Updates

• January 26, 2026
• growing

Top Tips for Sowing Chilli Seeds (and Getting Great Germination)

It’s that exciting time of year when chilli seeds are flying out of the door, and we know many of you will be itching to get sowing. To help you get the very best germination rates, we wanted to share some of our tried-and-tested sowing tips straight from the farm. These are the exact methods Izzi uses here at South Devon Chilli Farm, so you can grow your chillies with confidence from day one. 1. Start with the Right Growing Medium By far our number one tip is what you sow your seeds into. At the farm, we always use vermiculite - and for good reason. Vermiculite is incredibly forgiving and ideal for chilli seeds because: It holds moisture really well without becoming waterlogged It allows plenty of air around the seeds It doesn’t compact, so seedlings can push through easily It maintains warmth and reduces temperature fluctuations It’s sterile, which helps prevent problems like damping off Damping off is a fungal issue that can kill seedlings just as they start to look healthy, often causing the stem to brown at the base and collapse. Using a sterile medium like vermiculite massively reduces this risk. 2. A Little Nutrition (Optional but Helpful) Because vermiculite is sterile, it contains no nutrients. Chilli seeds do carry their own food supply in the early stages, so feeding isn’t essential - but here at the farm, we like to give them a gentle helping hand. When watering our seeds, Izzi will add a very diluted feed of Chilli Focus: Around 5 ml (1 teaspoon) to 8 litres of water This is entirely optional, but it can help seedlings get off to a strong, healthy start. Less is definitely more here – make sure you keep it very dilute. 3. Don’t Sow Too Deep Whether you’re using small pots or seed trays, make sure everything is clean and sterile to begin with to reduce disease risk. Fill your pot almost to the top with vermiculite. Chilli seeds don’t like being buried deeply, so: Gently sprinkle the seeds on the surface Space them out so they’re not overlapping Cover with a thin layer of vermiculite, just enough to hide them A light covering means seedlings can reach the surface easily and access the light quickly. 4. Water Gently and Evenly Use a fine spray if you can - a spray bottle or even a recycled bottle with small holes in the lid works well. Water thoroughly so the vermiculite is evenly moist. If you notice any seeds sitting exposed after watering, add a little more vermiculite on top, but avoid a thick layer. Vermiculite can sometimes look wet on the surface when it’s actually drying out underneath, so keep an eye on it. It’s free-draining, so you won’t do any harm by giving a light watering if you’re unsure. 5. Label Everything (Seriously!) This one’s easy to overlook but incredibly important. Always label your pots with: The variety name (Optional) the sowing date Once seedlings emerge, varieties can look very similar - and it’s surprisingly easy to forget what’s what! 6. Keep Temperatures Stable Chillies love warmth and hate temperature swings, especially hotter varieties and chinense types. At the farm, we use thermostatically controlled heated propagators set around 25–30°C, which gives excellent results. Izzi will even insulate them further using bubble wrap during cold spells. At home, aim for: A warm, sunny spot Stable temperatures day and night Kitchens and heated conservatories often work well. Avoid places that get cold overnight or experience big daily fluctuations. 7. Be Patient (But Not Too Patient!) With the right conditions, you should start seeing germination within a week or two. Some varieties are quicker than others, and some naturally take a bit longer, that’s completely normal. At the farm, we often see strong, healthy seedlings in under two weeks, especially when temperatures are consistent. If nothing appears straight away, don’t panic - keep conditions steady and give them time. Need a Hand? If you have any questions or run into problems, we’re always happy to help. Just drop us an email at: growing@southdevonchillifarm.co.uk One of our growers will get back to you with advice and troubleshooting tips. Happy sowing and enjoy growing your chillies!  

