Early chilli seed sowing thread

[Shadylane]

Wow Flum that's a biggun! Do all Cayennes get that big? Ours are quite diddy. I'm assuming they're Cayenne. The allotment veteran who's always giving us stuff gave us a plant that he'd dug up from his polytunnel at the end of the season. It was loaded with chillies so we saved some seed. The plant was small though. No where near the size of yours.

[coreopsis]

Now,you made me want Cayenne for the next year,it's not fair,I have loads of pepper seeds already that I want to try so I said no more but might change my mind now...
I sowed about 35 seeds around New Year,about 25 have germinated,gave away half of them so I'm left with 12 pots and wondering if it's enough(suppose depends on plant production).
As for Hungarian Yellow Wax-I'm not really sure when it's ready-I'll know with the rest of chillies as they'll change the colour but this one has always had the yellowish colour.

[Flummery]

Well, being as peppers are promiscuous little blighters, if you saved seed from one and another variety was being grown in the same area, you won't have a true variety. I'm only growing Cayenne so I'll risk saving seed this year.

Mine are all just about this size.

[Two_Sheds]

My Cayenne are always short (a foot or so). I just can't grow big chilli plants

[Irie Jan]

Originally Posted by nomis

My First Chocolate Habenaro flower has shed its petals to reveal the makings of a chilli !

I am definitely keeping my plants over winter to get a big head start next year 8)

I still have one of last years Chocolate habs! I did not chop it back at all. On and off since last year it has flowered and droped them all, some leaves as well. The plant is now about 2 and a half feet tall and wide, with masses of flowers and lots of new leaves on it. It has several chillies that have already turned to a nice brown but they are very small! Does anyone know will they swell with time?

I tried one the other day it had no heat in it at all, hardly any flavor either. early in the season I know but I dont remember the 2 chilli's it gave me last year turning brown while still so small!! The plant is still droping both flowers and leaves, yet still producing new of each all the time (It keeps drying out very quickly, almost every day, in my greenhouse. is this why its molting?) I don't want to water it too much either, I do give it a good drink now and then but let it drain well! Might it be best to move it to a sheltered spot on my sunny patio rather than in a hot crowded greenhouse?? All this years chillis ar loving it in there! Any help welcomed thanks! I will be keeping this monster just one more year as have her babies well on the way. However I think mumma will have to be trimed back quite a long way at the end of this season

The first pic shows the plant whill still being spoilt in my bathroom pic taken about march this year. The second pic shows the plant next to me, I'm 5ft and the plant is almost to my hip lol You can see its size in third pic next to my compost darlek. and pic 4 shows one of the small chillies on it next to my little finger. Please grow chillies or all this work will have been vor nothing!

PS sorry folks not al these pics are great quality focus & light!

[Shadylane]

Originally Posted by Two_Sheds

My Cayenne are always short (a foot or so). I just can't grow big chilli plants

I'm growing a few Big Jims aswell and one of them has three chillies on it, yet the plant is wee. It's not much bigger than the fruits. Oddness.

[Toleman]

3 weeks of growth.

Before

After


Before

After

[Two_Sheds]

Lots of foliage Toleman, but have you had any fruits yet?

[Toleman]

Harvested around 15 small pods today from some soil grown plants kept outside.

Few Pods within the GH. Many more hidden.





I'm getting a lot of flower drop at the moment due to the heat. Hopefully some cooler weather will bring more pods. Also running out of water as I only use rain in Hydroponics.

Chris

[coreopsis]

Picked up my first chilli last night-Hungarian Yellow Wax-no heat at all.Not even a tingle.Tasted just like pepper

[danmon_81]

what colour was it? You may have over watered! Also pick when its sunny.

[Toleman]

If it is the same as hungarian hot wax they ripen to red.

Chris

[HotStuff]

Like this ...

[Brengirl]

For goodness sake please do not go on and on about your huge chillies. Mine are small but beautifully proportioned.

[Flummery]

Been eating ours for a couple of weeks. Now that the Britain in Bloom judges have been, and I've got me life back, I'm going to make some Chilli Jam. Fan-blummin-tastic!

[Brengirl]

Originally Posted by Flummery

Been eating ours for a couple of weeks. Now that the Britain in Bloom judges have been, and I've got me life back, I'm going to make some Chilli Jam. Fan-blummin-tastic!

