Sowing chillies anyone?

[smallblueplanet]

Nah
My Jalapeno chillies, although prolific and of great girth, never got any longer than 6 or 7cm. I'm sure that there are longer varieties of Jalapeno out there, but don't know of any.

Now then Rat, its not just about size! As I pointed out to HeyWayne on the chili comp. thread, there's also a prize for those with the best 'corking' - a process where the pepper skin contains lots of little cracks.

[sewer rat]

Now then Rat, its not just about size! As I pointed out to HeyWayne on the chili comp. thread, there's also a prize for those with the best 'corking' - a process where the pepper skin contains lots of little cracks.

Trust me Sbp when I say my chillies aren't around long enough to get too big or to develop a decent corking effect. They get put into my veg boxes, sold at the site, sold to local baker or transformed into Chilli Sauce for the Farmers Market

[Alice]

Hello Veg 4681, I think you will get all the chillies you want from a plant and sweet peppers too. They do freeze well. I'm still eating this years crop, some planted in January on the windowsill.

[veg4681]

Hello Veg 4681, I think you will get all the chillies you want from a plant and sweet peppers too. They do freeze well. I'm still eating this years crop, some planted in January on the windowsill.

So you don't use propagator (heated) then? BTW fantastic pictures, makes me feel so longing for them to be mine . I fancy taking a picture of an assortment of my produce in a basket sometime this year I hope. You have an impressive number of sweet peppers on just one plant, I was thinking they weren't worth it for the amount of fruits you get from them (also very cheap in supermarket these days). I think I will go for at least 3 sweet pepper plant.

[pigletwillie]

I will be sowing my chillies / peppers at the end of the month and the tomatoes mid February but I do have a heated greenhouse. Perversely, I have no propogator at all and germinate everything on the kitchen windowsill before transfering to the greenhouse.

[Flummery]

I germinate all my seeds in the kitchen too - nice long windowsill fortunately! As I don't have a heated greenhouse, however, I hang fire till March. I know it's hard to believe but I've done the January tomato thing in the past. The later sowing REALLY DO catch up and are usually stronger, more compact plants for not having been kept hanging around waiting for suitable conditions for them to go out. You can get some very weak and leggy plants from too early sowings.

[debjay]

Wow tomatoes eh? You don't think it's too early now? Are they specifically early starter variety...I too have few supposedly early starter tomatoes.[/QUOTE]

The varieties of tomatoes to sow indoors in january include
sungella
Lidi
Moneymaker
Alicante
Gartenperle
Sweet million
Yellow cocktail
Hope this helps
Debs

[pigletwillie]

As mentioned previously my toms get sown in Feb and go out into the tunnels in April. Last year my first tomato was ready before June BUT, as Flum says, if you have not got room do not sow till March as leggy plants are useless plants.

[Cutecumber]

Yep, I'm with Flum 'n' Pig on this...

Don't go mad with early sowing. Just because we have an appropriate place to sow seeds doesn't mean that we have the right environment in which to grow the plants to maturity.

[shirlthegirl43]

Well, my toms will be waiting a while after this morning's weather. It is only just light now!!! I have 3 cayenne seeds which I was germinating to verify they were 'live' (or whatever you call it). As they have germinated, they will get planted now but I think I will hold off on everything else until the worst of the stormy weather is gone. Usually start later than this I think (can't find my garden book with all last years notes in it)

[smallblueplanet]

Yep will also be waiting until Feb before sowing anything this year! I guess we all have to have given it a try to see how very early sowings get on.



[Although, don't tell anyone, I might try some aubs a bit earlier - its an addiction! ]

[veg4681]

I germinate all my seeds in the kitchen too - nice long windowsill fortunately! As I don't have a heated greenhouse, however, I hang fire till March. I know it's hard to believe but I've done the January tomato thing in the past. The later sowing REALLY DO catch up and are usually stronger, more compact plants for not having been kept hanging around waiting for suitable conditions for them to go out. You can get some very weak and leggy plants from too early sowings.

I get your point re the weak/leggy plants but I've been so embittered by last year's dismal wet weather and besides, I'm the 'donkey' who's always behind everything who needs a good kicking... I can always do early and late sowing, chuck away the lousy plants if I have to, maybe the 'donkey' can learn.

Thank you all for persuading me not to invest in a heated propagator that will only stress me out trying to find a storage space in the house. Thank god for the good old window sill & the kitche boiler! I always imagined you expert people have uber fancy equipments to get you off to a headstart.

The varieties of tomatoes to sow indoors in january include
sungella
Lidi
Moneymaker
Alicante
Gartenperle
Sweet million
Yellow cocktail
Hope this helps
Debs

Thanks Debs for the list of early tomatoes. I do have Sweet Million though I object it's an F1 for seeds that I can't save. I think Galina is also super early. Yellow Cocktail sounds nice, something to think in the later years.

[smallblueplanet]

Have to say I wouldn't be without our heated propagator - but then we've no airing cupboard!

[pigletwillie]

I have no airing cupboard either but wouldnt want a heated propogator but hey, we both manage to grow good stuff so it just goes to show, no one way is the right way.

[shirlthegirl43]

I don't have an airing cupboard, do have a heated propogator, but prefer keeping the seeds in the kitchen so I remember to water them.