Sowing Chillies, Peppers and Tomatoes

[pigletwillie]

I generally heat my greenhouse to 10 degrees from the end of January onwards to get those plants that need a long growing season well and truely off the mark and ready to plant out into my tunnels Come the end of April.

I tend to sow chillies the last week in Jan, followed a week later by peppers and a week later again tomatoes.

The tomatoes being the biggest plants go out first followed by the rest.

All of the seeds are sowed into 4inch pots and are kept on the kitchen windowsill until they reach the first true leaf stage when they are potted on into pots 15 to a tray and then into bigger pots 12 to a tray. Chillies are kept in the lounge near to (but not to close) the wood burner as these like more heat to germinate and can take a long time to pop up. Once they have germinated they are treated just like the tomatoes. It works well as over 600 mixed tomato, pepper and chilli plants were grown last year, not all for me I might add.

[dexterdoglancashire]

Hi PW - thats good advice. Could I plant out in my greenhouse instead of the house? (pussies would eat the seedlings). How do you ensure a constant temperature in your greenhouse? (I have a parafin heater). Many thanks. Dexterdog

[Alison]

Would have thought that your greenhouse would be too cold for the seeds to germinate, especiallly chilli ones. Have not had any problems with the cats eating my seedlings and tend to have all my window ledges and the dining table covered with pots every year.

[Alice]

Do you use any grow lights Piglet, or do you find there is enough light by then. I don't usually plant anything before February and find I have enough light by the time I need it, but I do have big south facing windowsills.

[pigletwillie]

Alison, they are germinated on the kitchen windowsill or in the lounge as my post states.

Alice , no not grow lights but I do have the luxury of electrics in the greenhouse (well I am an electrician) so run an 8' weatherproof flourescent light from 3pm until 6pm just to extend the day a little and the heating comes via a small electric fan heater via a thermostat which keeps things at 10 degrees minimum.

As an experiment I fitted a KWH meter to my workshop supply ltwo years ago to see how much power I actually used down there (the greenhouse runs of it as well) and was supprised to find that the extra cost of running the heater was £19 and a few pence. I find this acceptable considering the amount of plants I produce.

[kittykat8]

polytunnel

when try mine in a propargator, When they start growing can I keep in sma pots in tunnel untilready to plant in ground in polytunnel.

marion

[Alice]

Good work on working out the cost of the greenhouse heating Piglet but £19 per what please.
I was reading up on grow lights and it did say fluorescent lights would help so take it that idea works then. I was thinking about getting one for indoors (haven't floated that past my husband yet !) as I have great space for seedlings but light can be the problem. Think I'm going to do it.

[pigletwillie]

Sorry Alice, it cost £19 more than my bill would have been without the heater.

[Alice]

Yes KittyKat, you can keep your plants in pots in the polytunnel til they are ready for planting AS LONG AS the temperature is allright for them.

[Alice]

Piglet , was your bill for the day, the week, the month, the quarter ?????

[pigletwillie]

Alice, from the very end of January until April when most stuff went into the tunnel.

[Alice]

That's good value Piglet. Thanks for the information.

[pigletwillie]

Its only heated to 10 degrees though and as it was such a bright mild winter it was cheaper than it could have been had it been dull and dark.

[kittykat8]

polytunnel and greenhousea

Sorry to be a pain all new to this, Is a pollytunnel the same as an unheated greenhouse temperature wise, or warmer, it felt a lot warmer inside than outside yesterday. I want to plant my early carrots do you think this would be ok. they say january february.

thanks
marion

marion

[pigletwillie]

A polytunnel will be fine. I have both and actually autumn sow carrots to over winter in the tunnel.