How do you like your chilli seeds, mild or fiery hot? Growing hot peppers became not just gardeners' favourite pass time but many chefs and not so green fingered folks try their hands on producing  their own chillies. We have really gentle and some incredibly harsh varieties in our online shop. If you are a first time grower, or the place you plant your chillies is the garden, it is best to start with some mild varieties like Jalapeno. But if you have a greenhouse, even if it is unheated, or a good polytunnel, you can raise the hotter varieties successfully too. Hot pepper seeds are not the easiest to germinate, as they need lots of heat, but with the help of our guide and fresh chilli seeds you can too reap the benefits of growing your own veg.

Sow the chilli seeds indoors and place the seed tray at a temperature of 20-30 Celsius if you can. The best place for the seeds is the sunniest windowsill, or the airing cupboard if you have one. After the seeds have sprouted give the seedlings as much light as possible. Grow them on at the highest possible temperature, and be prepared that the plants will grow slowly at first. Chillies need lots of heat to grow successfully, especially the hot varieties; so in the summer expose them to direct sunshine as much as you can.