While tomato plants should be sown in March (or late February if you have a heated propagator), chillies, aubergines and peppers need sowing early. This is because they need a long growing season – if you sow them too late they may not start cropping until temperatures begin to fall again in autumn.
So don’t delay, sow your seeds this weekend or risk losing them to frost before they have given you a crop.
How to sow chillies, aubergines and peppers
You will need
- Chilli, aubergine and sweet pepper seeds
- Multi-purpose, peat-free compost
- 7.5cm plastic pots
- 30cm pots
- Heated propagator (optional)
Step 1
Fill pots with compost to 1cm below the rim and firm gently to remove air pockets. Water with warm water and allow to drain. Sow four to five seeds on the surface of the compost, giving each one space to grow.
Step 2
Cover seeds with a thin layer of compost or vermiculite. Covering with a clear plastic bag held in place with an elastic band, or placing in a propagator with a lid, can keep the atmosphere humid and the compost moist. A heated propagator will encourage fast germination – if you have a temperature setting, set it to around 25ºC. Keep the propagator on a well-lit window sill.
Step 3
When seedlings are 5-6cm tall, transplant them into individual 7.5cm pots. Carefully ease the seedlings out of the original pot and tease the rootball apart. Make a hole in the compost in each new pot and lower the seedlings into position, handling them by their leaves. Firm the compost around the roots, and water. Return plants to the sunny window sill and keep the compost moist. Turn the seedlings daily to stop them becoming leggy.
Step 4
Keep potting on the plants when they become rootbound, ending when you get to a pot 30cm in diameter. Chilli, aubergine and pepper plants can be kept in an unheated greenhouse or conservatory once night-time temperatures exceed 10ºC.
