail like planting time, sunlight requirements, fertilizer requirements, watering frequency, pest and disease management on growing chilli in pot.
Few Facts On Chilli Plant
They belong to genus Capsicum of the nightshade family, Solanaceae. They are widely cultivated in America from 7500 BC in America and the origin is believed to be in Mexico.
Now chilli is widely grown in India, China, Peru, Spain and Mexico. It can be grown very easily in tropical to subtropical regions. This plant loves hot and humid climate but hates heavy rains or watering as it can cause root rot.
Well-drained sandy loam soil that is rich in organic matter with soil pH in the range of 6.5 to 7.5 is considered good for growing this plant. Climatic temperature ranging between 20 to 25 degrees Celsius is ideal.
How To Grow Chilli In Pot?
You can either purchase a healthy disease resistant plant from the nearest plant nursery or you can grow them from seeds.
If you want to grow them from seeds then purchase high quality, disease-resistant seeds from the market.
Growing Season
You can grow this plant in several seasons depending on the cultivar of this plant. The growing season is from February to July and September to October. That means nearly most of the time you can grow this plant.
Selection of Pot
Select 10 to 12 inch sized earthen or cemented pot to grow this plant. Make sure that your pot has at least 3 to 4 drainage holes to remove excess water from the pot. This plant does not like stagnant water.
Propagation
To grow this plant from seeds, purchase high-quality disease-resistant seeds from the market. Soak the seeds in water for 24 hours in a glass container. Discard all the seeds that float over water and only select those seeds that sink down.
Prepare potting mix with 70% sandy loam soil + 30% any organic compost and mix it thoroughly. If you don’t have sandy loam soil then mix 10% sand in the soil.
You can also use 70% organic compost + 30% river sand to prepare potting mix for germination.
Pour this potting mix in small containers or germination tray with good drainage holes. Leave one-inch space at the top and apply water in the container. Place one to two seeds in each container and cover it with half centimetre layer of potting mix.
Apply water gently and keep the germinating container in the shady area where it can receive indirect sunlight. Maintain regular moisture in the container but do not overwater. Overwatering can harm your seeds.
In 8 to 12 days you will notice new plants coming out of the soil. When your newly grown seedlings reach 3 to 4 leaved stage then it is ready for transplanting.
Transplanting
Prepare potting mix with 50% sandy loam soil + 30% organic compost + 20% cocopeat and mix them thoroughly. Pour this mixture in the new large container with at least 3 to 4 drainage holes.
Take out new seedlings from the germinating container very carefully without disturbing their roots in the early morning. Dig small holes in the pot to place the seedlings. In a pot you can plant 3 to 4 chilli seedlings at regular gaps.
Place your seedlings in the hole and cover it with potting mix. Water your pot gently after transplantation and keep the pot in an area where it can receive indirect sunlight for at least 10 days.
Sunlight Requirements
Chilli plant requires full sunlight for at least 4 to 5 hours to grow properly and setting fruits. However, if you have kept this plant in open then try to protect it from rains by placing in the shade during rains.
Watering Frequency
Water plants only when the topsoil seems dry. If the temperature is too hot outside then you can apply a little amount of water in early morning and evening. But during fruit setting let the soil dry a little before watering.
Avoid overwatering in this plant because it can cause the death of your plant.
Care
You will need to care about these points to grow bushier and healthy chilli plant.
- Pinch off shoot tips at early growth stages to increase branches in the plant.
- Keep the plants together for better pollination and fruit set
- Do not use low-quality seeds as they are prone to disease.
- Prevent stagnation of water in the pot.
- Chilli plant first produces male flower and then they fall. People consider it a flower drop and get panic but it is natural. Female flower appears later on after the male flowers and then pollination occurs.
- Keep digging the soil in the pot a little once in every month.
Fertilizer Requirements
If you are growing your plant completely by organic method then apply a handful of vermicompost once in 15 to 20 days interval. During flowering stage you can add banana peel fertilizer in dry form to increase flowering.
To apply fertilizer, first dig the soil around the plant and then add the fertilizer. Water gently after fertilizer application in plant.
READ MORE: HOW TO MAKE BANANA PEEL FERTILIZER
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