Chilli 'Early Jalapeno'
THE chilli used for pickling and green chilli sauces, the grassy flavour and heat make it the perfect complement to Mexican cuisine. One of the most well-known chillies in the world, 'Early Jalapeno' is easy to grow, highly productive and suited to pots and containers, as well as garden beds. Pick green or eat as red.
Within the capsicum family, germination temperatures are generally related to the heat of the capsicum or chilli. The hotter the chilli, the higher the germination temperature required. For this reason, it is always best to germinate chillies indoors, using a heat mat to provide bottom heat directly to the seed and root zone. Water frequently as the higher temperatures can cause the seed raising mix to dry out more quickly, and use a cover to help improve the humidity and surrounding air temperature. Chilli seedlings can be planted out into the garden once the risk of frost has passed. Choose a warm, sunny spot and cultivate it deeply adding dolomite to supply chillies with both calcium and magnesium. Regular harvesting improves the productivity and vigour of the plant. Pick the fruit using secateurs to avoid damaging the plant and wear gloves when harvesting chillies!