Good enough to eat

●● Growing chillies

Chillies can be trained easily into neat bushy plants and deserve a place on the patio - they will give you enough fruit to keep you going for some time.

Start them off indoors by sowing two seeds into a 9cm pot and placing it on a heated propagator or warm windowsill, where you can maintain a constant temperature of 20C.

If both seeds germinate, remove the weaker one and gradually reduce the temperature to a minimum of 14C at night. When the plant fills its space, put it into a two-litre pot of multi-purpose compost and, in June, place it in its final resting place in a five-litre pot in a sheltered spot.

When the plant is 20cm tall, pinch out the growing tip to encourage bushiness.

Water frequently on hot days and feed with a tomato fertiliser when the fruits form.

They’re ready for picking when ripe with a smooth skin.

Chillies will store well for a couple of weeks in the fridge or longer in the freezer.