growing chillis in uk.......

[Riz]

Chile peppers are fairly tolerant of their growing conditions and will survive in temperatures ranging from 7 to 29 degrees centigrade and in areas with an annual precipitation varying from 0.3 to 4.6 metres. The soil pH can vary from an acidic pH 4.3 to an alkali pH 8.7 Chile peppers are sensitive to the cold and generally prefer to grow in a well-drained, sandy or silt-loam soil. Pepper plants can also be grown in containers.

Seeds are living things. They are always conducting metabolic processes, although it is at a very low level, until they germinate. The lifetime of any given seed will vary with both its innate vitality (some plant seeds naturally live longer than others) and its environment. Generally speaking, seeds that have been kept cool and dry will live longer (and therefore have higher viability) than seeds that have been kept warm and wet. When you by seeds from a supplier, check the date on the packet; it will indicate the year/season they were packed for, or the year/season they should be planted by.

If you keep your seed dry and as cool as possible, you can use the same seed (in most cases) for several years. Just put them in an airtight container in your refrigerator. Putting silica gel packets or powdered milk (or even dry rice) in with them, will keep the humidity at a lower level. When you're ready to use them, pull the container out and let it warm up before opening (to minimise condensation on the inside of the container and/or on the seeds themselves).

Chile pepper seeds are classed as 'long-lived seeds'. If you keep them cool and dry, they should maintain good viability for five years or more.

[Riz]

here are the strains i am currently growing outdoors in u.k.....


i bought these seed online from http://www.southdevonchillifarm.co.uk/seeds.html


second pic taken in mid may, as you can see healthy seedlings

[Riz]

^ the above pics were taken in mid may,, the chilis are huge now and all of them are grown in containers in my garden..

at the moment most of the chilis are in "flower" as in they are producing chilis as we speak ( baby ones at the moment) they will get big soon

i will upload more pics soon inshallah
you will be able to see the diffrence between a seedling and a fully matured plant

Riz.

[Riz]

some more shots of chilis grown in containers..

more information coming soon inshallah.. please bear with us while we upload more content to the forum

rocoto red

[Riz]

the latest pics..........

[Riz]

more chili pics , as you can see they are setting fruit ( all in containers , some chils in ground).. most are very healthy indeed and disease free.....

[Riz]

this chili plant is called "rocoto"

the fruit is turning from green to almost deep purple...and then crimson red

[Riz]

nice burst of sunshine we are getting at the moment, and the chilis are blooming as you can see

[Sakeena]

Wow, those plants look good.

I planned a hot chili plant in early spring that just went, alhamdulillah it's grown quite big (will post up pictures if i remember) but it has these tiny white bugs on the leaves and in the soil.

I have no idea what kind they are and from what i can see they aren't harming the plant but it is quite unnerving to look at. They appeared immediately after the first shoot came out and never went.

Any advice on what i should do? I've washed the leaves a couple of times but they reappear.

The chili originate from Bangladesh, which i de-seeded and planted.

[Riz]

chilis, indoors for the last 7 days, facing a window ( south facing) some are turning red

[Riz]

Wow, those plants look good.

Any advice on what i should do? I've washed the leaves a couple of times but they reappear.

hi sakeena

thanks..

seems you have aphids laying eggs, what treatment did you use ?
is there any chili's on the plant?

If you have a spray bottle, you can add 1/2 teaspoon of washing up liquid with the water ( fill it up) give it a little shake and spray the plant everywhere on the plant including under the leaves were they lay most of their eggs, the washing up liquid combined with the water will act like "cling film" and they will not be be to move and will die,

Aphids: These small bodied pests are a hazard throughout the whole growing season, but watch out as they seem to like the small fresh plants in the Spring. Sap-feeding insects, infest plants,


especially on the shoot tips, flower buds and the underside of younger leaves. The foliage may be sticky due to the sugary honeydew that aphids excrete. http://www.chillisgalore.co.uk/AllPics/growtips_4.jpgA black sooty mould often develops on the honeydew. White cast aphid skins often accumulate on the upper leaf surface or soil beneath where the aphids are feeding. Aphid damage can result in stunted growth with curled/crinkled or distorted leaves. Sooty mould and cast aphid skins. Numerous sprays, dusts and soaps are available to help remove them which are quite effective especially when caught early, they also have natural enemies, including ladybirds which are available as biological control.



the weather is overcast now the clocks have gone back its getting darker earlier so the chances of chili's growing to their optimum is reduced.
That's why i brought mine inside fortunately for me i grew them in pots so i could easily do it, as you can see from the above pics they are turning red just from the light from the window and the heat from the radiators ( normal room temps)



The chili originate from Bangladesh, which i de-seeded and planted.how many plants did you grow, just the one? , in bangladesh they have longer summers, so it would be nice to know how they are growing in our climate in u.k.. ( we have short summers)

[Riz]

some reading material about chilis


http://www.happynews.com/living/cooking/chilis-perennials-annuals.htm

http://www.edibleornamentals.co.uk/html/faq.html

http://ushotstuff.com/Heat.Scale.htm

[Sakeena]

Thanks but wouldn't liquid damage the plant?

No it hasn't grown any chilies yet, it's still a baby :)

I planted a lot of seeds about 15-20, i had planted them not expecting much but alhamdulillah to my surprise they all started growing. There was no way i could keeping all of them so i gave them away as presents to friends and relatives.

Unfortunately i've been told recently some of them have died. I only kept one for myself beginning to regret not keeping two.

My aunty has a couple and they are huge, with beautiful large leaves so inshallah my one will continue growing. Once it's established itself apparently its ok, but until then anything can happen...guess i'll just have to wait and see.

p.s. i planted all of them in pots.

[Riz]

Thanks but wouldn't liquid damage the plant?

not at all.. its a tried and tested method going way back, you can also crush the essence of garlic or put a teaspoon of chili powder in with the water and spray that over the chili plants to remove aphids..

No it hasn't grown any chilies yet, it's still a baby :)i dont think you will get any fruit from the chili plant at this late stage.



My aunty has a couple and they are huge, with beautiful large leaves so inshallah my one will continue growing. Once it's established itself apparently its ok, but until then anything can happen...guess i'll just have to wait and see.

p.s. i planted all of them in pots.its true chili plants are annuals ( they fruit every year) but its our climate that kills them off before the next season starts they are already dead, almost all the chili seeds i bought in UK, i have never managed to keep the plant alive outdoors through winter..

so i trimmed the plant and the root system and have brought the plant indoors ( its more manageable now) this way i can keep the plant alive and wont need to start seeds for this variety next season as i can re introduce this plant back in the garden in the summer..

the advantage with this is that you get a head start next season, instead of germinating seeds, you can introduce the same plant out next season with at least a 4 week head start...

this is a chili plant in a small pot, i got around dozen chilis from it.

i am going to trim back the main branches and just leave the stalks

[Riz]

the chili plant has been cut right back as you can see

[Riz]

i am also going to trim the "root ball" of the same chili plant and repot with fresh soil.. here is my technique of doing it.. quite simple really

root ball :- pic 1

its not exactly root bound is it !? :) but i will do it anyway. just gently tease the soil out by shaking it a little and rubbing the soil away with your hands, ( the soil is dry so it easy)

nice small root system..

pic 2 & 3

[Riz]

using clean seceturs or a pair of scissors, cut of all the long stringy roots

pic 1 : trimming rootball

pic 2 : half the size now

now am using a smaller pot ( one size down)

fill with fresh clean soil

[Riz]

fill with soil, and pot the plant

[Riz]

so now its potted, dont forget that all important watering, give it a nice soak, let all the water drain out and then bring it indoors if you dont have a green house or consevatory like me, leave it on the windosill were there is light and with in a few weeks you will see little buds growing from the stalks

[Riz]

I re potted and trimmed a few chili plants around 2 weeks ago, and ill upload pics of them soon, just to show you how well they are doing.

[Riz]

so my chili harvest has come to an end for this season.. I am impressed by the quality of the seeds, and even in our ever changing climate i have managed to grow all the strains i started and had fruit from every plant. Growing chillies in containers is a nice neat practical way of doing it, especially when you don't have a green house or a cold frame, when the temp at night drop you can bring the pots and containers indoors..

i will be be growing chillis again next season inshallah

Here are some pics from my outdoor grow this season...




http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa300/sajid_012/DSC06428-1.jpg

[Riz]

http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa300/sajid_012/DSC06413.jpg

[Riz]

http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa300/sajid_012/DSC06394.jpg



http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa300/sajid_012/DSC06422.jpg

[Riz]

so i pruned back around 6 chilli plants 2 weeks ago, allready the plant is growing mini leaves, here is a pic




http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa300/sajid_012/DSC06442.jpg

[Riz]

i has some chili's drying ( just for seeds ) i let the seeds dry up on the core, and they are really dry and ready to be labelled and stored away until the next season..

http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa300/sajid_012/DSC06447.jpg

[Riz]

a plant i trimmed ( same pic as post #14) as you can see its rapid growth in less than 2 weeks, this is all indoors and on a windowsill

http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa300/sajid_012/DSC06522.jpg

[Sakeena]

This this my Bangladeshi chili tree :) , like i said before still a baby but so far so good. Sorry pictures aren't great took them last night with my mobile.

In the third picture i've zoomed in so you can see the little bugs (aphids). i'm yet to spray them, inshallah will get around to it later today.

Not sure if clear in picture but one or two leaves are starting to dry up, should i get worried?

[Sakeena]

Not sure what variety chili tree this one is, i bought it from my local garden shop last summer. I've harvest this plant at least 4 times already that's not including when people pinch them for cooking. it's quick to fruit (if that the correct saying) and has pretty white flowers in which the chili grows, like little red bulbs.

