Kay Maguire - RHS Red Hot Chilli Grower: The complete guide to planting, picking and preserving chillies

RHS

RED HOT

CHILLI

GROWER

RHS Red Hot Chilli Grower

Author: Kay Maguire

First published in Great Britain in 2015 by Mitchell Beazley, an imprint of Octopus Publishing Group Ltd,

Endeavour House, 189 Shaftesbury Avenue, London WC2H 8JY

www.octopusbooks.co.uk

A Hachette UK Company

Published in association with the Royal Horticultural Society

Copyright Quid Publishing 2015

Text copyright Quid Publishing 2015

All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means,

electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval

system, without the prior written permission of the publishers.

ISBN: 9781784725013

A CIP record of this book is available from the British Library

Set in Amatic, Gill Sans, Madurai and Rockwell

Printed and bound in China

Mitchell Beazley Publisher: Alison Starling

RHS Publisher: Rae Spencer Jones

Conceived, designed and produced by

Quid Publishing

Level 4 Sheridan House

Hove BN3 1DD

England

Cover design: Clare Barber

Designer: Clare Barber

Illustrations: Melvyn Evans

RHS consultant editor: Simon Maughan

The Royal Horticultural Society is the UKs leading gardening charity dedicated to advancing horticulture

and promoting good gardening. Its charitable work includes providing expert advice and information,

training the next generation of gardeners, creating hands-on opportunities for children to grow plants and

conducting research into plants, pests and environmental issues affecting gardeners.

For more information visit www.rhs.org.uk or call 0845 130 4646.

www.octopusbooks.co.uk

www.hachette.co.uk

www.rhs.org.uk

RHS

RED HOT

CHILLI

GROWER

The Complete Guide to Planting,

Picking and Preserving Chillies

Kay Maguire

CONTENTS

RED HOT CHILLI GROWER

FOREWORD

As garden supervisor at West Dean Gardens, West Sussex, each year I see chillies exploding into growth in one of the Victorian pit houses, bedazzling garden visitors with their vibrant array of coloured fruits during summer and Im equally knocked out by their gorgeous diversity. I grow many edible crops, but chillies provide the Wow! factor, as witnessed by the annual West Dean Chilli Fiesta, which, from humble beginnings, has grown to attract about 20,000 visitors each year.

Ive been growing this summer crop annually since the early 1990s, first at the request of a botanical illustration tutor at West Dean College, and afterwards inspired by the tradition of chilli growing in the USA, which I hoped to replicate in the UK. The collection grew from only a few different varieties of chilli, as there werent many available in UK catalogues at the time, to about 300 varieties, with nearly all of them sourced nationally either through regular retail seed merchants or the internet.

Chillies are a gratifyingly easy crop to grow and relatively pest and disease free; so a thirst for heat and flavour can be satisfied easily within just one season of home-grown chilli cultivation. For an experienced grower like myself, its good to have a book with clear and positive growing tips

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FOREWORD 7

and new ideas to embrace. Equally, using chillies with a mix of ornamentals in pots or garden beds makes them doubly enjoyable.

However, for an absolute beginner to the world of growing chillies, some pointers on where to start are invaluable. This is where this book will prove to be a precious resource. Its a complete AZ of chilli information that will turn all who read it into paid-up members of the worldwide club of chilli heads.

Sarah Wain

Garden Supervisor,

West Dean Gardens,

West Sussex, England

RED HOT CHILLI GROWER

INTRODUCTION

rom the eye-watering curries of India to the throat-tingling tacos of Mexico, chillies are one of the most widely used ingredients in the world. Every day they are included in a whole host of different cuisines, transforming any dish theyre added to and, for many, chillies are an essential ingredient that they just couldnt live without.

But if you are a chilli fan, have you ever thought that you could grow your very own chilli supply at home? And that you dont need to be an experienced gardener to do so?

Chillies are brilliantly easy plants to grow. They need no specialist kit, just a little time, patience and somewhere warm and bright to live in. They suffer with very few problems and are impressively productive, pumping out their bright shiny pods from mid summer until the end of autumn. Plus, with hundreds of chillies to choose from, in all different pod sizes, colours and heat levels, there is at least one variety for you, however simple or ambitious your chilli-growing plans.

Chillies are beautiful and rewarding plants, ideal for both the first-time grower and the keen gardener. For little more than the price of a packet of seeds, you could have your own favourite ingredient whenever you need it so if you love chillies, why not give them a go?

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10 RED HOT CHILLI GROWER

HOW TO USE THIS BOOK

his book includes everything you ever wanted to know about chillies from what gives the pods their heat to the best ways to grow them, both inside and out. With a helpful guide to some of the best chillies available, it is a book that can be both dipped into or read from cover to cover, depending on where your interests lie.

CHAPTER 1 The first chapter looks at why we love chillies so much, their history and how they have spread across the world. It also describes why chillies are so hot and explains how this heat is measured by the Scoville Scale. Finally, the main chilli species are introduced.

CHAPTER 2 covers everything you need to know to grow your own chillies. Starting with sourcing seeds and plants, it uses step-by-step instructions to guide you from seed to harvest. Symptoms of pests and diseases and how to combat them are also covered, and there are ideas and suggestions for growing chillies in different ways and in combination with other plants in the garden.