No show chilli and Egg plant

[Andraste]

Was just reading this blog/advice article in the main GYO site https://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/bl...chilli-peppers

Rekha recommends soaking chilli seeds in chamomile tea before sowing to aid germination. I'd never heard that one before.

[Nicos]

Looking forward to seeing future successes with your pearlite Marb
Do use the right amount though ( I don’t use it so I can’t advise) …but remember, you can reuse it.

[Marb67]

I can't see how you can reuse perlite as it would mean reusing old compost, unless you want to spend days picking out the individual grains

Well, a month on and still nothing bar 2 seeds that haven't got any bigger in all that time. I have had success with chilli's without soaking in the past so no idea why stored seed, eggplant from packet and other peppers from packets all don't come up. I suppose it's now too late to sow again 😞 So much for heat matts!

[mothhawk]

I can't see how you can reuse perlite as it would mean reusing old compost, unless you want to spend days picking out the individual grains

You can apparently sow seeds into pure perlite, no compost at all, so then you would be able to re-use it.

[Marb67]

You can apparently sow seeds into pure perlite, no compost at all, so then you would be able to re-use it.

Ok, I didn't know that. I suppose they won't get any nutrients though so may be weaker/ slower ?

[mothhawk]

I don't think the seedlings would be slower or weaker because after all they have everything they need to germinate inside the seed itself. The seed leaves can push up easily through the light perlite, and the roots similarly push down. But you would need to pot them on as soon as they begin to grow the first true leaves, because that's when they will have used up their own resources.

[Marb67]

I see. You live and learn. Thanks 🙂

[Nicos]

I hadn’t realised that about pearlite either !

[Marb67]

Well, another month on and nothing. Absolutely ridiculous when all seeds were different. I suppose I'll have to get new seeds and sow again 😔

[Andraste]

Hi Marb. I don't know about Aubergines as I've never grown them but I wouldn't bother sowing more chill seed now - it's too late for them now so they won't produce anything & you'll just be wasting seed & compost etc. so you'd be better off either forgetting it for this year or buying small plants.

Next year, have a try at chitting the seed as I mentioned in one of my earlier posts. I get my chillies started in February as I rely on the ambient temp. in the house & light on a south-ish facing windowsill but I've heard many say they start as early as January when they have a heated propagator/heat mat/lighting rig for growing them on.

[Peanut]

Hi Marb,

I agree with everything Andraste says above.
It is also too late for aubergines, so you'll be best to buy plants in. It's such a shame your seeds didn't come to anything this year.

Fingers crossed you'll have better luck next year. Start them early, keep them on a heat mat until they have germinated, (I usually leave mine on for about a month after as my house is quite chilly) and even then they need consistent warmth. Yes, they are tricky and demanding but give them all they need and with a little bit of luck you'll be enjoying homegrown chiliies, peppers and aubergines next year.

I'll be rooting for you

[Marb67]

And yet I have managed to germinate so many seeds in the past with no chitting, and without a heat matt. One did come up which I potted on but it is still the size of a seedling. I am hoping that it will grow on but I don't understand why it isn't getting any bigger.

[Andraste]

Chitting isn't essential but I do find it takes the jeopardy out of being able to tell what's happening with a seed that can take 3 weeks or so to germinate. I've wasted a lot of time & compost myself in the past waiting for seeds that never sprout - it's annoying, costly & with chillies in particular has left me without a crop as they're left without enough time to grow for long enough.

I have 2 sweet pepper plants that seem stuck at their 2nd set of seed leaves. Those seeds were very slow to germinate too - I don't know but I wonder if they were just weak seed to start with?

Similarly I had chilli seed that germinated only 2-3 days apart but the resulting plants are strikingly different despite coming from the same packet & having all the same conditions - the 1st germinated are easily 8 inches tall but the 2nd germinated are probably only 3-4 inches.

I think sometimes nature just does whatever it wants to remind us that we're not really in control no matter how much we think we know

[Marb67]

I'l just end up buying from my excellent local nursery for around £4 each and try and forget about growing them from seed ever again.Then again, plenty of other seeds that haven't come up either (salads, flowers and spring onions. What is it with spring onions?)