Growing chillies
Adding chillies to an edible garden rewards you with a crop that is highly ornamental and gives more dimension to a range of dishes.
Anaheim, cayenne, jalapeno, Thai, hoa lat and habanero chillies are well suited to WA conditions, according to Bunnings greenlife buyer Katy Schreuder.
"Chillies are best planted during the warmer months, October to April, as they like hot temperatures and dislike the cold," she said.
Chillies would happily grow alongside many other vegetables but needed a lot of sun so should not be planted in the shade of other plants.
"Herbs are ideal growing partners," she said. "A tip is to choose herbs that complement the flavour of chillies in your recipes. This way you have easy access to a host of culinary opportunities."
Heather Biggs, owner of Karrimah Farm, makes a range of sauces and preserves from chillies grown at the farm. She believes chillies are popular because they grow well in WA conditions and jazz up food that would otherwise be boring.
"Perhaps it is because Asian food is a big influence and we have embraced those cuisines. Chillies figure largely in that," she said. "They like the Perth climate, they're easy to grow and liven up food."
George Helou, co-founder of Chilli Freak said: "Chillies are crunchy and the flavours permeate throughout your meal.
"It's a sensual experience; you are grabbing something fresh and bursting with flavour. It's a wonderful thing to have that access to fresh chillies and the chilli plant is one of the most beautiful plants you've ever seen."
Karrimah Farm's Mike Biggs said the ideal conditions to grow chillies were the same as growing tomatoes.
"They need full sun, especially the smaller types, they need plenty of water. They'll grow in pots or an open garden and they need to be regularly fertilised," he said.
Karrimah Farm used liquid fertiliser, changing from a high- nitrogen to a high-potassium fertiliser when chillis started to fruit.
Ms Schreuder said because there were so many varieties of chilli, it was important to keep the label, with its specific information, for when it was time to harvest.
"This way you can tell if they are properly ripe before you pick them," she said. "For instance, a red chilli will be green when it first starts to appear; turning red only as it matures. Once picked, your chilli will not ripen any further."
