I mulch my chiles, all 1,000 of them, because I have to water less and the plants love it. The cooler feet produce more chiles per plant. And if you can provide some dappled, overhead shade, you'll increase production even more - esp. for habs and rocotos. -- Robert Farr The Chile Man: ALL Natural Hot Sauce (540) 668-7160 www.chileman.com (that's "chile" with an "e")