It sheds all it's leaves afterwards hence why it isn't attractive in these pictures, but as you can see some chilies even though smaller than normal.

i've removed a few seeds and planted them last night, so hopefully the seeds will germinate.

[Riz]

lovley pics sakeena,

no you shouldnt be worried its natural ( leaves), with the aphids you can get a kitchen paper towel, wet it in warm water and wipe all the aphids of the leaves, not forgetting to wipe underneath the leaves that should do it!!

what are you going to do with the chili plant you have bought, prune it back ?

any new shoots growing from the stems !?

[Sakeena]

lovley pics sakeena,

thanks :cool:

no you shouldn't be worried its natural ( leaves), with the aphids you can get a kitchen paper towel, wet it in warm water and wipe all the aphids of the leaves, not forgetting to wipe underneath the leaves that should do it!!

lol,i know it's part of nature just don't want it to die on me

what are you going to do with the chili plant you have bought, prune it back ?

any new shoots growing from the stems !?

i was tempted after i saw your chili plant pruned. hope you don't mind me asking but why do you prune back plants? is there a particular time frame you meant to do it?

"any new shoots growing from the stems !?" on which one?

[globalart4u]

i have put garlic pods in my chilli plants and it has stopped the aphids very quickly. when we brought in our chilli pods in october they were full of aphids but planting the garlic has helped. we started planting garlic in our plant pods in the house a few years ago when we had tons of them and they helped to get rid of them.

[Riz]

i was tempted after i saw your chili plant pruned. hope you don't mind me asking but why do you prune back plants? is there a particular time frame you meant to do it?


all plants and flowers are diffrent..

the chili plant is really an "annual" it grows every year in climates which have mild winters unlike our climate ( british) which they die,

so when you bring the chili plant indoors, pruning it back will strengthen the plant and it will become more bushier and give better yields next time around, and they grow back really vigrously judging by my chili plants.

basically it rejuvenates your plant and this way you can control the size of the plant..

i dont know if they do the same thing in warmer climates like asia ( pruning) !?

[Riz]

i have noticed that "pruning" happens in a natural environment like a garden or forest, in windy conditions stems snap of from trees and plants, like it happens in my garden and i have noticed the plant grows back bushier and stronger and usually twice the size of a plant that did not have any branches or stems break of in windy conditions,

its also a good idea to cut out dead or diseased leaves/stems from plants and trees,

some growers also tie there branches down in the summer to bush there plants out a bit ( i have done it myself and doubled the size).

tie`ng (sp)can open up a plant, so it gets light were it wouldn't because of the leaves in the way,

[Sakeena]

i have put garlic pods in my chilli plants and it has stopped the aphids very quickly. when we brought in our chilli pods in october they were full of aphids but planting the garlic has helped. we started planting garlic in our plant pods in the house a few years ago when we had tons of them and they helped to get rid of them.

do you mean garlic cloves?

my chili plant has always been indoors, so not sure how it got insects as my other plants do not.

wiping it and rinsing doesn't work. not bought sprain bottle yet but when i do hopefully zap them away.

Riz: when pruning do i just cut away everything and leave just the stem about 5 cm in length?

[Riz]

wiping it and rinsing doesn't work. not bought sprain bottle yet but when i do hopefully zap them away.


its a temporary solution, wiping them away, the aphids love young seedlings and plants its easier for them to suck the liquid out of the soft stems.

when pruning do i just cut away everything and leave just the stem about 5 cm in length?

there is no one "right" way of doing it, there is many diffrent ways . you can prune back the plant but keep the shape of the plant the way it is, basically a "minime" of the plant...

just by cutting back 4inchs of each stem, you watch the rapid growth of the plant again in 2 weeks..

you can aslo cut back on the rootball and put the plant in a smaller container making it more managable.

ill upload some pics of mine that i pruned around 3 weeks ago later on..

am watching the manchester united game :)

[Riz]

salam,,,

some pics i took today..
the plants i pruned back are growing back extremely quickly, just by sitting on the windowsill..

check them out...

i left the root ball intact on some of them as, there is plenty of room whithin the pots, so there is no need

http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa300/sajid_012/DSC06575.jpg


side shoots

http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa300/sajid_012/DSC06573.jpg


i trimmed this back to the main growing stalk, and look at it now so bushy.. some of them are producing fruit again, i saw some small white flowers on one of them :)
http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa300/sajid_012/DSC06570.jpg

[Riz]

same pic as post #26

rapid growth as you can tell, i am glad i trimmed the rootball on this one, its in a smaller pot, i will probarley have to prune it again one more time before it goes out in the garden in may 2008...... because its on a windowsill i have to keep moving the plant around so it doesnt swoon to one side as on the windowsill they"chase the sun"

its funny when people talk about "sunrise" and sunset" when really the sun is a stationary object it doesnt move around ( it wobbles a bit) its the earth that moves around the sun, so the sun doesnt rise and it doesnt set !! ?

ca you see the little pods hanging off them, they have started to fruit again, lol
Riz-


http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa300/sajid_012/DSC06590.jpg

[Sakeena]

I’ve decided to prune back the chili tree I’ve bought and may give the roots a slight trim as I will be planting it in a larger plant.

With the cutting potentially be plants in their own right, right? Is there a particular way in which you are mean to take cuttings/prune back like cut at an angle?

My other chili plant is a naga tree, I think I failed to mention that :o

[Riz]

yes the cuttings will be the DNA duplicate of the mother plant...

are u talking about pruning a plant or taking cuttings from a plant ?. how big is the plant youre taking cuttings from ?

if youre pruning back you can cut at any angle because the plant is staying indoors till the summer eh!?

most gardeners cut at a angle because water droplets will glide of the angled cut, if it was a flat cut raindrops can settle and may cause rot/mould issues in the future, black spots on stems etc...

[Riz]

With the cutting potentially be plants in their own right, right?

you can only clone or take cuttings when the plant is in vegatitive growth, ( meaning when its green and has lush leaves), so you'll have to prune the chili plant and then wait until it starts growing again, and when its a nice size you can take cuttings from it, as many as you want,, some gardeners keep the "mother plant" if they like the genes of it, and take cuttings from the same plants for years and years.

[Sakeena]

does it matter how big the plant i'm taking a cutting from?

Sorry wasn't clear, i'll be pruning the chili tree i've posted picture of (the one i've bough) was wondering if i could do something with the cuttings if they were big enough...

[Riz]

does it matter how big the plant I'm taking a cutting from? no. but you ll need a healthy stem around maybe 5 inch's,
on the plant you mentioned, can you see any new shoots sprouting from the side of the stems/stalks, probably a very small shoot sticking out..

you might not be able to take cuttings until the chili plant is green again, a bit like my pic,, i think within a month ill be rooting more clones and cuttings from that plant, but at the moment its too small to take a decent size cutting from , even though the cutting doesn't have to be that long around 4 or 5 inches....

ill see if i can find a tutorial on how to take cuttings with pics, i might have a folder bookmarked,

[Stealth]

The chili originate from Bangladesh, which i de-seeded and planted.


Dorset Naga, an exceptionally hot Scotch Bonnet relative. It was originally selected from Naga Morich, a chilli that is highly regarded among Britain’s Bangladeshi community and is widely available in shops catering to their culinary needs.

Apparently they're the hottest chillis measured. smoking.

[Sakeena]

Riz: cool thanks, silly question but does it matter what kind of scissors i use?

Stealth: er, thanks for the info :D

[Mareyah]

nice pictures guys...them bugs on sakeena's plant...do they stop the plant from growing?

[Riz]

from pruning; clean sharp scissors will do the job..

for taking cuttings i use a scalpel ( from a hobby shop) really sharp with a small cutting blade affixed to it at the end, ill show you a pic later :)

[Stealth]

I too am trying my hand unsuccesfully growing a chilli tree. A few of the leaves are starting to curl over around the edges. Any suggestions?:confused:

[Riz]

nice pictures guys...them bugs on sakeena's plant...do they stop the plant from growing?

salaam mareyah..

it will take time but it can happen, the aphids like to suck out moisture from soft stems, but if you just mix some washing up liquid with some water and spray them, they will shrivel up and die..

i have lots of aphids on my new rose bush, so many that sometimes you cant even see the stem, i use my hands and rub them all of, or just shaking the plant violently will do the job ( but i don't recommend you do that on a young plant).

some bugs in the soil outdoors nourish the soil and the micro organisms that live their along with the worms excrete lots of goodness for the soil, some insects and bugs help out plants as well.

[Mareyah]

salaam mareyah..

it will take time but it can happen, the aphids like to suck out moisture from soft stems, but if you just mix some washing up liquid with some water and spray them, they will shrivel up and die..

i have lots of aphids on my new rose bush, so many that sometimes you cant even see the stem, i use my hands and rub them all of, or just shaking the plant violently will do the job ( but i don't recommend you do that on a young plant).

some bugs in the soil outdoors nourish the soil and the micro organisms that live their along with the worms excrete lots of goodness for the soil, some insects and bugs help out plants as well.

wasalam Khan

spray sounds more umm pleasant...jzk

[Stealth]

nice pictures guys...them bugs on sakeena's plant...do they stop the plant from growing?

Aphid damage can result in stunted growth with curled/crinkled or distorted leaves.

I realise this sounds like i'm answering my own question regarding the curled leaves but note, none of my plants have bugs (Aphids).

[Riz]

^ is the plant indoors or outdoors ?

do you have a pic of it ?

[Stealth]

The plants (4 in total) are all indoors on the windowsill. I will post pic soon as possible if that helps.

