Planting guide
When to plant chilli
Compact, heavy-cropping plants that thrive in pots and give you heat all season. In Melbourne it goes in Dec.
- Start as
- Seedling or Seed started indoors
- Ready in
- 9–17 wks
- Spacing
- 45 cm
- Depth
- 0.5 cm
- Sun
- Full sun (6+ hours)
- Water
- Low
- Effort
- Some care
- Frost-tender
- Yes, plant after the last frost
When it goes in
● means chilli can go in that month, ○ means wait. Worked out from each town's real monthly temperatures, not a zone map. Pick your town for the full list for that month.
| Town | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sydney | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ● |
| Melbourne | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● |
| Brisbane | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ● |
| Perth | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ● |
| Adelaide | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● |
| Gold Coast | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● |
| Newcastle | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● |
| Sunshine Coast | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ● |
| Canberra | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Central Coast | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ● |
| Geelong | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Wollongong | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● |
| Hobart | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Townsville | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● |
| Cairns | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● |
| Toowoomba | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● |
| Darwin | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● |
| Ballarat | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Mandurah | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ● |
| Bendigo | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● |
| Launceston | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Mackay | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● |
| Rockhampton | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● |
| Coffs Harbour | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● |
| Blue Mountains | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Bunbury | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● |
| Bundaberg | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ● |
| Alice Springs | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ● |
| Mildura | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ● |
| Port Macquarie | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● |
| Town | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Auckland | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Wellington | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Christchurch | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| London | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Manchester | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Edinburgh | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Dublin | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| New York City | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Los Angeles | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Chicago | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Seattle | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Austin | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Toronto | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Vancouver | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Cape Town | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ● |
| Johannesburg | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● |
| Singapore | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● |
| Mumbai | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● |
| Paris | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Berlin | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
How to plant chilli
- Start seed indoors 8 weeks ahead on a warm windowsill.
- Move to a sunny spot once nights are mild.
- Water when the top 2 cm is dry; avoid overwatering.
- Pick pods as they colour to keep more coming.
Chilli varieties
Classic varieties are the reliable, widely grown ones. Adventurous ones are heirlooms, odd colours and rarities.
- JalapenoClassichot · heavy-cropper · pot-friendly · 10–13 wksThe everyday medium-hot chilli for salsa and pickling
- CayenneClassichot · heavy-cropper · 11–14 wksLong thin red chillies that dry well
- Thai Bird's EyeClassichot · heat-tolerant · pot-friendly · 11–16 wksSmall, fiery chillies for curries; thrive in warmth
- Habanero OrangeClassichot · heat-tolerant · 13–17 wksFruity, very hot orange chillies for hot sauce
- AnaheimClassicmild · heavy-cropper · 11–13 wksMild long chilli for roasting and stuffing
- Hungarian Hot WaxClassichot · heavy-cropper · 10–12 wksYellow waxy chilli with medium heat that pickles well
- Carolina ReaperAdventuroushot · 13–17 wksNotorious super-hot chilli for the bold grower
- PadronAdventurousmild · heavy-cropper · 9–11 wksSpanish tapas chilli; blistered in oil, mostly mild
- ShishitoAdventurousmild · pot-friendly · 9–11 wksThin-walled Japanese peppers for blistering whole
- Aji LemonAdventuroushot · colourful · 13–17 wksCitrusy yellow Peruvian chilli with fruity heat
- Purple UFOAdventuroushot · colourful · pot-friendly · 11–14 wksOrnamental purple-to-red chillies that are edible and hot
Where to buy seeds
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Shops shown are for Australia. The chooser picks shops for your country.
Good companions
Chilli by month
Jan · Feb · Mar · Apr · May · Jun · Jul · Aug · Sep · Oct · Nov · Dec
More to plant
Tomato · Capsicum · Eggplant · Cucumber · Zucchini · Sweetcorn
Not sure chilli is right for your space? Answer a few taps and see everything that can go in this week.
Find what else you can plant now →