Chilli

Light

Sunny

Pot size

Medium pot (about 5 to 15 litres); needs at least 11.4 litres and 30.5 cm of depth

Care level

Easy

Year round or seasonal

Seasonal crop for warm weather

Pets

Pet safety not confirmed

Light and position

Full sun: 6 or more hours of direct sun.

Size and pot

N.C. Cooperative Extension gives a 3-gallon minimum container (about 11.4 litres) for peppers; NC State’s container table lists 2 gallons, and we use the larger figure. NC State’s table adds a minimum depth of 12 to 16 inches (about 30 to 41 cm). Our pot band: medium pot (about 5 to 15 litres). A band is only a rough fit: the published minimum volume and depth above apply whatever the band. Check your pot with the volume calculator.

Watering

Keep the soil consistently and evenly moist; uneven watering contributes to blossom-end rot.

Potting mix and feeding

Moist, rich, well-drained mix.

Growing through the year

A warm-season crop that is frost tender but heat and drought tolerant. The roots dislike disturbance, so transplant seedlings carefully; pinching young plants makes them bushier.

NC State’s vegetable handbook says warm-season vegetables are frost-sensitive and grow well when temperatures are above about 21 °C (70 °F).

Watch for

Aphids and whiteflies; mosaic virus, bacterial spot and blossom-end rot.

Pets and people

We did not find an ASPCA entry for Capsicum, and NC State gives no pet rating, so pet safety is not confirmed.

General gardening information, not professional advice. Plant toxicity details are a starting point, not veterinary or medical advice: if a pet or child may have eaten a plant, contact a veterinarian or doctor promptly.

Care level: NC State’s maintenance rating (Low). Pot band and summary wording are ours, based on the sources below.