[Stealth]

Here's the pics. It's the same with all 4. i've previosly had a similar problem and the plant died within a few weeks. Plus some of the leaves are turning yellow. diagnosis plus cure if possible, thanks.

[Riz]

Here's the pics. It's the same with all 4. i've previosly had a similar problem and the plant died within a few weeks. Plus some of the leaves are turning yellow. diagnosis plus cure if possible, thanks.



when did you germinate these seeds? or did you buy them , they look like babies ?

are you using nutrients/fertilizer, what ratio ?

how often do you water?

they are only on the 4th node ( set of leaves) so only a very weak soloution of nutrients should be mixed with water.. or none atall

do you live in a hard water area or soft water area ?

[Stealth]

:confused:when did you germinate these seeds? or did you buy them , they look like babies ?

Just over 2 months since germination.

:are you using nutrients/fertilizer, what ratio ?

I'm using Baby Bio plant feed, 10 drops to 1 pint of water.

:how often do you water?

I water every two days, once a week using this mixure, plain water every other day.

:they are only on the 4th node ( set of leaves) so only a very weak soloution of nutrients should be mixed with water.. or none atall

do you live in a hard water area or soft water area ?

Not sure.

[Sakeena]

with little baby chili plant i have not given it any form of nutrients/fertilisers and only water it when the soil is dryish - i don't let it dry out completely.

however the one i bought has instructions to be fed every other watering (if that makes sense). worth baring in mind i bought it fully grown.

Not sure if the above helps but that's pretty much what i've been advised when watering: only water when dryish otherwise can cause the roots to rot.

[Riz]

Chilli plants require insect pollination. But if you grow them indoors from seed to fruit You can achieve an excellent pollination rate if you do it by hand. When the pollen is ripe, between midday and three pm each day, lightly moisten artist brush collect the pollen and distribute across other flower centres.


Anatomy of the chili pepper flower

a. petals
b. stigma
c. pistil
d. stamens
e. blossom end
f. calyx

[Riz]

I'm using Baby Bio plant feed, 10 drops to 1 pint of water. I'd go with the overfeeding hypothesis. 10 drops in one pint seems way too much. At that size they don't need much at all. that and over watering, if you use your small finger and dig in the corner of the pot to around 1inch if the soil feels moist then don't water only if it feels dry you should water, you should be able to tell if the plant needs water by simply lifting the pot and checking the weight of the pot when the pot is dry and the weight after you have given it a drink.

whats the N.P.K ratio on the bio, it should be on the back of the bottle, something like npk 10-10-05
I don't think you need to use fertilizer that soon, they're just little babies.

N.P.K
nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K).



and a lack of light would give some earlier signs like a yellow colour, and the browned crispy curling of the tips of leaves could be down to "chemical overload"
if you take a pinch full of soil from the pot and smell it if it smells "chemically" then you will know it has to much nutes in the soil.. if that's the case its best to re-pot with fresh soil and don't bother with nutes until the plants are on there fourth or fifth node. just use plain water ( prefarably room temperature) its the best to let the tap water stand in a room for 24 hours as the chlorine in the water evaporates

stealth you need to give them babies the maximum light you can, otherwise they will grow spindly and stretchy.


like sakeena said you dont need that much fertz and nutes at that early stage..

what kind are they , they sound intresting :)

[Riz]

nice article from another website with pics..

Taking cuttings with a rooting hormone (soil) (http://www.fatalii.net/growing/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=18&Itemid=34)

[Sakeena]

Salam all I've pruned the chili tree. Got a little carried away trying to balance it now left with pretty much the main stalk. Looks ridiculous - should i trim it so more or is that enough?

[Riz]

w/salaam..

It looks perfectly pruned, no need for any more, well done.

edit: did you click that link. shows you easily with pics how to take cuttings, great easy tutorial

[Stealth]

whats the N.P.K ratio on the bio, it should be on the back of the bottle, something like npk 10-10-05
I don't think you need to use fertilizer that soon, they're just little babies.

npk 10.6-4.4-1.7
I will heed your advice and stop using the fertilizer. Thank you all.:)

what kind are they , they sound intresting :)

Orange Habanero Chilli, EXTREMELY HOT.

[globalart4u]

[QUOTE=Sakeena;250]do you mean garlic cloves?

QUOTE]

yes garlic cloves - aphids dont like them at all. your plants dont have to be inside for the aphids to get int. some years ago we bought a plant from safeways and it had aphids in it so we got infested and with the mild winters they are surviving in the winter so that is a major problem too.

[Riz]

Orange Habanero Chilli, EXTREMELY HOT.

stealth get you self a grow light and you can keep it in a "bonsai tree " fashion,way until early to mid -may, you can get a 35watt tube light plus fixtures for under £15.

and then you will have the whole summer for them plants to grow and flower maybe in september early october outdoors

orange habernos take atleast 90 days to flower, (unless i am mistaken)

good luck.

Riz-

[Sakeena]

I've sprayed the (baby) chili plant with 1/2 teaspoon of liquid and water. What do i do now? Do i wipe the leaves with water tomorrow? is that it they're dead or do i have to repeat the treatment - i've noticed that they have done some damage so need to get rid of them asap!

Gobalart4u: so all i do is plant a garlic clove in the soil? does it need to be fresh and does it need replacing after a period of time?

[Riz]

stealth,

some pics of a chilli grow ( not mine) thats was totally grown from seed to harvest indoors in a spare room... not saying you have to go this far.. :)...

[Riz]

i have a spare bedroom very small, i might just kit it out with grow lights...

same indoor grow..

[Riz]

I've sprayed the (baby) chili plant with 1/2 teaspoon of liquid and water. What do i do now? Do i wipe the leaves with water tomorrow? is that it they're dead or do i have to repeat the treatment - i've noticed that they have done some damage so need to get rid of them asap!

you might have to spray a few times a week for a while, ( making sure you spray underneath the leaves) make it a fine spray.. the plant has soft stems ideal for the aphids to chomp on, it will take a while for the outerskin of the stems to toughen up,,then the aphids wont be able to feed of it...

leaving it in the bathroom were there lots of steam, kills them aswell

Gobalart4u: so all i do is plant a garlic clove in the soil? does it need to be fresh and does it need replacing after a period of time?i think he meant " companion planting" you plant the garlic clove near the chili plants , so it grows together. i dont think it works indoors as not enough light for the garlic to grow, you could spray the plant and leaves with the essence of garlic in the water spray bottle

[Sakeena]

Thanks for that, i soo want them gone. i sprained everywhere (top, bottom, soil) leaves did start getting soap though :/

i did notice that the stem is weak and was nearly toppling over when i moved it ?

garlic essence? buy and mix in the water and spray??

[Riz]

i did notice that the stem is weak and was nearly toppling over when i moved it ?

could be the lack of light this time of the season,not enough "photosynthesis" going on.. if you have a consevatory it well help, the bigger it gets the more light it will require, try giving it a weak soloution of "tomato feed" aswell that might help. you might have to move the plant to a place were it gets more sunshine coming in through the windows.

garlic essence? buy and mix in the water and spray??if its powder form and will turn into liquid yeah !! sometimes little tiny membranes of garlic get stuck in the nozzle of the spray gun lol

or like a lot of other growers you can remove them all by hand ! :)

or you could take a drive to B&Q and buy some bug killer, they have a variety !!!!

some tips on getting rid of the little fellas

http://www.getridofthings.com/get-rid-of-aphids.htm

[Sakeena]

thought the below was interesting:

"Contrary to popular belief, the hottest part of the chili pepper is not the seeds but where the seed attaches to the white membrane inside the pepper. This area has the highest concentration of capsaicinoids. Capsaicinoids are flavorless, odorless substances that act on pain receptors in the mouth and throat. Capsaicin is the primary capsaicinoid. Capsaicinoids can be found throughout the flesh of chili peppers though their concentration varies in different areas so that one part of a pepper may be hot and another part of the same pepper quite mild. The seeds are often hot because they are in such close contact with the white membrane." http://www.fruitsandveggiesmatter.gov/month/chili_peppers.html

[Stealth]

stealth get you self a grow light and you can keep it in a "bonsai tree " fashion,way until early to mid -may, you can get a 35watt tube light plus fixtures for under £15.

Nice pictures.:) I have a 40 watt desk lamp, will that do the same job? What about energy saving bulbs? Many thanks.:cool:

[Riz]

Nice pictures.:) I have a 40 watt desk lamp, will that do the same job? What about energy saving bulbs? Many thanks.:cool:

the tube lights are energy saving, and very cheap to run, more cheaper that you desk lamp. if its incandescent light it wont work, it doesnt have the lumen's

some more reading, u can google and see for yourself

http://www.hydroponic-shop.com/page.php?name=Guide%20to%20Grow%20Lights (http://www.hydroponic-shop.com/page.php?name=Guide%20to%20Grow%20Lights)

tube lights are cheap, you know the ones in shop fittings, this way your plants wont suffer from lack of light.. the higher the wattage the more faster the plant will grow and the leafs will be rich green,

[Riz]

stealth,,,

how are the haberno seedlings, give us an update ?

[Sakeena]

remember the chili plant i pruned well i think it's dying as a result. the tips have gone dark green/brown and there is no signs of new shoots.

The naga plant appears to be withering and also dying :(

not looking good :/

[Riz]

^ its the lack of light sakeena thats why its dying.. luckily for me i have a south facing bedroom window and i can get atleast 6 hours of daylight from the top bedroom, i also have some tube lights which do the job... its a shame though, i would have like to seen the bengali chili plant grow, but you still have seeds and you can germinate in march ( next season) so its all good sakeena..

