Chilli 'Apache' – Compact Chilli Pepper (2L Pot)

Chilli 'Apache' is a compact, prolific variety and one of the best chillies to grow in a pot.

It carries masses of small pointed fruit that ripens from green to bright red, medium hot at roughly 70,000 to 80,000 Scoville units, which suits salsas, stir fries, sauces and homemade chilli flakes. Plants make a neat bush around 30 to 45cm tall and 30 to 40cm across. It is self pollinating, so it crops well in a sheltered spot, a greenhouse, a conservatory or on a sunny windowsill.

Supplied as one well established plant in a 2L pot, ready to pot on or plant out once the risk of frost has passed. Give it the warmest, sunniest spot you have, water regularly and feed with a high potassium feed once the first fruit sets. Chillies are not hardy and are killed by the first frost, so keep plants under cover until the nights are warm and bring them in again before the weather turns. A sunny windowsill or a conservatory suits them as well as a sheltered patio. Pinch out the growing tip at around 30cm for a bushier plant and a heavier crop.

Chilli fruit and foliage can irritate the skin and eyes, and can cause irritation if eaten, so wash your hands after picking and keep plants out of reach of children and pets.

Cultural Information

• Common Name: Chilli pepper
• Fully Grown Height and Spread: 30 to 45cm tall by 30 to 40cm across
• Growth Habit: Compact, bushy and upright
• Perfect For: Patio pots, containers, greenhouses, conservatories and a sunny windowsill
• Foliage: Mid green, oval leaves
• Flowering Time: Summer, with fruit from mid summer to early autumn
• Planting Position: Full sun in a warm, sheltered spot. Grows well in a pot or container
• Soil Type: Fertile, moisture retentive and well drained
• Hardiness: Not hardy. Killed by the first frost, so plant out only once the frosts have passed
• Maintenance: Low to moderate. Water regularly, feed with a high potassium feed once the first fruit sets and pick often to keep the crop coming
• Seasonal Interest: Spring, summer and autumn
• Type: Tender annual, grown as an annual in Britain