By Satch58
United States
do you grow chilli in poor or rich soil
- 19 Jan, 2016
Answers
Most chilis prefer a rich, well-drained soil. Many of the smaller "bird peppers", and Serrano peppers can withstand poor soil, though only heirloom species Chiltepin prefers a sandy, mineral soil.
20 Jan, 2016
For a new chilli grower, treat as tomatoes and you can't go far wrong.
Protect from cold draughts.
Gently tickle well open flowers to fertilise plants.
Chillies like the growing medium to be well drained and on the dry side before watering.
Do not overwater. Water well, but they don't like waterlogged growing medium.
20 Jan, 2016
If you are in a warm part of the US - and don't have frosts, then the better the soil the better they will do. But make sure they get adequate water - they are quite thirsty. Altho' they will grow in poor soil with less water, they won't crop as well. Many are perennial as well - so if you are lucky enough to be able to grow them outside, prune them back a bit and they'll come on again next season. Some can reach the sixe of shrubs.
In the UK I have to keep them in a greenhouse and even then it is easy to lose them. But keep them indoors - and you get infested with spider-mites! I prune back hard in the soring and feed and water really generously all season. Often I have too many chillis to know what to do with - after making chilli jam, chilli jelly, dried chillis, pickled chillis, chilli pickle, chilli sauce, sweet and sour sauce and good old chilli vodka!!!
21 Jan, 2016
I've only ever grown them in the greenhouse in normal potting compost and they did really well.
19 Jan, 2016