[Stealth]

The habanero seedlings aren't doing so well. First sets of leaves have fallen plus more of the leaves have started to die (turn yellow and curl up). I followed your advise but alas the damage has been done.:(

[Sakeena]

^ its the lack of light sakeena thats why its dying.. luckily for me i have a south facing bedroom window and i can get atleast 6 hours of daylight from the top bedroom, i also have some tube lights which do the job... its a shame though, i would have like to seen the bengali chili plant grow, but you still have seeds and you can germinate in march ( next season) so its all good sakeena..

i can't be due to lack of light because i've positioned it where it gets plenty and not direct sunlight so it's not sun damage. Also it gets light during the night due to light fixtures etc

....and i haven't got any seeds i had planted them all and distributed them :(

Stealth: can't be that bad, did you re pot them as i had advised?

[Riz]

i can't be due to lack of light because i've positioned it where it gets plenty and not direct sunlight so it's not sun damage. Also it gets light during the night due to light fixtures etc


there wont be enough light to damage it anyway, at this late stage any direct light would be doing the plants a favour not damaging it, and during the night if the bulbs are incandescent "its the wrong type of light"

look at these pics, some plants i pruned and they withered away and died.

[Riz]

here are some chilli plants i have pruned.. and they are doing really really well.. as you can see, some work out better than others..... it really is a learning curve..........

[Riz]

some chilli clones that are doing great under a tube light only 35watts

the pot noodle containers are really good for growing chilli seedlings (pots are deep) :)

[Riz]

Contrary to popular belief Chile pepper plants are perennials and can grow for many years if over wintered successfully. Indeed I know people who have specimens up to 8 years old although plants are most productive in their earlier years. Over wintered plants can give you a great head start for a new growing season, as mature plants will quickly produce flower sets and very early crops in year 2. Unfortunately over wintering your precious plants can prove to be a very fickle & frustrating affair. In this guide I aim to drawn on my experience growing 100's of varieties to highlight some of the common problems and provide a few ideas to improve your chances of success.
Control growth & manage dormancy

http://www.thechileman.org/guide_img/winter001.jpgI've had many successes and failures with each of the different species of Capsicum (both cultivated & wild) and have tried all sorts of things from differing water regimes, drastic pruning and climatic support to improve plants chances of survival.
Successfully over wintered plants nearly always produce more pods in year 2. This is particularly true for some of the chinense species (like the Habaneros), which often have long growing seasons of 120 days + and don't get enough time to fruit in all their glory in year 1, particularly in temperate climates like the UK. The trick to over wintering is to control growth or manage dormancy.
Dormancy, the process when your plants effectively 'hibernate' can kick in when natural light levels fade and the temperature falls back below 50oF. Dormant plants will shed all leaves and so no signs of growth, however they are not dead. Dormant plants should be cut right back leaving only a small stump just a few inches above the soil line. Leaving dying vegetation encourages pests like whiteflies and also disease. Even after the most severe pruning, dormant plants will sprout new vigorous growth when the warmer spring weather returns, assuming of course they have made it through the winter.
Which plants over winter best?

http://www.thechileman.org/guide_img/winter004.jpgOf the five-domesticated/cultivated capsicum species (Annuum, Chinense, Pubescens, Frutescens & Annuum), Pubescens tend to over winter best in my experience. Their natural climate is the cool upper slopes of the Andes Mountains and they can quite happily tolerate the lower winter temperatures. No pepper plants will survive a hard penetrating frost though. Water molecules in the plants root system expand when they freeze causing permanent and fatal damage. Varieties such as Rocoto and Manzano normally over winter very well with little more damage than a little leaf drop. I tend to leave immature pods on the plant. Although growth is slow to non-existent, they tend to ripen when the hours of daylight lengthen & weather improves. Capsicum Eximium, a closely related wild relative of Pubescens and other wild species like Chacoense and Pratermissum also over winter well.
Capsicum Chinense, which includes the Habaneros, Nagas & Scotch Bonnets, demand warmer climatic conditions and a long growing season for fruits to fully develop and ripen. You would think that these would be the hardest to over winter. No so in my experience although they are probably the most unpredictable. A 2 year old Chocolate Habanero plant, which made it through 2 cold, winters perished in year 3 despite milder conditions. This year a three year old Red Savina plant bit the dust despite making in through two previous winters as a younger, weaker plant. Why did this happen? I believe a contributory factor was not removing mature pods from the plants.
Removing Mature Pods

http://www.thechileman.org/guide_img/winter005.jpgA Chile plant's mission in life is to set seed, not furnish your belly with tasty pods year after year. Once pods have ripened, seeds are viable and the plants job is done. If you keep picking off the pods, the plant will try to produce more assuming it has enough nutrients to do so hence the need for correct fertilising just prior to the fruiting stage.
In the case of my deceased Chocolate Habanero & Red Savina plants, in the year of death, I was lazy and left mature pods on the plants, whereas they had been harvested in previous years. In addition I removed all pods from my Naga Morich & Caronog (also of the Chinense species) plants prior to over wintering and both have survived. Although removing mature pods will not guarantee your plants survival, it does seem to improve plants chances of survival.
On a final note, plants of the chinense species do seem to suffer much more from leaf drop than the other species with nearly all my chinense plants now as bald as pool ball. Leaf drop is perfectly normal and is a plants natural way of conserving energy during the dormancy process. All discarded leaves should quickly be disposed of to avoid encouraging pests & diseases.
Good survival rates

http://www.thechileman.org/guide_img/winter003.jpgFrutescens are probably the closest relative (of the 5 domestic/cultivated species of capsicum) to Chinense and in my experience their survival rates are similar. Tabasco plants winter well if pods are harvested and they are pruned back sharply. Without pruning foliage, ultimately plants turn brown and often die back quickly, a scenario to which plants of the annuum species seem most susceptible.
In pepper naming convention Annuum means annuals, a misnomer, as all Chile pepper plants are perennials. Having said that, over wintering annum's is normally a bloodbath for me and I've rarely had success, particularly with some of the more compact ornamental varieties like Purple Prince, Prairie Fire, Bolivian Rainbow, etc. Maybe this is something to do with genetics and crossing to produce these highly ornamental varieties in the first place. Don't be too downhearted though as many of my friends who experience milder winter weather have faired much better.

[Riz]

I've brought my annum's into the house, removed pods, reduced watering and pruned back some almost to the roots, but even if they do make it to year 2, they are nearly always poor specimens. Of course they are always exceptions and I have managed to over winter a glorious Numex Twilight plant over a number of seasons. Having said that, I didn't plant the seeds until June and the plant had barely started fruiting by the time the winter set in. May be it had just a little more pent up energy to drag itself through the dull & depressing winter whilst snugly sitting on my kitchen windowsill. The good thing with Annum's though is that seeds tend to be more readily available and they grow quicker than the other species so it's no great loss if they die.
Watering Regimes

http://www.thechileman.org/guide_img/winter006.jpgFinally, watering regimes also has an influence on over wintering success or failure. Chile plants hate getting there feet too wet, particularly when there is not enough climatic heat to drive the process of transpiration (the evaporation of water from both the plant's leaf and the soil). You should keep watering to a minimum; maybe as little as every other week rather than every other day although never let plants soil go completely bone dry.
Conclusion

Over wintering is a fickle affair but you can improve your chances of success by:
- Growing species that are more cold tolerate like Pubescens
- Improving climatic conditions by bring plants indoors
- Removing ripe pods before over wintering
- Cutting back woody stems and removing dead or diseased growth to keep pest & disease at bay
- Controlling water regimes

If your attempts at over wintering are littered with more failures than success all is not lost. Space is normally at a premium in the Chile grower's garden and if all your plants survived you would have less space to try new varieties the following year. If you really love a particular variety you can always grow them again from seed from the parent plant. Even if the seeds are not true (they have crossed with another variety), you could have a very interesting 'new variety' on your hands.

SOURCE:- http://www.thechileman.org/index.php

[Riz]

some pics of a cutting i took of a chilli plant, just a small guide of how to do it...... of course everyone has their own techniques :)


pic 1

a cutting i left in water overnight, just to help the moisture to go up the stem of the cutting.. also some rooting powder and a small pot with fresh soil

pic 2
i am going to scrape away at the back side of the stem. I've found that this helps rooting a little better. i am using a sharp clean craft knife ( of course you dont need to do this)

[Riz]

dip into some rooting powder, shake the excess off....

[Riz]

i made a hole in the pot, so when i pop the cutting into it, the rooting powder will stay on the stem of the cutting and not be scraped of on top of the the soil .

[Riz]

last thing to do is mist the plant, and leave under light 24/0 ( as in leave under tube light 24/7) in 6 to 10 days you`re cuttings will have roots. :)

simple as that.

[Riz]

the plants that i trimmed earlier, i have put them under a 400 watt HPS ( high pressure sodium) light in a cupboard which is 6ft x 2 ft wide , i also have a small desktop fan inside to keep the temperature down..the chillis are producing fruit as we speak, so i am a happy bunny.

some holes in the back of the cupboard so the warm air doesnt re-cycle within the cupboard, the temps are around 25c....

here are a few pics

[Sakeena]

maybe it worth separating the posts related to growing from a cutting for future references. it hidden here

will post up pictures of my chilies when i get a chance. the naga plant if doing well and the seedlings have germinated. unfortunately the pruned one is not looking too good but im still hoping it'll bounce back.

