TWO HOURS ON THE VEG PLOT

Now is the right time to sow chillis, says Jack Wallington

There aren’t many seeds you can sow in the depths of winter, because they’ll struggle with the lack of sunlight.

Chillies, however, alongside peppers and aubergines, are exceptions. All slow growers, they benefit from an early start.

Sow chillies now, a few millimetres deep into seed compost. Cover the tray with glass or clingfilm to keep moisture in, and place in a heated propagator or on a shelf above a radiator. They usually take two weeks or more to germinate, so days will already be longer when they do, though a small grow light will give them a boost (search amazon.co.uk for LED grow lamps).

When they have about 10 leaves, pot into their final 20cm pots using peat-free compost and pinch out the tip to encourage branching. Last year, I grew ‘Royal Black’ from ukchilliseeds.co.uk, a plant so hot it almost blew my head off when I ate a whole chilli raw for a dare. With its dark purple leaves, purple flowers and black, shiny fruit, I’m going to grow more for ornamental use in our tropical border.

If you like things spicy, I can certainly recommend it, alongside ‘Scotch Bonnet’ or ‘Habanero’ types, available in different colours for subtly different flavours. For milder cooking chillies, try ‘Cayenne Long Slim’ and ‘Jalapeno’ types.

Chillies make great edible houseplants, growing well on south-facing windowsills. With care, they’ll produce ever-increasing quantities. In warmer areas, such as sheltered southern gardens, they crop well outdoors: I grow ‘Padron’ in rows outdoors on my allotment, though they crop best in a greenhouse or polytunnel.

This year, I collected the seeds, scraping them from dried ripe fruit before storing in an envelope – ready for this moment.

Find Jack’s blog at jackwallington.com. Follow him on Twitter @jackwallington; Instagram @jackwallingtongardendesign

Some like it hot: Potted orange habanero chillies