Buy chilli: expert tips & recommended sources of supply

Choosing the right chilli plant and variety needs to be carefully considered. We give helpful tips to keep in mind when buying chilli.

When buying chillies for your own garden, you should consider a few things [Photo: Sann von Mai / Shutterstock.com]

If you like your food hot and hot, you should n't do without your own chillies (Capsicum ) in the garden. You don't have to go to the trouble of preferring the chilli plants yourself. You can also just buy your chilli plant. In our article you will learn why the choice of type and variety is crucial, what you should look for when buying chilli plants and where you can get your chilli plants from.

Sowing chillies yourself can be very time-consuming and also requires some prior knowledge. If you want to buy a pre-grown chilli plant that is sure to bear fruit, you can save yourself this work.

Choosing the right chilli variety

Choosing the right chilli variety is crucial when buying. Because the type and variety determine the appearance, color and degree of spiciness of the chilli. Therefore, it is good to have a rough overview of the different types and varieties of chilli. So you don't buy a “pig in a poke”, you know what to expect from the chilli plant and how to care for it.

There are many types and varieties of chilli that differ in shape, color and taste [Photo: GrahamMoore999 / Shutterstock.com]

When choosing the variety, make sure not to confuse chillies and peppers. Both peppers and chilies both belong to the Capsicum genus. There are up to 4000 different types of chilli worldwide. These are distributed in around 35 different types. The most famous types of chilli are:

• Capsicum annuum : Probably the most widespread species worldwide, including most of the sweet pepper varieties and tepin chillies
• Capsicum baccatum : A type of chili that is particularly popular in Central and South America
• Capsicum chinense : This type includes the hottest chilli varieties, such as the best-known variety 'Habanero'
• Capsicum frutescens: There are also many very hot varieties for this species, 'Tabasco ' is one example
• Capsicum pubescens: These include the special tree chillies

All of these species have an incredible number of different strains. You can find a large selection of chilli varieties in this article.

You should pay attention to this when buying chilli plants

In addition to the choice of species and variety, the health and size of your chilli plant are also decisive when buying. When buying, the plants should look healthy and vital and be free from diseases and pests. Only a healthy plant has the best conditions to grow well in your garden. Unfortunately, chilies are often attacked by aphids. Fortunately, these are very easy to see with the naked eye.

The chilli plants are very susceptible to aphid infestation, but the pests are easy to spot [Photo: AJCespedes / Shutterstock.com]

The size of the plants offered for sale should also play a role in the purchase. If the plants are still very young and small, they will take longer to grow. You should also pay attention to whether your chilli plant is an ornamental chilli. These may have been treated with a large number of chemicals and are therefore not suitable for consumption. In addition, these varieties are mainly bred for ornamental purposes, so that the taste of the ornamental chillies clearly falls by the wayside.

Buy chilli: Recommended sources of supply

Chilies are available for purchase in late spring in many places: in hardware stores, in nurseries or in garden centers. However, if you are looking for unusual and special chilli varieties, online retailers can also be a good choice.

Various online retailers specialize in chillies [Photo: Vorotylin Roman / Shutterstock.com]

You will find the Plantura chili growing set in our online shop. The complete set contains five fiery chilli varieties and everything you need to grow them.

We have put together a selection of specialized online retailers for you below:

Pepperworldhotshop.com: In this specialized online shop you can purchase organic quality chilli plants. There are also chilli products such as chilli oil and spices.

Dehner.de: The online garden center has a wide range of products, ranging from perennials and houseplants to a wide variety of vegetables. This also includes a large selection of chilli plants.

Peperonchili.com: Another online retailer specializing in chillies that offers a selection of chilli plants and accessories for growing them.

After buying the right chilli, nothing stands in the way of moving into the garden. Instructions for planting chilli can be found here in our special article.