There are so many different chilli varieties you can grow. But one thing is for sure is growing chillies at home is very easy. You can choose chilli varieties that have been breed for a certain flavour, such as a hint of lemon or a fruity flavour. You can grow chillies that are mild or that are fiery hot.

Chillies are very adaptable and you can grow them on sunny windowsills, in a tunnel or in a greenhouse, or directly in your vegetable plot. Another popular way to grow chillies is in containers and place them on your patio, where they will give you brightly-coloured fruits that will brighten up any patio area.

The heat of a chilli’s is actually measured on the Scoville scale, this test was created in 1912, in which the more water was needed to dilute a chilli solution before a human taster can no longer detect the chilli determines the number of Scovilles.  But today this testing is actually done by machine. And a score of around 3,000 Scovilles is judged to be hot.

You can sow your chilli seeds from January, but if you sow them this early it would be better if you have a heated propagator. Alternatively, if you don’t have a heated propagator it would be better to sow the chillies in March.

When the first true leaves of the chilli comes through you can transplant the plant in to a 7cm pot. Then depending on where you want to grow your chilli plants you may need to plant them in bigger pots if you are growing them on the patio. Alternatively you can plant the plants in the tunnel or greenhouse or in your vegetable plot. Before planting outdoors its best to wait until all risks of frost has passed.

Ensure that your chilli plant has a nice sunny spot. Chillies that are grown under cover are usually hotter than chillies grown outside.

Because chillies are tender plants, they will not survive the winter. So every year you need to grow new chillies for your garden.

To grow the best chillies you need to grow them in a warm, sunny spot. Ideally, chillies like the heat in a greenhouse, but chillies also grow really well in pots on a south-facing patio or windowsill.

Chillies need a long season to grow, so it’s best to sow seed as early as possible. Once you have planted out your chilli plants they require very little attention. You can pinch out the growing tips when the chilli plants is around 20cm tall, as this will encourage bushy growth. If you have a tall chilli variety then you may have to stake them.

You should water your chilli plants little and often, and as soon as the first flowers appear, feed the plants weekly with a high-potash liquid fertiliser such as tomato feed.