[Riz]

good idea sakeena..

ill do that later.. but if you pop into the indoor grow thread ( you will see my mini harvest of chilis) http://www.muslimgrower.com/discussionforum/showthread.php?p=448#post448

[Sakeena]

i know, i've seen, i'm so jealous mine are no where near flowering

[Riz]

i started to germinate some chili seeds around 2 weeks ago, these will take longer to flower outdoors , so i am starting them off early to put outdoors in may..

chocolate habernos
orange habernos
tepin
rocoto red

[Riz]

some seeds i germinated in peat pellets, coming along really well. :cool:

[Riz]

some chili cuttings that are rooting in peat pellets after two weeks :)



http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa300/sajid_012/DSC07632.jpg

[Stealth]

Nice pictures as usual. :D
How come those leaves are so glossy? Mine just look dull in comparison.
Btw they're progressing quite nicely, I'll upload some pics soon.

[Riz]

Nice pictures as usual. :D
How come those leaves are so glossy? Mine just look dull in comparison.
Btw they're progressing quite nicely, I'll upload some pics soon.

salaam bro long time no see.. :)

they are glossy because they are under a tube light :)

you should get one for yourself seriousley..

[Riz]

some pics i taken today...

i am on the 4th node ( set of leaves ) on my chili seedlings and i have still not used any nutrients of fertilzers, just room temp water and a light source

[Stealth]

As promised here are my latest pics. They've not grown so much in height but otherwise are doing quite nicely.

[Riz]

salaam stealth..

Very nice indeed and they look really healthy, they will be perfect for the garden come mid may, these are the orange habernos right !?

[Sakeena]

nice pictures guys

but this threads still lacking my pictures so watch this space :)

[Riz]

3 capsicum seedlings that i started a while ago on the windowsill... they are a part of the chili family ;)

[Sakeena]

i finally got around to taking those pictures

first is just a seedling of the pruned chili tree (which sadly has died)

the rest are of the naga plant. need advice on what i could do regarding the following

problem 1: what to do with the leaves drying and curling. i do not use any fertiliser nor does it receive direct sunlight and i water it regularly.

problem 2: as you can see the plant is top heavy and the stem is feeble any advice on getting it thicker?

(it still has those insects can't seems to get rid of them)

[Riz]

thanks for the pics sakeena..

problem 1: what to do with the leaves drying and curling. i do not use any fertiliser nor does it receive direct sunlight and i water it regularly. not enough direct light i am afraid,,and this stage you will have to mix in some nutrients ( tomato feed) with your regular watering, the N.P.K of the tomato feed will make up what the seedling lacks, leave in direct light after that as much as you can..


problem 2: as you can see the plant is top heavy and the stem is feeble any advice on getting it thicker? seems like a magnesium deficiency and lack of light, the tomato feed will cure the magnesium deficiency and the stem should stiffen up.. but the main problem is the lack of light, you need to find a place were it has the most sunlight and leave them there,, its very important not to over water as well, some of the leaves are yellowing on one of the pics its a sign of nutrient deficencey, the tomato feed will take care of that problem ( read the instructions on the back)

How often do you water the seedlings !?

the insects sound like "spider mites" i have them as well and so do many people who start of seedlings indoors, its a common thing, I use this "bug killer" it really works for me, and so far i treat them once every four days

[Riz]

The Leaves:

Yellowing
- see the sections on Aphids, Whitefly, Nematodes and Verticillium Wilt
- could also be caused by a Nitrogen or Magnesium deficiency, mineral deficiency, or excessive watering

Browning
� see Bacterial Leaf Spot and Phytopthora blight
- could also be caused by excessive nitrogen.

Curling/distortion
� see Aphids, Thrips, Spider mites and Viruses



Scorched
� see sunscald
- could be caused by Chemical or fertiliser burns

Spots/Blotches
- see Bacterial Leaf Spot, Cercospora Leaf Spot Powdery Mildew, Phytopthora blight and viruses
- could also be caused by chemical injury

The Plants:

Browning Stems
- see Bacterial Leaf Spot and Phytopthora blight
- could also be caused by insufficient watering

Wilting
- see Verticilllium wilt, Bacterial Wilt & Phytopthora blight
- could also be caused by too little/too much watering

Plants Falling Over
� could be caused by waterlogged soil, insufficient plant support or poorly develop roots

Slow growth
� likely to be caused by inadequate light, poor soil, low temperatures. Note some Chile species particularly the Chinese are notoriously slow growing

[Riz]

I counted around 60 chili seedlings that i have currently in various stages...

here are my current strains that i have recently germinated and some that are germinating, i use empty egg boxes ( mini greenhouse)

A list of strains :-

tongues of fire
aurora
cielo rojo
bassotto
safi scotch bonnet
jamaican hot red
hot marbles
funky
apache
chinese ornamental
balloon
nosegay
candelight
tabasco
fantasia

[Riz]

more strains i started a month ago under tube lights, they are healthy apart from the spidermites, which i am using the bug killer for, so far so good !!

[Riz]

some more pics to wet your appetites

[Sakeena]

thanks for your posts, will get on the case asap

you sure about tomato feed?

i'm pretty sure i don't have spiders but Aphids. saying that i've been spraying with diluted liquid and wiping/rinsing the leaves but the ones in/on the soil don't go....

[Riz]

you sure about tomato feed?

i'm pretty sure i don't have spiders but Aphids. saying that i've been spraying with diluted liquid and wiping/rinsing the leaves but the ones in/on the soil don't go....


yeah sakeena your seedlings are crying out for some nutrients, read the instructions at the back of the tomato feed.. How many days in a week are you watering them ?

yeah aphids they multiply over night, i recommend the bug killer it really does work



ps.. this website has many great pics of chilis and threads on sick seedlings http://www.chillisgalore.co.uk/phpBB3/viewforum.php?f=2

[Riz]

The cutting i started in peat pellets are coming along nicely.....

here are a few pics, cant wait till mid may, so i can leave them all outside, i am seriously running out of space inside the house, I will be giving some to family and friends to grow on..... :)

[Kirsten]

Riz, they look gorgeous!

I am planting some chillis on the windowsill for now... I planted seeds about two weeks ago and I have five baby sprouts poking out of the soil now, expecting about twenty total. Hopefully they'll grow to be as big and healthy as yours :)

[Riz]

cool...

do you like spicy food in general !?

do you know what strains they are, or just some regular ones you bought from a shop ( store) !!!?

[Riz]

sakeenawhats the latest on the chili seedlings, did you give them nutrients or fertilizer !?

[Kirsten]

cool...

do you like spicy food in general !?

do you know what strains they are, or just some regular ones you bought from a shop ( store) !!!?

I like things a little too spicy, not too much :)

They're actually not my seeds - they're from a friend who really, really loves spicy food. I'm just doing him the favor of planting them for him because he claims that nothing every grows for him :p, and I'll be keeping a few just for fun. I don't actually know the strain - I'm pretty sure he got it from an Asian store, though, perhaps some Thai variety?

[Riz]

the thai varities are really hot from what i have heard.... one of my chili plants has one chili dangling from it, its cool cant wait to put them all outdoors in midmay, roll on summer !!!!!!!!

[Riz]

salaam and hello everyone

its a beautiful day today so i left most of my chili's outdoors to harden off, if the temps drop tonight i will bring them indoors, i will be taking them outdoors everyday if the weather is good for a couple of hours just so they don't go into shock being introduced to the outdoors for the first time ,after a while they harden off and if the weather is good you can leave them out permanently in mid may.

:0

[Billal]

What size pots do you end up using for the chillie plants. Mine are in small seeding trays now, I plan to put them in 4inch pots for now but was wondering what size pot you need to go upto?

[Riz]

What size pots do you end up using for the chillie plants. Mine are in small seeding trays now, I plan to put them in 4inch pots for now but was wondering what size pot you need to go upto?

chilis dont need to be grown in a huge pot, even in really small pots it will flower and you will get fruit from it..

here is a youtube video i made earlier ( just like blue peter) you can check out my chili collection outdoors in my garden..

here is the link to muslimgrower video :- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TRgJ8dvgU9o

one of these days i will figure out how to embedd the video into the pages..

Riz-

[Riz]

beautiful day today... i have left all my chilis outdoors to harden them off.. some of them are getting huge in the small seedling pots.. but its all good

[Riz]

Another great day today temps are around 21c.. i hope you all have chili seedlings outdoors enjoying the sun....

[Riz]

i have repotted several of my chili plants in bigger containers and they will stay in these containers till the end. i ran out of soil half way through so i will be getting some more later..

[Riz]

salaam stealth..

If you are still outhere, any progress on your baby seedlings, have you been leaving them outdoors ?!?!

[Stealth]

salaam stealth..

If you are still outhere, any progress on your baby seedlings, have you been leaving them outdoors ?!?!

salaam,

I don't think they're babies any more. The larger ones have branched.

Some of the leaves are also deformed, any ideas?

[Riz]

do you give them nutrients if so how often ? leaf curl can happen when giving too much nutrients too often..

the leaves do look crooked, but it could be in the strain,

these are the orange habaneros right ?

They look healthy though, the leaves are nice and glossy

[Riz]

please check this database for extra info stealth http://www.thechileman.org/guide_disease.php

[Stealth]

Yes these are the orange habaneros. :D I'm really pleased with there progress.

I haven't given them any nutrients since my earlier mistake of over feeding them whilst they were just seedlings.

[Riz]

yes they are looking very nice and as you said have branched out, you can now if you wish give them some nutrients as in the hot weather they will love it.. give them the feed in the evenings,,

I don't think the cat will attack the chilis as far as i know i have enough cats in my garden and they don't even bother with the plants.. If its warm temps in the evening you should leave the plants outdoors to "harden" them off At this stage they can handle the odd cold evening.

I have left all my seedlings outdoors for the past week, i inspected them and they are doing fine....

