Chili Pepper Farming: How to Plant and Grow Siling Labuyo

Do you like spicy food? Want to learn how to grow chili? This article will give you accurate information about chili pepper farming. There are siling labuyo (most popular,), siling tingala, and siling Taiwan. Siling labuyo is also considered the hottest chili in the Philippines.

The proper way of planting chili? Before we discuss this, it is important that you first know what chili is, its different types, and what benefits chili brings to the human body. If you love chili you need to know this.

Chili is a type of plant with spicy fruits. It is a common plant found in the Philippines and can grow anywhere.

It has a woody body and branches, and its leaves are only small and rounded at the bottom sharp at the tip. The fruit is oblong with a pointed tip, green when raw, and red when ripe.

There are many types of chili here in the Philippines. Long and red types of chilies are called long chilies.

Its other types are round chili, red chili, pasiti chili, and the famous squid chili.

Chili fruit is rich in minerals calcium, phosphorus, and iron, as well as vitamins A and B.

Chili Pepper Farming and Growing

The Philippines is known for its spicy foods, especially in the Bicol region where chili labuyo and the so-called chili king of the Philippines are found. Due to the Filipinos’ passion for chili, they have become accustomed to planting chili even in the yard of their house.

Unlike other crops, chili is not delicate and not difficult to grow. A chili seed that just falls to the ground can survive even if it is not taken care of.

But how to properly plant it? Let’s find out.

There are three important steps in planting chili. Just study and follow carefully the three methods below:

• Seedling Production or seedling of chili. Prepare a seedling tray for planting chili seeds. Using a seedling tray for germinating seeds is good because its roots are small.
• Just remember that only 1 seed per pit is needed. Also, use organic fertilizer for the soil to be used in the seedling tray, the chili needs to be healthy at the first stage of its growth.
• Land preparation or preparation of soil for planting chili. Plow and harrow the land for planting. Remove weeds that have grown and clean the surrounding soil.
• Make a planting plot, for large land make two-row plots, and for small land in turn one-row plot.
• Give the soil organic fertilizer and make sure it is moist so that the roots of the chilies to be transplanted will stick together.
• Transplanting or transplanting chili plants. After 18 to 21 days, the chilies in the seedling tray can be transferred to the prepared soil.
• Keep enough distance between each plant to prevent it from absorbing nutrients from the soil. Water the newly transplanted peppers immediately after planting.

The complete guide from planting to harvest is explained in the following video with English subtitles.

Sili farming is one of the most profitable crops to grow. here in Batangas for example, there were times when a kilogram of siling labuyo costs P800. The current price of sili is playing around P500 to P600 and is still a decent price.

Questions related to chili pepper farming in the Philippines

What is the best month to plant chili in the Philippines?

Hot pepper can be grown from low to wind elevation throughout the year. Production is best, however, during the cool, dry months of October to March in sandy loam soil.

How to grow chili in the Philippines?

First, wet the seeds nicely and sow them in the soil at a depth of about 2-3 cm. The chili seeds will germinate in about 1 week. Water them every alternate day, keep the soil moist, and make sure they are not exposed to harsh winds or strong sun.

How many months does Sili grow?

You need only to get the seeds from ripe sili, place them on a tissue, and dry them out in the sun. Plant the seeds in a seedling tray filled with a soilless potting mix and transfer them to separate pots after five to seven days. Harvest is after two to three months.

How much is a kilo of chili in the Philippines?

In 2022, the approximate price range for Philippines Pepper is between US$ 14.11 and US$ 13.38 per kilogram or between US$ 6.4 and US$ 6.07 per pound(lb). The price in the Philippine peso is PHP 682.14 per kg.

Do chili plants need a lot of water?

One of the most important aspects of growing chili pepper plants is getting the watering right, they are very thirsty plants. During hot periods, especially if grown inside a greenhouse, you will need to water regularly, usually twice a day. As dry compost will lead to a check on their growth.

How many years do chili plants last?

Chilies can live between 1.5 – 15 years depending on the species. The wild species Chilitepin grows perennially as a small bush. In the region of Texas, Arizona, and Florida this wild variety can survive without frost for 35 – 50 years.

Is growing chilies profitable?

With the right varieties, there are diverse markets to enter and all are quite profitable. To sell the dried chili fruit, ripe fruits must be harvested when the climate is dry. So once the fruit is mature, they need to dry out on the plant before harvesting.

How many chilies do you get per plant?

One plant will often give you a hundred chilies or more. So all but the most dedicated chili eater can usually be self-sufficient in chilies with just a few plants – something very achievable, even in a tiny growing space.

How many kg of chili per hectare?

The yield varies according to the system of cultivation. The yield of dry Chillies of the rainfed crop is 500 – 1000 kg and that of the irrigated crop is 1200 – 2000 kg per hectare.

What is the world’s strongest chili?

The Carolina Reaper is officially the World’s Hottest Pepper as ranked by the Guinness Book of World Records. It’s hot, and by hot, we mean HOT! The Carolina Reaper can top out at 2.2 Million SHU!