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• January 6, 2026
• growing

Inside Our Grow Tent: Preparing Chilli Plants for RHS Malvern 2026

With RHS Malvern coming up in late spring 2026, it’s officially time for us to start propagating our show plants for this year’s event. Living in the UK means winter chilli growing definitely isn’t for the faint-hearted. Low temperatures and limited daylight make it pretty challenging, so we’ve had to pull out all the stops. To give the plants the best possible start, we’re using a grow tent, grow lights, and a couple of portable radiators. Much to the (good-natured) frustration of our shop manager, the grow tent has taken over a section of the shop! As you can see from the photo, it’s a fairly substantial setup, giving us plenty of space to grow a good number of plants and later select the very best ones to take up to RHS Malvern. Over the past few days, we’ve finally got the tent properly “dialled in.” The biggest challenge has been managing the heat produced by the grow lights. To keep things comfortable, we run the lights overnight when ambient temperatures are cooler, which has resulted in a very agreeable and steady 26°C inside the tent. Another key factor is good air exchange. Keeping fresh air flowing through the tent helps in several important ways: it reduces the risk of pathogens settling, helps control humidity (to a point), and ensures the plants have a constant supply of fresh air to thrive on. These are exactly the sorts of conditions home growers should aim to replicate, with good airflow being just as important as hitting the right temperatures. The tent itself has multiple vents, and we’ve installed a speed-controlled extractor fan to pull the old air out. At full power, we can completely change the air in the tent twice every minute! We also learned a huge amount last year from growing out of season and, yes, making a few mistakes along the way. This year, we’re putting those lessons to good use—and feeling much more confident about what lies ahead. 🌱🌶️

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• December 8, 2025

Packing Chilli Seeds at SDCF

Behind the Scenes: Seed Season at South Devon Chilli Farm 🌶️ It’s that busy (and slightly spicy!) time of year again at South Devon Chilli Farm as we dive deep into seed-packing season. Every year we collect around 2.5 million chilli seeds, and each one goes through a surprising amount of care and attention before it reaches our growers. Why Germination Testing Matters Not all seed sellers carry out germination testing, but for us, it’s non-negotiable. We want every grower (whether you’re a curious beginner or a seasoned chilli head) to have the best possible start. Our seeds go through detailed germination tests to make sure they meet extremely high viability standards. Only after they pass are they sent to our packing area. Manual Packing: Slow, Steady, and Essential Once the seeds arrive in batches of 10,000–15,000, every pack is counted and filled by hand. Yes- every single one! It may sound old-school, but this hands-on approach gives us one last chance to check quality. As we pack, we look out for any dark brown seeds, which may indicate poor viability. If they don’t make the grade, they don’t make it into your packet. All in, we pack around 9,000 seed packets a year. Some varieties are especially popular, like Jalapeño, Carolina Reaper, Ring of Fire, Scotch Bonnet, and Padron- so we prepare plenty of those. New Varieties for the Chilli Community This year, we’re excited to introduce several varieties that chilli enthusiasts will definitely recognise. Look out for: Mantis Claw Purple Death Chocolate Reaper Mustard Bhut Jolokia Fried Chicken – the one everyone’s been asking about! In total, we’re sowing and packing 144 varieties this season. Some seeds are also held back for use in our plug plants and potted plants later in the year. When Should You Start Sowing? For many home growers, the chilli season starts earlier than you might think. Super hots: January Other varieties (like Jalapeños): February - March That means now is the perfect time to browse our seed selection and get ready for your 2026 growing season. Seeds also make fantastic Christmas gifts for the chilli grower in your life! A Quick Look at How We Pack Here’s a peek at the process using Scotch Bonnet seeds as an example: We count out the seeds- Scotch Bonnet packs contain 15 seeds, while some newer varieties come in packs of 10- seal them in airtight bags, and label them ready for you. Properly stored, chilli seeds remain viable for up to three years, but the ones you’ll receive have been freshly picked and packed this season. If you’re planning your next chilli-growing adventure, head over to the shop section on our website and explore all 144 varieties available for 2026. Happy growing- and happy browsing! 🌶️🌱  

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• December 3, 2025

A Slavic Surrounded by Chillies!

