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Chilli Peppers
- routine
gardening care
General maintenance is obviously important but your plants need
individual attention too. Tasks such as weeding and pruning will also
give you the opportunity to enjoy the aromas, textures and habits of
your herbs and chillies at close quarters.
Watering
Many herbs are naturally drought resistant when established, and need
watering only in periods of prolonged drought. Newly planted herbs need
regular watering.
Your chillies on the other hand need enough water to fruit properly. It
is better to water thoroughly and less frequently rather than little and
often, which encourages production of shallow surface roots.
Water only when dry!
Feeding and mulching
Few of the popular herbs are heavy feeders. An annual mulch of bulky
organic material, such as compost or shredded bark, replenishes
nutrients and inhibits weeds. Spread the mulch in spring after rain and
when the ground has warmed up. Inorganic fertilizers and heavy
composting are not recommended as these encourage sappy growth that
lacks flavour and is more prone to frost damage, pests and disease.
Feed your plants at least once every 6-8 weeks with a well balanced
fertilizer. Apply at half the recommended strength. If possible feed
weekly at ¼ of the recommended strength.
Weeding
Weeds compete with your plants for light, nutrients and moisture. Hand
weeding provides an opportunity to check the condition of your plants –
as well as to enjoy their aromas and the details of their foliage and
flowers. Don’t use herbicides. If you have a serious weed problem
consider mulching or re-doing the salsa garden.
Pruning
Pruning is mostly carried out as part of the harvesting process. It
stimulates vigorous fresh growth and helps create well shaped,
manageable plants. Perennial herbs benefit from pruning back to ½ or 1/3
their original size. This can be done several times a season depending
on their growth. To encourage new leaf growth cut annuals above the
bottom two or three sets of leaves.
If you don’t have immediate use for the pruning clips, compost them or
use them as a mulch elsewhere in your garden.
Pests and
diseases
Fortunately your salsa garden plants, especially the herbs, are not very
prone to pests and diseases. The most common problems are aphids, red
spider mite, white fly and rust. Prevention is the best cure. As part of
your routine care check for these pests. If you find any, take immediate
action.
Either cut back the herbs or use an organic pesticide or insect
repelling spray. If you don’t use your herbs or don’t mind inorganic
sprays you can use sprays registered for use on tomatoes. Follow
directions carefully. Especially safety periods.
The scent and taste of certain plants act as natural insecticides when
planted near the more vulnerable crop. Spearmint, pennyroyal and tansy
repel ants; pyrethrum and lavender repel ticks; wormwood, southernwood,
rosemary and mint will deter most types of moth, and aphids are kept at
bay with nasturtiums.
Flies dislike tansy, basil and rue, cutworms will not cross a mulch of
oak leaves and stinging nettles will protect most crops from aphids and
black fly. Catnip repels fleas, rats and mice, as does fennel, and
marigolds keep eelworms (nematodes) and beetles from the garden.
Sprays made from fresh home-grown herbs, or the purchased essential
oils, of these along with others such as eucalyptus, clove, anise,
citronella and bay leaf, may also be used successfully. |