Ps.. the website i linked to you has a huge database on problems with chili plants so the answer could been in there, but your plants do look healthy i must admit :0

well done !!!

[Riz]

keep an eye on the temps in the evening, bring your chili plants indoors if possible if the weather drops

[Riz]

3 of my chili strains with a few chilis on it..

orange habaneros

hungarian wax

rocoto

[Riz]

A quick update... i can see the chilis growing bigger on a daily basis,, its been wet and warm recently ( so watch out for the slugs and snails) i have scattered some blue pellets in every container..

here is a pic of some of the chilis..

[Riz]

some of the chili plants have purple leaves, that's due to the coldness in the evenings.. just give them a boost of nitrogen.

[Riz]

I just inspected all my chili plants and 90% of them are flowering, they are small though none of them are over 3 feet and as you know all grown in pots.. even the exotic ones from south america are flowering, ill upload pics later on tonight..

and stealth if you are still out there, i would love to hear about your plants progress :)

[Riz]

some various pics of my chili plants....

[Riz]

a few more for your delight...

[Riz]

we have been having decent weather in the last couple of days, and most of the chili plants have small flowers on them and some are growing fruit, this is what we have been waiting for all season...
here are a few pics.

[Riz]

some more pics for your delight.... i have some that are just fruiting and are totally purple,, pics of that plant later, and the names of the chili strains coming up soon :)

[Riz]

rocoto

enjoying the sunshine, it has lovley purple flowers...

[Riz]

some more pics i have taken today, They would have doubled in size by now if i had a greenhouse or a polytunnel, I am thinking of investing in a greenhouse next season.. All of the chilis are in pots, so all i have done is give them water when it hasnt rained in a week, not given them any extra nutrients or fertilizer either, so we shall see the state of them when it comes time to pick the fruit..

[Stealth]

Those look great.
My chili plants have grown since last update but only one's started to flower, plus its got bugs (what bad timing).:(

[Riz]

Those look great.
My chili plants have grown since last update but only one's started to flower, plus its got bugs (what bad timing).:(


The weather has not been good for the past week the chili plants are just hanging on, lots of them have tiny flowers on them but its been very overcast the past week, Last season and the same time as now the chilis had plenty of fruit on them, I hope the weather picks up soon though...

You might have aphids on the stem and the leaves you can get some bug killer from B&Q and deal with them easily, they suck out all the moisture from young stems so the bug killer should help out .

good luck..

[Stealth]

:(

The flower died but i've managed to rid myself of those aphids (by hand). Insha Allah the plants will recover and fruit.

[~Obsidian~]

I guess it's too late to plant some myself now then? :(

[Riz]

I guess it's too late to plant some myself now then? :(

yeah brother...

way too late, shame though i had around 65 chili plants from all over the world and i gave so many away beacuse i didnt have the room.... so if you want some serious strains of chili seeds for next season just p.m and i will sort some out for you..

take care

Riz-

[Riz]

:(

The flower died but i've managed to rid myself of those aphids (by hand). Insha Allah the plants will recover and fruit.

well done.. you must have re-planted the chili plant into a bigger container by now eh !? how often are you watering them, if you give them too much water the flowers just fall off..

[Riz]

It doest matter how puny you think a plant is, its all a learning curve, the mistakes you might have made this season you should be able to iron out in the next season. some jalapenos are espically grown in uk because they mature in the short season we have, but the majority of the chilis should if possible be started in mid -april indoors, and then put outdoors in mid may sometime for the rest of the summer,, but if you have a greenhouse or a polytunnel you will have better luck with almost all vegetables you are growing.....

I will be starting a new thread in a new forum called "pickling" were i will show how to pickle almost any vegetable and most fruits in alcohol free white vinegar and the first thing i will pickle is the chilis so watch out for it soon inshallah..

peace

Riz-

[Stealth]

well done.. you must have re-planted the chili plant into a bigger container by now eh !? how often are you watering them, if you give them too much water the flowers just fall off..

:o Actually it's still in its original pot. I only water when the compost feels dry. It's depressing to see everyones chilies doing so well but mine.

[Riz]

:o Actually it's still in its original pot. I only water when the compost feels dry. It's depressing to see everyones chilies doing so well but mine.

if the roots are poking through the base of the pot, its time you put them in bigger containers, they may be "root bound" go ahead try it i bet ya they will start to shoot upwards really quick....

[~Obsidian~]

yeah brother...

way too late, shame though i had around 65 chili plants from all over the world and i gave so many away beacuse i didnt have the room.... so if you want some serious strains of chili seeds for next season just p.m and i will sort some out for you..

take care

Riz-

Sister :D

It shouldn't be a problem getting seeds for next season, I've just permanently got itchy fingers :D always wanting to plant something!

[Riz]

^ sorry for the gender confusion.. :)


saw some chilis that fell from the plant, so i collected them all, the small ones are called "bassoto" and are added to a salad whole, i tried some raw earlier on today it has a nice chili kick to it that last`s around 5 minutes, not worth growing though if you dont use a polytunnel or a greenhouse, and the bigger green ones are called "cherrybomb" they should go red aswell.

[Riz]

A pic of my capsicum ( bell pepper) plants i have two of them and they are just about to flower.... these are my own seeds that i collected from a regular capsicum i bought from the shop....

[Riz]

Finally the rocoto is fruiting, this is a lovley plant i just love the foliage, long way to go yet but it has so many grow sites, every branch has around half a dozen chilis growing from it and i have 3 of these plants outdoors.

[Stealth]

Finally my chilies are staring to fruit. Here's some pics.

[Riz]

thats more like it :)

did you replant then in bigger pots and did you give them any nutrients !?

[Stealth]

thats more like it :)

did you replant then in bigger pots and did you give them any nutrients !?

Nah just left them outdoors permently. I used to only leave them out for a few hours a day during sunny periods.

Few days back I came home from work to find 3 of them had toppled over, one had even broken a branch. Funnily enough that's the one with the most chilies growing.

[Riz]

Few days back I came home from work to find 3 of them had toppled over, one had even broken a branch. Funnily enough that's the one with the most chilies growing.

yep...

The plant knows that a branch has been broken and will concentrate more of its energy to produce a more bushier plant with more fruit on them... When i am growing chilis and the plant gets around 8 to 10 inches in height i pinch out the middle leaves completley and that makes the plant more bushier with more grow sites it becomes a more heavy yielder.. You can give it some tomato nutrients if you have any now its heavily flowering..

Riz-

[~Obsidian~]

http://www.sad-land.co.uk/uploaded_images/bolivian_rainbow_chilli_plant-726094.jpg

Anybody got this variety growing? Bolivian rainbow chilli plant, it's beautiful!

[~Obsidian~]

Heres me own, one developing, one about to (I think!) and another possible three on the way (been pollinating the flowers).

I would love it to look like the above, but unfortunately it's tiny( it is tri-colour though at least)! hopefully a pruning and another hot summer should give it a boost!

[Riz]

do you know what variety yours is ?
the bolivian chili is amazing

[~Obsidian~]

Nah all it says is tri-colour :/ InshAllah it'll end up looking like that

[Riz]

there are so many diffrent strains of chilis to choose from and the seeds are in-expensive, check these strains out http://www.chileseeds.co.uk/hot_chili_pepper_seed.htm

http://www.southdevonchillifarm.co.uk/shop/index.php?target=categories&category_id=1

[Dunemist]

Hi

You seem to be pretty expert on these and, as this is my first time growing peppers I'm hoping you can assist and advise. Firstly, my "Chilli de Cayenne" is diong really well and has produced some lovely fruit. The fruit is currently green - silly question I guess, but will it turn red, or is green its natural colour? Next question is: how do I know when it is ready to pick? How then can I store the fruit I'm not ready to eat; and for how long will it last?

Many thanks Riz, I'm hoping you can get me on the right track. The peppers look great and I'm very pleased with them. All grown from seed and are in pots in the back garden doing well.

[Riz]

Hi
The fruit is currently green - silly question I guess, but will it turn red, or is green its natural colour?

the cayenne will turn red but maybe not on the vine as the chilis need warmth to turn red, what you can do is pick of the fruit and leave it indoors under normal room temps that will make them turn red inshallah.


Next question is: how do I know when it is ready to pick? How then can I store the fruit I'm not ready to eat; and for how long will it last?Its best to pick fruit from the plant to encourge more fruit setting. you can dry freeze the chilis and keep them for a long time you can also pickle the chilis like i have done ( pics to come over at the preservation forum later on) if you pickle them they will last over a year.

cmon lets see some pics :)

Riz-

[~Obsidian~]

Wow this place is quiet :( When do chillis usually change colour? Because the first one on my plant is still pretty small and either looks diseased, or is turning purple. I hope it's the latter :o They all seem to be starting off yellow. The plant is doing much better since it's been in the greenhouse though, the chillis are growing much faster

[Riz]

Wow this place is quiet :( When do chillis usually change colour? Because the first one on my plant is still pretty small and either looks diseased, or is turning purple. I hope it's the latter :o They all seem to be starting off yellow. The plant is doing much better since it's been in the greenhouse though, the chillis are growing much faster

*settles in to wait for a couple days for an answer* :D

they change colour when its warm weather,, you can bring the plant indoors or harvest the chilis and leave in room temps that will hopefully change them to red...

[~Obsidian~]

they change colour when its warm weather,, you can bring the plant indoors or harvest the chlis and leave in room temps that will hopefully change them to red...

That was quick! :D Thankee!

It's possibly gonna stay purple? They are meant to be tri-colour anywhoo, red, yellow, purple (or maybe thats just the stages...we'll see!)

[Riz]

That was quick! :D Thankee!

