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Easy Wins in Vegetable Gardening: Chili

Posted by Jewel Sebastian on

Plant Name: Chili (Capsicum sp.)
Chili, one of the kitchen commodities that always have an upward spike, is an ingredient that most of the Filipinos love. Especially for people who are used to having "tiltilan," chili will always be present. Chili is one of the most colorful fruits, and it is also widely varied in terms of taste. Chili fruits come in hues of red, yellow, green, purple and even black. But their colors don't exactly indicate the level of spice that they have.
Here are some of the health benefits that chili has hidden behind its pop flavor.
Capsaicin, the main component of chili peppers can reduce inflammation and decrease the chances of heart ailments. Chilies also are loaded with Vitamin C that is needed to fight viruses that cause common colds among others. So adding spice to your food while being sick will significantly reduce the days of being ill, and you can speed towards recovery in lesser time. Chili peppers also contain Vitamin A that is the main nutrient for achieving optimal eye health. It also contains dietary fiber, and Iron. So it's not just about the spice, but also a number of health benefits that you can get from those little food bombs, right? What are you waiting for, let's get planting!

How to plant:
Chilies would love an area with plenty of sunlight. They can be planted in containers or directly on the ground. To start, grow seeds in a seed tray by putting the seeds on a well-draining medium and cover them with another layer of soil. Water them after sowing and expect the seeds to sprout within 3-10 days. They are ready for transplanting when "true leaves" appear, these are the second pair of leaves that come out after the first pair called the "seed leaves." When planting in pots, they should be planted individually. From the seed tray, choose the healthiest seedlings to be transplanted in gallon-sized containers. On the otherhand, if planting on the ground, make sure there is an adequate space about 12-18 inches apart for each plant to allow enough nutrient distribution. Water them after transplanting to avoid transplant shock. Then water them daily afterward. They would love to have moist soil, but not soaking wet. Maintain them by pulling out weeds and installing a trellis if the chili plant needs it. Side-dress with organic compost a month after transplanting.

How to harvest:
After 75 days for most varieties, it's time to harvest those little bombs! To ensure the heat of your harvest, pick chili peppers at their peak of ripeness. The determinant for this is the change in color. So it is good to know the ripe color of the variety that you planted. Otherwise, you won't get the best out of your harvest. If you plan to make chili powder, leave them to shrivel and dry up on their own on the branch before harvesting.

Bonus tips:
Chili plants would yield healthy and plump fruits if the soil is nutritious, loose, and well-draining so make sure to amend your soil if it appears clayish.
If you want to optimize the heat in your chili harvest, allow the soil to dry out between watering as harvest time comes near. Dry soil increases the heat in its fruits.
Keep your chili plants away from areas where small children or animal pets play to prevent unwanted ingestion.
When harvesting chilies, it will be helpful to use gloves to protect your hands, but make sure not to touch your face and skin with the gloves to avoid irritations.