If you think of a Polish guy, chances are you will not imagine him holding a bunch of chillies or eating Manzanilla Chilli Jam, yet here I am, in the South Devon Chilli Farm, where we grow, cook and distribute the best and the freshest chillies that are available on the market! My story with SDCF started in the summer of 2025 when I joined this lovely family run business. I was looking for a place where I would be appreciated for my hard work and where I could enjoy observing nature during lunch breaks, that’s why I chose South Devon Chilli Farm. As someone from Central Europe, I haven’t had that many hot dishes in my life - just a few whilst being on holiday. Polish cuisine is based more on sour, fermented, and pickled foods, so at first, it was hard for me to imagine how I could use chillies in my home kitchen. Thanks to Dan, our chef, who one day opened my eyes, or should I say burned them :D when he was cooking some orange looking sauce and decided to give me a spoonful of it, to do a taste test. Turned out, it was the Reaper Chilli Sauce that meant an enforced 20 minute timeout on the bench with a glass full of milk :D  Side Note – If you want to see me struggling with some of the hottest chillies on the planet, check out our YouTube channel, on the video titled REAL LIFE SCOVILLE SCALE you see me and Amrit (one of the directors) going up the scale, all the way to the top. After that, I began to appreciate the flavour hidden behind the heat, and I started experimenting with the chillies. Firstly, I made sourdough bread with cheese and our fresh jalapenos, which turned out to be quite amazing. Secondly, as a truly Slavic person, I made a chilli apple cider vinegar, from a mixture of apples from our orchard and about five different varieties of chillies. It was such a fun little experiment, and it ended up so nice. I use it as a salad dressing, or I dilute it to drink, which helps with blood sugar management, weight loss, and cholesterol levels. Thirdly, I try to change our traditional Polish Christmas dish, Bigos (Polish Hunter’s Stew), by adding extra heat and guess what? I honestly think that Bigos was missing a bit of Ring of Fire in the first place! Fourthly, I am in a progress of making my own fermented chilli sauce. So far it smells amazing in my kitchen, and I cannot wait to try it! Fermented foods are so good for you, they improve gut health through probiotics and enhanced nutrient absorption, and with the addition of chillies because they also provide antioxidants. Lastly, I am about to try and change my in-laws view on chillies this Christmas..... I’ll be taking a small gift to Poland, our newest product, Chilli Vodka. It might be hard to persuade them to try my spicy Bigos, but if I start with the vodka first, I might succeed. Wish me luck!!!   Make Damian's spicy Bigos yourself using his very own recipe!    From Damian, Warehouse Co-ordinator at SDCF

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• December 2, 2025
• growing

10 Steps to Preparing Chilli Plants for Winter

Read our step-by-step guide for overwintering chilli plants — how to prepare chillies so they survive through winter and remain healthy. It’s aimed at gardeners or anyone growing chillies who want to keep their plants alive and productive during the colder months.  🔧 Key Steps / Advice   Choose the best plants you have avaialble to overwinter - to give them the best chance of survival! Older plants can be more vulnerable during overwinter; ensure no infestations before bringing plants indoors. Act before temperatures get too cold - low overnight temps will weaken your plants and give you less chance of success.  Pick any remaining fruits on your plants and freeze them! Prune your plant down to 10-15cm above the soil level, above a node. Removing dead or dying leaves, old stems or weak branches to reduce disease risk and stress during winter. Repot your plant in fresh compost - gently tap the root ball to loosen some of the compost and get rid of any dormant aphids or pests hiding in there. You DON'T need to WASH the roots (though you can if you really want to) Label your plant so you don't forget what it is! Give your plant a very light water in its new pot, to settle the soil down. Place your plant in its overwintering spot - ideally in the house on a sunny windowsill or other area.  Check moisture levels every week or so during the winter and keep the plant slightly moist - you won't be watering regularly. Start feeding your plant again once you see signs of fresh growth in Spring!    💡 Why This Matters & What to Watch Out For Overwintering properly can extend the life of your chilli plants beyond a single season, giving you harvests earlier next summer. Mistakes (over-watering, leaving plants outside in frost, not pruning) can lead to disease, dieback, or total loss of the plants. The method helps especially in colder climates (like the UK) — helpful if you don’t have a greenhouse but want to keep chillies year-to-year.

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