11/26/2012
Growing your own green chilis
Green chiles are merely immature red chiles, picked while they are still green.
Green chilis (Capsicum annuum) are actually red chilis that are harvested before they turn red. These peppers are more often referred to as green chiles and come in many varieties that vary in pungency from mild to very hot. Green chiles are native to South America. These plants thrive best when planted outdoors in warm areas where the temperature remains consistently above 55 degrees Fahrenheit.
1. Start your green chile seeds indoors in mid-April or six to eight weeks before the final frost of the season.
2. Transplant your green chile seedlings outdoors in an area that receives full sunlight once the nighttime temperature is consistently above 50 degrees Fahrenheit. This usually happens near the end of May.
3. Space your seedlings between 18 and 24 inches apart, planting them in rows in your garden bed. If you are planting a large number of green chile seedlings you may choose to space them 14 to 18 inches apart in all directions to increase the number of seedlings you can fit into the bed.
4. Fertilize your seedlings immediately after transplanting them using a liquid fertilizer. Select a fertilizer that contains both nitrogen and phosphorus to promote healthy growth in your seedlings.
5. Water your green chile seedlings twice a week throughout the growing season to keep the soil moist to a depth of several inches. During periods of particularly dry or hot weather, you may need to water your seedlings more frequently.
6. Apply a second dose of liquid fertilizer about four weeks after transplanting your seedlings.
7. Check your chiles daily for pests. Insect pests that commonly affect green chiles include aphids, cutworms and whiteflies. Remove large insect pests by hand and cut off badly damaged leaves or branches.
8. Mix 2 tablespoons cooking oil and 2 tablespoons of baby shampoo with 1 gallon of water to create your own homemade pesticide. Spray this mixture lightly over your pepper plants to repel aphids, whiteflies and other insect pests. When applying this pesticide, be sure to treat both sides of the leaves.
9. Harvest your green chile peppers when they are firm and glossy. Use a pair of sharp scissors to cut the chile off the plant, leaving about an inch of the stem attached.
10. Dry your green chiles, if you desire, by hanging them on a string by the 1-inch stems. Hang the chiles in a warm, dry area that gets plenty of air circulation.
Things You Will Need
• Chile seeds
• Liquid fertilizer
• Cooking oil
• Baby shampoo
• String
Tip
• Do not plant your green chile seedlings in a bed that contained peppers, tomatoes, potatoes or eggplant the previous growing season. Any disease organisms that affected the previous year's crops might still be present in the soil and could affect the current year's crops.
• Avoid overwatering your seedlings. If the roots become too wet, they could become more susceptible to rot and disease.
Warning
• Always wash your hands after handling chile seeds or peppers. The oil in the peppers is what makes them "hot" and it can irritate your skin and eyes if it makes contact.
References
• Colorado State University Cooperative Extension: Chiles for the Home Garden
• University of Illinois Extension: Peppers
• Sunset: Peppers
• New Mexico State University: Growing Chiles in New Mexico
• University of Florida: Home Remedies for Insect and Disease Control on Plants
About the Author
Katherine Barrington has written on a variety of topics, from arts and crafts to pets, health and do-it-yourself projects. She has a Bachelor of Arts in English with a creative writing concentration from Marietta College.
