Chiles readily root along their stems -- even a bout of humid warm weather will cause little roots to appear on the stem and even sometimes large branches, right in the open air. So, I plant chile plants very deep, entirely burying all stem between root ball and lowest main branches -- e.g., if plant is leggy and this distance is 2 feet, then I plant that one at a depth of 2 feet plus pot height (well, actually, I tilt the plant sometimes, to avoid having to dig a really deep hole). Chiles planted this way have always performed great for me. --- Brent