PlantSowGrow
How to grow Chilli Pepper (Cayenne)
Capsicum annuum
Long, thin, hot red chillies — ideal for drying and cooking. Compact plants crop well in a pot on a sunny windowsill.
At a glance: Sow late January to mid February, harvest from late July.
When to sow, plant and harvest
Timed for a typical UK garden (last frost mid-April). The app uses your own town's frost dates.
Growing Chilli Pepper (Cayenne): what it needs
- Light
- Full sun · 6+ hours a day
- Watering
- Water regularly in dry weather
- Soil
- Fertile, well-drained soil
- Spacing
- 45 cm
- In pots
- Grows well in containers
- Feeding
- A general feed before sowing or planting
- Harvest
- About 150 days from sowing
- Hardiness
- USDA zones 9–11
- Difficulty
- Easy
Step by step
- Late January – mid February · 12 weeks before the last spring frost
Sow Seeds Indoors
Sow in modules or small pots of seed compost under cover. Needs 20–25°C to germinate.
- 7–21 days after “Sow Seeds Indoors” · Late January – mid February
Check Germination
Seedlings should appear in 7–21 days. If sown outdoors, thin to 45 cm apart when big enough to handle.
- 14–21 days after “Check Germination” · Mid February
Pot On Seedlings
Move seedlings into 9 cm pots (or keep in modules) when they have their first true leaves.
- Late April · 11 days after the last spring frost
Harden Off
Stand plants outside by day for 7–10 days before planting out.
- Early May – early June · 3 weeks after the last spring frost
Plant Out
Plant out 45 cm apart and water in well.
- 30–45 days after “Plant Out” · Early June – mid June
Start Feeding
Feed every 7–10 days with tomato feed once the first flowers appear.
- 80–101 days after “Plant Out” · Late July – mid August
Start Harvesting
Pick green or leave to turn red for more heat. Picking encourages more fruit.
- 75–105 days after “Start Harvesting” · Early October – early November
Finish and Clear
Bring pot plants indoors before the frost to keep cropping, or clear them.
