Bird's Eye Chili
Capsicum frutescens
- Days to harvest
- 90–120 days
- Sunlight
- 6–8 hours/day
- Watering
- 1–1 per day
- Plant spacing
- 45 cm
- Minimum container size
- 30cm deep × 35cm wide
- Container-friendly
- 1 plants per container
- Estimated yield
- 120 kg / 100m²
- Life span
- perennial
Climate Requirements
- Ideal temperature
- 25-35 °C
- Annual rainfall
- 1000-2500 mm
- Humidity
- 60-80%
- Heat tolerance
- high
- Drought tolerance
- moderate
Soil & Planting
Planting method
Transplanting from nursery
Soil requirements
Well-drained loamy soil, pH 6.0-7.0
Companion Plants
- Sweet Basilstrong
Strong mutual benefit: basil repels aphids, thrips, and spider mites from chili; chili in turn deters slugs that attack basil. Also reported to improve chili flavour
- Spring Onionstrong
Allium border reduces aphid and thrip populations; also repels nematodes in soil around chili roots
- Lady's Fingermoderate
Tall okra provides wind shelter for chili; different root depths avoid competition; okra attracts predatory insects
- Lemongrassmoderate
Border lemongrass deters fruit fly — one of the top pests of chili — through aromatic compounds
- Mintmoderate
Mint deters aphids and spider mites; attracts beneficial hoverflies to chili
Plants to Avoid Nearby
- Eggplant
Both are Solanaceae; planting together dramatically increases risk of shared diseases (bacterial wilt, Phytophthora, TMV) spreading rapidly between them
- Cherry Tomato
Same Solanaceae family; shared pest and disease vector pool; bacterial wilt and Fusarium spread between the two when planted adjacently
- Water Spinach
Incompatible irrigation requirements; chili drought preference vs kangkung moisture need creates management conflict in shared beds
Common Pests & Diseases
Safety Notes
High pesticide risk crop. Observe minimum 14-day PHI for systemic insecticides. Wear gloves when handling chemical sprays. Capsaicin can irritate skin — wash hands after harvesting hot varieties.
Market Demand
Very high; essential condiment in Malaysia
Regional Notes
Cili padi most popular variety
Sources
- Vegetable Growing Guide for Malaysia — DOA Malaysia · Last reviewed: 2026-04-12
Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Category: Fruiting Vegetables