Please pretty please...........

[coreopsis]

Hungarian Yellow Wax-greenish-yellowish.I thought it was ready as the fruit was on the plant for ages and nothing was happening for a while
It's the only one pepper I'd have problem with to determine when it's ready-the rest should change the colour as they ripe so I'll leave them.I had a look at the pics on the internet,found 2 varieties of Hungarian Wax-Yellow and Hot.I assumed Yellow should be yellow when it's ripe so I went for it...

[danmon_81]

just a heads up...been to ASDA and got 13 free flower buckets, turns out the crush them and where happy to give them away!

Chillis potted up in West +....bring on the crop!

[Llamas]

Originally Posted by Irie Jan

.... It has several chillies that have already turned to a nice brown but they are very small! Does anyone know will they swell with time? ....

My White Habs did this last year. I think it had something to do with how I was watering or feeding them. Same thing though: tiny little weakling chillies. It was maddening, I'm praying my choc habs don't do the same thing this year.

[sarraceniac]

Originally Posted by Llamas

My White Habs did this last year. I think it had something to do with how I was watering or feeding them. Same thing though: tiny little weakling chillies. It was maddening, I'm praying my choc habs don't do the same thing this year.

My Orange Habs are doing it this year. A few big juicy fruits but many about the size of raisins. I blame it on Boss Lady who was 'feeding' and watering them whilst I was ill. I quote, 'Feed them? You mean like tomatoes? Do they need that?'

[Toleman]

Remove the first wave of small pods. The second lot will be bigger.

Chris

[fireblade]

i got my cayenne overwintered from last year. plant is now about 3 1/2 ft tall, and about 2 1/2 ft wide, with quite a few large fruit on it...

this is one of the smaller chillies that i accidentally snapped off. i tried one straight off the plant the other day, and had to run to get the milk!!!! it was a hottie!!!!

now if only i could have the same success with my tomatoes

[nomis]

I have about 12 (green) Bhut Jalokias on a plant in the pollyhouse Tempting to pull one off now, but I guess they will be much hotter when red and forced to have dry soil for a few days....?

[danmon_81]

^^^^ Yep....thats when the heat comes!!! They'll still be hot now tho!

[mark m]

Originally Posted by danmon_81

Also pick when its sunny.

Hi danmon, is there any logic in picking when its sunny? it's something i've never thought of. I just pick them when they are ready.

[danmon_81]

if there left in dry soil and hot weather i find the heat intensifies...equally if you over water you can loose the heat! Not sure it very scientific and it defo isnt sunny enough at the minute!! lol

[Llamas]

Just picked a green Jolokia. It's sliced and drying over the aga. Now to find it's first victim!

[danmon_81]

you've got to taste it yourself...its only fair!!!

[smallblueplanet]

Originally Posted by Llamas

Just picked a green Jolokia. It's sliced and drying over the aga. Now to find it's first victim!

What are they like? I've got some going orange. Also had some small pot-grown orange habs that were tasty & hot.

[danmon_81]

how come no longer sticky?

[chrismarks]

Just had a couple of my Bolivian Rainbow, sown in Feb.. purple in colour - quite nice. Fruity flavour, then the heat kicks in - wow. Have a few yellow ones coming on now too, quite cool!

[danmon_81]

well this weather isnt helping at all!!! I've made make shift shelters to prevent water logging......lots of chillis, facing heaven and corno de torro having the most.....
My naga morich is going great guns along with the choc hab's, fatalli and bond ma jaques (all in the poly house)....no fruit yet just flowering.
i've planted some more seeds (from the chilli swap) in the hopes of over wintering!

[Aggienator]

Originally Posted by Snadger

I usually grow about 30 chilli plants half of which will be Jalapeno's which I know I like and the rest will just be a mixed bunch to pick out the ones I like for next years seed, total probable cost a couple of quid,.......... could be called gardening on the cheap....but each to there own!

Do they come back true from seed? If you have a range of varieties don't you get loads of different new hybrids?

[Two_Sheds]

At last my Lemon Drops are ripening. I took the shading off the greenhouse, shut the vents & put a banana next to them. Belt & braces

[danmon_81]

mine are green with slightly black markings....which i think means they're changing.....this are the chillis im most looking forward too!!! I might do the banana trick!

Pics please two sheds!!

P.s i've already started looking into greenhouses for next year!!