GARDENING

AS chilli festival season begins, expert grower and exhibitor Nigel Parker offers Hannah Stephenson some tips on picking, planting and maintaining your own spicy crops Germination is key You need a propagator for germination, at a minimum of 22°C, or ideally 28°C.

If you sow seeds in the ideal conditions, they can germinate in six to 10 days.

“Some people sow in January or February, but you’d be wasting your time.

“Sow chillies in early March through to late March.

“They will grow faster because the light’s better,” Nigel advises.

“If they need watering, use warm water.

“Water straight from the tap will be too cold and you’ll stop the germination. Then the seed will have to heat up again.” Potting them on You can put six to eight seeds in a 9cm pot in a standard seed and potting compost.

If you’re using a propagator, take the lid off as soon as the seeds germinate because lids reduce light levels.

Don’t overwater, and transplant when there are two mature leaves big enough to handle on each seedling and pot on to a 7cm or 9cm pot individually, using a good quality compost (not soil-based).

You can put the plants outdoors after all risk of frost has passed. Maintenance is key Add granular slow-release fertiliser to the compost, which will feed your plants for three to six months, but also feed the plants with a high potash feed, such as tomato food, when the fruits have set.

Epsom salts (magnesium sulphate) and seaweed extract (calcium nitrate) can also be watered in.

Do that from time to time from flowering onwards.

“Epsom salts improves the quality of the fruit, while calcium helps prevent deficiencies in the fruit,” says Nigel.

When will they be ready?

If you put your plants out at the end of May, you should be picking fast varieties by the middle of July onwards.

Harvesting and preserving

Once you’ve picked them, chillies will keep in a fridge for several weeks.

You can keep them longer by freezing. Holker Chilli Festival at Cark-inCartmel, Cumbria, runs from September 8-9. Visit holker.co.uk or call 01539 558 328.