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Vegetable

Chilli

Capsicum annuum / C. frutescens

A warm-season crop that loves Adelaide's hot summers and keeps fruiting into autumn. Many types grow happily in pots and can be kept for two or three years in a sheltered spot. Raise or buy seedlings and plant once nights are warm; chillies sulk in cold soil.

When to plant where you live

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Planting times for other areas

Varieties (4)

  • BirdseyeVery hot small chillies; long-lived bushy plants
  • CayenneLong thin hot fruit; easy to dry
  • HabaneroFruity and extremely hot; needs a long warm season, start early
  • JalapeñoMedium heat, thick-walled; prolific and good for pickling

Neighbours

Grows well with

From seed to plate

  1. Plant

    45 cm apart, seed 5 mm deep. Full sun.

  2. Water

    Moderate; let the top dry slightly between waterings.

  3. Feed

    Light feed monthly.

  4. Pick, from about 13 weeks

    Pick green or ripe; wear gloves for hot types.

Good to know

  • Wear gloves when picking or seeding hot chillies
  • Pick regularly to keep plants flowering
  • Thread surplus chillies on string to dry, or freeze them whole

Common problems

  • Blossom end rot or flower dropwater deeply and evenly, mulch
  • Aphids and whiteflyhose off, encourage predators; use soap or oil sprays if severe
  • Fruit flypick ripe fruit promptly, remove fallen fruit; follow current SA biosecurity guidance
  • Plants die back in winterin pots, move to a warm sheltered spot and cut back in early spring

If you use a garden chemical, follow the label exactly. Try organic options first, and ask the community or Plant Doctor if you're unsure.

Ask the garden helper about chilliAny question, answered from the plant libraryHow others are growing chilliQuestions, tips and harvests from the community

Safety: Capsaicin irritates eyes and mouths.

Where this information comes from

Reviewed by AI cross-check (Claude), not a horticulturist on 27 Oct 2026. Version 2.