Every year spent growing chillies seems to throw up a different problem. Too cold, too changeable, not enough sun, too much rain….there’s always something getting in the way of the perfect growing season. I suppose that’s the attraction of gardening…pitting your horticultural skills against the unpredictability of nature.

This year the main problem has been whitefly infestations on chilli plants. We’ve talked before a few times about aphid infestations and how to deal with them but to date we’ve not really covered whitefly in much detail.

Having got back from a short holiday I discovered a big whitefly infestation in the chilli house. As with all garden pests it’s usually so much easier to deal with the problem if you catch it early.

Whitefly feed on the plants sap which is why they tend to attack the fresh young growth on plants. Left unchecked they will multiply rapidly and cause lasting damage to the host plants, often stunting their development.

The whitely also secrete a sticky residue on the plants which then attracts dust and muck and usually causes problems with fungal growths on the leaves.

 

Plant Marigolds In With Chillies

In the past I’ve planted French Marigold into pots and kept them in the chilli house. Marigolds are a natural deterrent to aphids and whitefly and I’ve had some success with this method in the past.

Having a full time job with long hours means that I try to avoid pots as much as possible as I spend all of my evenings watering if I’m not careful. In addition planting marigolds in small pots means they tend to dry out very quickly on hot days which isn’t ideal.

I grow most of my chilli plants in Quadgrows or my DIY self watering pots which saves massive amounts of time watering. I don’t know why I’ve never done it but next year I’ll try planting one French Marigold in each self watering pot. This way there’ll be no extra watering involved or extra space taken up by the marigolds.

Lady Birds are Natural Whitefly Predators

If you’ve got kids around the house then they help is at hand. Send them out lady bird hunting – they usually don’t need much encouragement. Ladybirds are phenomenal for their ability to eat their way through a whitefly infestation so if you can catch a few and release them onto your infested plants they will make a material difference.

Air Circulation

If the infestation is really bad I find the best/easiest method is to move all of your plants outside. By doing so you’ll let the natural predators in the garden go to work on the whitefly. This typically clears the problem up in 2-3 days. While the plants are outside be sure to give the greenhouse a thorough clean to ensure any larvae are removed.

Once the plants go back in to the greenhouse always try to ensure you have as many windows/doors open as possible (temperatures allowing). This will ensure natural predators can get in and keep your plants clean.

WhiteFly Traps

According to the Colorado State University whitefly are attracted to yellow things. This means that using sticky fly traps n the greenhouse is a great method to catch mature whitefly. Personally I’m not a big fan of using these traps as they tend top trap ‘good’ insects too (hover fly, lady birds etc). That said if you have a bed infestation and moving the plants outside (see above) isn’t an option then using sticky traps to get it under control can be a good option.

Cleanliness

One key method to prevent pests and disease in the greenhouse (including whitefly) is to keep things clean. By regularly removing any dead plant matter, spilt compost or other organic matter you’ll be removing habitat that pests like. I also try to regularly wipe down shelves, windows and tables with warm soapy water to improve sanitation.

Insecticides

If you have to use insecticides then make sure they are based on pyrethrins (permethrin being the most common). Neem oil sprays are also highly affected.

Hopefully this article has given you some good options on how to control whitefly infestations on chilli plants. Feel free to leave a comment below.

Back in 2012 we wrote an article about a new business Potters Plants that sell chilli plants online. We have always been impressed with the quality of the plugs we’ve received from them so we recently caught up with Rich & Holly (the owners) in search of some chilli growing tips!

How many plants are you growing this year?

For 2014 we set over 2,000 chilli plants and around 500 tomato plants. We had excellent germination so we are currently growing around 2000 plants in total , 50% of which are now already sold by order on the website.

Presumably you have some sort of poly tunnel or glasshouse for that many?

Yes we have three greenhouses and a poly tunnel, the largest greenhouse is sufficient for our chilli and tomato plants while they are in plugs , any we decide to keep and grow on to harvest are then migrated into the other greenhouses and poly tunnel.

How much does the weather affect your plant production?

Weather plays a huge part in how quickly the chillies grow. Warmer , sunny weather is definitely preferred, while harsh frosts mean constant nightly efforts to cover and protect the plants, even inside the greenhouse . Obviously as summer arrives, the sunny warmth is essential for getting the fruit to ripen too.

Potter Senior Inspecting the Crop

What kind of lighting set up do you use?

Last year we used some led strip lights as we didn’t have enough space in the greenhouse but this year we are back in the greenhouse and the daily light is proving much better , our plants are strong and green, we are really pleased with them. I guess there is no substitute for natural 🙂

What are you most popular varieties?

Well, people seem to love the super hot chillies for sure, Trinidad Scorpion Butch T, Bhut Jolokia, Moruga Scorpion and this year the Carolina Reaper  . One chilli that consistently performs well and matches the super hots for sales is the Pimientos de Padron .

Rich & Holly Potter 

What are the biggest challenges you face growing chillies for customers?

Weather is obviously a challenge, but the biggest challenge is the packaging. It’s time consuming, and after all the hard work growing them, we take great care in trying to make sure the plants are securely packed for their journey.

What variety do you eat most of and why?

We probably eat pardons quite a lot, mainly because the plant produces a lot of them and they make a great tapas dish, and orange habanero , which are so tasty and have a nice manageable heat which works so well in stir fry or chilli.

Any secret growing tips for our readers?

One thing we have noticed is chilli plants love a grow bag . Standard ones you get from the garden centre – we got such a good harvest list year our freezer is still full. We have the benefit of a greenhouse of course, a conservatory is just as good if you can or a warm windowsill for growing your plant. Also , don’t over water the chilli plant, and feed once a week with chilli focus or a tomato feed.

If you’ve left it a bit late to start of your super hots or you fancy trying some new varieties you can order your chilli plants now form Potter Plants.