It's possibly gonna stay purple? They are meant to be tri-colour anywhoo, red, yellow, purple (or maybe thats just the stages...we'll see!)


i dont know much about the particular strain in question, but they should turn diffrent colours... :sunny:

[~Obsidian~]

Here's to hoping! I'll keep y'all updated inshAllah.

[Riz]

you could always save the seeds aswell, and grow the chili from seed next season inshallah.....

[~Obsidian~]

I've got some pics
Pic 1 - Before
Pic 2 - After
Pic 3 -Close-up

[Riz]

is the chili plant inside the mini greenhouse ?

[~Obsidian~]

Yup

[Riz]

some outdoor chilis i collected today...

[Dunemist]

Hi - thanks for that. I picked one the other day (it is still green). When I tried a little of it in its raw state, it was HOT. I was then cautious when I used it in my chilli, but found that even when I used half of the chilli, there was not much punch to it. Will this change when the peppers change colour, or is its heat already set? My partner used a whole one last night, but then had to add some dried Bird's Eye chillis for extra kick.

Re dry freezing - what does this do to them? I don't like the idea of pickling them, but wondered if I could hang them to dry and them use them as dried peppers (like the ones we can buy in shops). Would this work?

Have attached some pics, but they are not great as I should have positioned them better. You can just about see the peppers if you look hard, but with the greenery behind the plant, they blend in a bit. However, I am chuffed to bits, seeing as it is my first year. I read on a web-site that one or two plants will provide enough fruit for several families - hmm, I did not know this and have about six plants!!!! What fun.

[Dunemist]

Wow - these look great. I'm having trouble uploading my pics. Will keep trying though. I don't have nearly as good a crop as you, but am still pleased.

[Riz]

. I was then cautious when I used it in my chilli, but found that even when I used half of the chilli, there was not much punch to it. Will this change when the peppers change colour, or is its heat already set? My partner used a whole one last night, but then had to add some dried Bird's Eye chillis for extra kick.

hi dune..

thanks for the pics they look amazing..

when the chili is green on the vine its packed with vitamin A and vitamin C but when it turns to red the heat heat scale goes up to 5x more than when its green.. yeah so red will be a lot hotter.. you can over winter the plants aswell, cutting them back and leaving them inside the house or in a greenhouse, they will produce more fruit next season as the chilis are really annuals its just the british climate over the winter months that kills them if you dont bring them indoors

Re dry freezing - what does this do to them? I don't like the idea of pickling them, but wondered if I could hang them to dry and them use them as dried peppers (like the ones we can buy in shops). Would this work?
.

yes that would be excellent

For the best texture, considering drying chilies instead of freezing them. Cut the entire plant off at the base or harvest individual peppers. Wash them, pat them dry and string them together to hang up in a cool, dry place with plenty of air circulation. Once dry, store in airtight containers in the pantry or freeze and use as needed.

[Stealth]

Latest pictures of my orange habanero and jalapeno plants.

[~Obsidian~]

Those chillis look lovely, and the plants (riz, dune, stealth)
Mine has developed alot more leaves and has about 5 chillis developing. DM, did you post a pic of reddening toms?
Oo, and I brought mine inside finally, to free up some space in the greenhouse and to give them a better chance of turning colour

[Riz]

nice pics stealth..

the orange habaneros are looking excellent :)

[Riz]

my rocoto chilis are getting real big and they should turn red end of this month.

[Dunemist]

Yes - I was feeling very pleased with myself, so took the pic of some of my toms as well. What you can see are the three Gardeners Delight and the three Alicante. I also have some "one-offs" given by a friend that I had not grown before, so am eagerly awaiting their ripening, so I can judge the taste. Tried a "Red Pear" this morning and can't see anything special in it, but am looking forward to sampling the others when they are ready.

Am thrilled to bits with my chillis. The capsicums have not fruited yet, and I only have a few of the Corno Di Toro Rosso, so am looking forward to those coming on as well.

Riz - thanks for the tip re the hotting up of the chilli - I'll ensure I take care once they are red!! Thanks for the advice re the drying as well. I tied up my onions over the weekend and hung them up in the shed, so soon I'll have a shed full of fruit and veg.

Have fun.

[~Obsidian~]

yes - I Was Feeling Very Pleased With Myself, So Took The Pic Of Some Of My Toms As Well. What You Can See Are The Three Gardeners Delight And The Three Alicante. I Also Have Some "one-offs" Given By A Friend That I Had Not Grown Before, So Am Eagerly Awaiting Their Ripening, So I Can Judge The Taste. Tried A "red Pear" This Morning And Can't See Anything Special In It, But Am Looking Forward To Sampling The Others When They Are Ready.



Lol :d

[~Obsidian~]

I've got like 7 chillies growing now :D They're SO tiny!

[Riz]

I've got like 7 chillies growing now :D They're SO tiny!


well you still have till mid sept to get a few ripe chilis :boots:

[~Obsidian~]

well you still have till mid sept to get a few ripe chilis :boots:

I might get a ripe one sooner than that! They're genetically tiny. But right you are Rizzio!:sunny:

[Riz]

some more pics for your delight..

[Riz]

"cherry bomb" turned red outdoors

[Riz]

its a nice day today, dry and sunny

chilis are doing great..

[Riz]

I went around picking chilis from all my plants today... the best part of growing as you all know is the harvest.....

[Riz]

we are getting some late sun which is great for my chili plants i have outdoors

rocoto

cherry bomb ( turning red

numex twilight ( deep purple)

[Riz]

I wanted to keep some chili's indoors so i can put them out in the new season but they are in huge pots so today i decided to re pot them in smaller containers and trim the root ball so the whole plants are more manageable indoors as i don't have much room for big containers... I like some of the strains which i regard as "keepers" i will be leaving them around various window sills..

[Riz]

pic 1
gently tease out the rootball
http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa300/sajid_012/DSC01298.jpg


pic 2
http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa300/sajid_012/DSC01299.jpg

[Riz]

shake of excess soil, so the rootball looks quite similiar to this one
pic : 3

http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa300/sajid_012/DSC01293.jpg

pic: 4

trim rootball with clean sharp scissors ( can you see the jiffy pellet i used to germinate the seed in)

http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa300/sajid_012/DSC01296.jpg

pic: 5

The green pot is were the chili plant was and now its going into the orange pot which is 8 inch deep a lot smaller
http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa300/sajid_012/DSC01295.jpg

pic: 6

you want to put in at least 3 inches of soil in the pot before you place your plant inside make sure its in the middle and gently firm in the root ball, pour soil and make sure the root ball is covered well and there are no air pockets

http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa300/sajid_012/DSC01297.jpg

[Riz]

pic: 7

I trimmed the root ball of 5 chili specimens today as well as trimming some foliage on one of them
http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa300/sajid_012/DSC01301.jpg

[Riz]

the weather has been really nice last few days and my chili plants are surprisingly doing quite well, especially the "cherry bomb" and the "numex twilight"

[~Obsidian~]

Forgot to say, I harvested some chillis a couple of days ago and still haven't tried them yet....I refuse to try them raw because I am not crazy :)

[Riz]

salaam and good afternoon..
such a nice crisp beautiful day simply loving it. still have lots of chilis outdoors. I have so many indoors to overwinter them and i have just left these outside..

the rocotos have not turned red, shame though i really liked the look of them :)

[Riz]

numex twilight

Almost purple, the weather is way too cold for them to fully go purple.. it still outdoors though and looking healthy..

some other strains that are outdoors, i simply don't have the room indoors for any more potted plants

[Riz]

sadly the chili season is coming to an end.. i have kept some of them which i consider as "keepers" indoors to over winter them i shall stick them out next season inshallah..

i gave away lots of chili fruit to my family, friends and neighbours over the season and i am very pleased with how most of them turned out :)

http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa300/sajid_012/DSC01497.jpg

[Riz]

i will be drying these chilis and keeping some of the hybrid seeds to grow on next season....

the big green rocotos did not go red outdoors, but are shrinking and slowly turning....

[Riz]

finally after 7 months of germinating the rocoto seeds, the chilis have turned red on the vine only after i brought her indoors :)

[Riz]

numex twilight

turned from cream to purple and then to orange and then finally red

[edibles]

aaaaahhhhhhhh!
sorry but chillis frighten me as does anything mildly or remotly spicy

nice crop though i loved the way they looked when they were purple

[Stealth]

Hi everyone :) Thought I'd upload some pics of my chilies. Most of the leaves have fallen but I'm hoping the remaining chilies will ripen soon before the cold :freezing: sets in.

[Riz]

salaam stealth..

long time no see :)

great pics. you did really well with the orange habaneros. Are they indoors permanent now !?

[Stealth]

Thanks Riz :) I'm pleased with the results.
Yes they're indoors permanently since It's way too cold and windy outdoors.

I might try a different strain of chilies next year since these didn't turn out as hot as I hoped. Any suggestions welcome.

[~Obsidian~]

Stealth, those chillies and plants look so nice!! Have you tried any yet?

[Stealth]

Stealth, those chillies and plants look so nice!! Have you tried any yet?

Thanks. Yes, I've tried both the orange habaneros (Quite hot and nice aroma) and the jalapenos (no flavour :confused:).
Funny story - My friend ate one whole on a dare and started hiccuping non-stop. :D

[Kirsten]

Stealth, your little orange ones are so cute! They look like candy pumpkins! I bet you could pass them off as candy to people you don't like... ;)

[~Obsidian~]

Thanks. Yes, I've tried both the orange habaneros (Quite hot and nice aroma) and the jalapenos (no flavour :confused:).
Funny story - My friend ate one whole on a dare and started hiccuping non-stop. :D
:D lol
Stealth, your little orange ones are so cute! They look like candy pumpkins! I bet you could pass them off as candy to people you don't like...

