Start your chile seedings indoors in a vermiculite-based mixture in early April, about two months before placing them outside. After germination, place them in a brightly lit area. Plant the seedlings in a sunny location that is accessible to irrigation water and has proper drainage. Make sure the soil is not heavy with clay, sand or adobe, as these plants will not grow without proper drainage. After transplanting the seedlings, mulch the garden.
Chiles require plenty of water.
However, overwatering them can cause the roots to rot. Use a high-nitrogen fertilizer to encourage foliage to grow, but discontinue fertilizing once the plant flowers. Fruit and flowers will grow best when daytime temperatures are between 65 and 80 degrees and night temperatures stay above 55 degrees. The chile pods will grow to their maximum size about 70 to 80 days after seed germination, and it will be another 30 to 45 days for the pods to mature to their brilliant reds, yellows, oranges and browns. But resist the temptation to pick the chiles too early, because they may not have had enough time to develop their full flavor.