Lil bit evil are we? :eek:

[~Obsidian~]

When shall I plant the seeds?

[Riz]

Salaam..

germinate them NOW!!

espically the ones you have, here is the website http://www.chileseeds.co.uk/hot_chili_pepper_seed.htm

some of the exotic ones need 60 days to flower and finish, which might be in mid October, so the early you start them the better of you will be......

[~Obsidian~]

WaAlaykum AsSalaam

Okay! :D

[Foz]

i got a packet of chilli seeds...says sow in march

but i should do them now?

[~Obsidian~]

I just sowed mine in seed trays today, I'm getting an early start! Its up to you!

[Foz]

well i got the seeds, soil and tray...so may as well do them tomorrow lol

[~Obsidian~]

:p go for it!

[Riz]

i got a packet of chilli seeds...says sow in march

but i should do them now?

what kind did you get fozia !. jalapenos !?

march is only round the corner so you could wait.. if it is the jalapenos they have the shortest growing season of most chilis grown in u.k.. so you will be ok for march germination. always go with the guidelines on the back of the pack.....

make sure you label your chilis... :)

[Riz]

I just sowed mine in seed trays today, I'm getting an early start! Its up to you!

have you labelled them !!?


common mistake, kinda regret it half way through the season, the chilli plants all look the same until they flower and you see the fruit :). so if you label them you will know what is what !!!

[~Obsidian~]

I haven't labelled them yet, but I DO remember what I sowed and where, made sure I took note of that in case you asked lol

[Riz]

well i got the seeds, soil and tray...so may as well do them tomorrow lol


i was just going to say..

If you have children and have had birthday parties, usually there are lots of party cups left over ( diff coloured ones), so just make a hole in the bottom of the cups and you have seedling pots, simple.

always look for the cheapest solution :)

[Foz]

i got a 2 year old...not had any parties yet lol

i picked up a tray thing from wilkinsons cheap...the chillis i got are Pepper chilli? super chilli apparently...

i couldnt decide which ones to grow so sis was like those ones...they look nice lol....

[Riz]

4 of the chili plants i overwintered from last season.. chilis are annuals ( fruit every year) but the frost in the winter time kills them.. so these have been overwintered from last season.. in the second season the stem gets really woody and hard and it looks like a miniature oak tree..

2 rocotos and i forget the names of the other 2 :)

[Riz]

I germinated my chilli seeds today...

apache f1 hybrid
nosegay
safi scotch bonnet


found some really miniature pots from last season, i gave them a good clean first.
only need to insert the seed around a 1/4 inch into the pot, cover with fine layer of soil.. be careful when you are watering that you dont push the seed deeper into the pots..

[Riz]

i germinated 6 of each strain.. i also had an old humidity dome which i have put to good use this time around.. i have left the trays in the upstairs bedroom next to the radiator.

[Riz]

I am starting of my chilli seeds quite early, this is because these particular ones need 3 months to flower, so if i was too start the seeds of in mid-may when there is less chance of frost in the evenings, that leaves the month of September for it to set fruit and the weather at the time can be unpredictable espically in U.K, so that's why i am getting an early start hopefully they will be on there 3rd set of leaves when i eventually pot them on and leave them outdoors for the rest of the summer.. I will place them at the windowsills of my house once they germinate . make sure you turn your seedlings around or they will just swoon to one side ( they follow the sun) sometimes they stretch and are spindly..

Its always advisable to follow the sowing instructions and times on the back of your seed packs :)

[edibles]

i order some chilli seeds yesterday, I know you offered some riz but I have just managed make some space for them and you already planted yours i didnt want to burden you with sending me some by giving me your remaining ones

The varieties i ordered were:
chocolate habanero
Naga jolokia
and Thai(bird eye) chilli which are apparently early croppers

how far in the soil do you plant them and how long do they take to germinate

[Riz]

sow about 1/4 inch into the soil and keep them warm. some of the exotic varieties take longer to germinate anywhere between 8 - 21 days... or somewhere in-between :)

if you germinate them in shallow trays, you might want to transplant them as soon as they germinate and you see the first set of "true leafs" emerging and fully opened, the roots will grow quick but in a shallow tray they spread out, so get some 3 inch pots ready to pot on.. with the 3 inch pot you can leave the seedling in them until they get real healthy and are on there 3 or 4th set of leafs, or better still if you can germinate them in the 3 inch pots that would be better as this way you are not disturbing the roots of your new born seedlings.. i have tried both methods in the past, the key is preparation and a little bit of patience and you are good to go.......

[Foz]

yay 3 of the 10 seeds have germinated so far!!

[Foz]

they have all germinated! woo hoo
these are the ones i got:

http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k90/fozpot/STA50928.jpg

[~Obsidian~]

Well done! wow what a blurry picture, its messing with my eyes :p

None of mine have germinated yet *waits*

[Riz]

fozia.. great germination rates :)

ive had 2 germinated out of around a dozen..

oby: the exotic ones you and i have will take a bit longer to germinate..

[Riz]

please watch this video from gardeners world, so you can see how its done :). if you any further question please ask here...

here is the video clip


http://www.gardenersworld.com/how-to/projects/chillies-seeds-grow/



grow chillies from seed

Chilli plants will thrive on a sunny window sill or in a greenhouse. They have a long cropping season, so you could still be harvesting fresh chillies in December. You will need just two small pots to sow your chilli seeds; use a good quality seed compost and keep them in a bright place to ensure they germinate.


http://www.gardenersworld.com/how-to/projects/chillies-seeds-grow/step1.jpgFill two small pots with seed compost. Water the compost with tap water and leave it to drain. Don't use rainwater from a butt as it may contain bacteria, which can cause damping-off disease.
http://www.gardenersworld.com/how-to/projects/chillies-seeds-grow/step2.jpgPlace approximately five seeds on the surface of the damp compost, spacing them evenly in the pot. Take your time, as this can be a fiddly job. Then sprinkle a thin, even layer of fine compost over the seeds, ensuring they're not disturbed.
http://www.gardenersworld.com/how-to/projects/chillies-seeds-grow/step3.jpgCover each pot with clingfilm - turning them into mini-propagators, which keeps the compost damp and aids germination.

[Riz]

http://www.gardenersworld.com/how-to/projects/chillies-seeds-grow/step4.jpgLabel the pots and place them on a window sill that in plenty of light. Aim to keep the room at 21°-25°C while the seeds germinate.
http://www.gardenersworld.com/how-to/projects/chillies-seeds-grow/step5.jpgRemove the rootball from the pot and gently separate each plant with a pencil.
http://www.gardenersworld.com/how-to/projects/chillies-seeds-grow/step6.jpgIn a new pot containing multi-purpose compost, make planting holes with your pencil. Then, holding each seedling by its leaves, gently tease the roots into the planting hole. Firm the soil around each plant and water.

[edibles]

am i to late i still need to sow mine? when do they fruit. im looking for to harvesting i really want to build up my poor defense against spicy food, although maybe the naga are a bit too hot

[~Obsidian~]

Nope you aren't too late at all. I can't remember when they fruit but when they do they go on for months...

[Foz]

Well done! wow what a blurry picture, its messing with my eyes :p

None of mine have germinated yet *waits*


lol sorry bout the blurry pic!

ive been meaning to take pics but im nt sure where i put my camera!! my sis just took 2 of the plants home!

no you not late edibles.....the back of my pack said sow in march..i just did them a bit early!

[edibles]

my pack said sow in march..i just did them a bit early!

so did mine i was just getting worried because every one has already sowed theirs

by the way riz how are the choc habaneros at yeilding

[Riz]

you wont be able to put your chillies outdoors untill mid may.. the chances of night frost are less then.. so they might get lanky, so save your MacDonalds straws, for propping up the small seedlings :)

[farah]

http://img18.imageshack.us/img18/902/p1010231.th.jpg (http://img18.imageshack.us/my.php?image=p1010231.jpg)

cute chilli growing in the kitchen

[Foz]

you wont be able to put your chillies outdoors untill mid may.. the chances of night frost are less then.. so they might get lanky, so save your MacDonalds straws, for propping up the small seedlings :)

can i not just grown them inside? i wasnt planning on putting them outdoors?

farah thats doing well mashAllah

[edibles]

can i not just grown them inside?

yes providing staple light is probably all it takes

[edibles]

what are the nutritional needs of chillis.

[Riz]

^ Just regular plant nutrients will suffice...

6 of my safi scotch bonnet chilis have sprouted ;)

[Foz]

heres mine.

i eneded up with 11 in total althought the pack said 10 lol

[Riz]

nice germination rates green fingers :GreenThumbs::GreenThumbs:

[Foz]

thanks

the 11th one is looking a bit sickly as i took it out of the propogator too soon....i didnt realise it was germinating still as i thought i only had 10!

and id planted some flowers so it had to come out!

[edibles]

i eneded up with 11 in total althought the pack said 10 lol
lol i had the same thing with my seeds, i got 5 extra Thai birds eye
and extra from the other ones too

[edibles]

i hate the waiting part
patience is a virtue...that i dont have

i just want to dig them out touch them get bored and put them back and do the same thing everyday.

[Riz]

^ lol don't do that, you will disturb them :)

mine are doing quite well at the window sill.. "scotch bonnet"

the one on the left side, the first leaves have not split into 2.. its a little freak :)

[edibles]

the one on the left side, the first leaves have not split into 2.. its a little freak

haha it is wearing a cape, it will produce supechillis

I think one of my thai birds eye chillis is germinating