Chilli novice-please help!

rach

Hi All

I'm new to this board (usually to be found on old style).

I recently planted some chilli seeds (green in one pot and red in another). I just sprinkled a few seeds just under the surface of the compost. They're on my kitchen windowsill and there are now lots of shoots about 3cm tall!

Now, this is the stupid question....do I need to do anything else? I'm confused as to whether to pot them on or just leave them?

thanks!

Zazen999

To be honest, it's a bit late but hey ho.

I'd nip out all but the strongest rather than repotting as once repotted they take a while to recover and you haven't got time to spare!!!! Leaving the strongest to survive would give at least one of each a better chance of survival.

The way to get chillis to fruit quicker, is to remove the first flower, and let it dry out so that the leaves start to wilt every now and then. Both of these stress the plant which thinks its dying and so throws out more flowers. Once they have wilted for a bit [hours not days], give them a good watering with a bit of tom food in it.

By the way, red chillis are just green chillis that have turned red, and as you've had nothing to do with the pollenation of the original flower, they might not produce the same chillis as you had.....but it is still worth keeping them going for a while yet.

You might find that they don't produce red chillis until christmas but even that is a bonus.

Keep it in the warmest place that you can, and make sure it has lots of insects around once it flowers to pollenate the flowers [pop it outdoors during the day]. If you can't do this then brush each flower several times going from one flower to the other to move the pollen about.

Apart from that, just leave it be and it should grow and produce, at some point.

Next year, sow in March or April.

rach

Thanks! The seeds were actually from a packet!

So, just leave one shoot in each pot? I had wondered about doing that!

Primrose

You've sown too late for a crop this year. They are slow developers and normally need to be sown around February, planted into small individual pots when about 3 inches high and then into bigger pots and kept in a greenhouse or the pots moved outside to a sunny position in June. However, don't be discouraged if you've got some warm sunny indoor windowsills. Plant a few up in pots. Final planting on pot size needs to be about 8" and keep them indoors from now on. However, you may find that a lack of insects will prevent the flowers from pollinating. The main problem with trying to get an indoor crop over the winter period is the low light levels and shorter days with lack of sunshine but give it a try. You will at least learn what the plants look like as they grow and have a better chance of success next year.

rach

thanks, Primrose. We have no outside space but the kitchen windowsills are a suntrap! I'll just keep them going this year as you suggest!

Zazen999

If you repot them now, you will put them back a few weeks; as I said thin them out and just leave one in each pot.

I was picking chillis and peppers grown on a balcony in Nottingham a few years back on Christmas day; you just have to get them along as much as you can now; so repotting them is a really bad idea.

rach

I'll definitely just thin them out, no worries. And, chillis and Christmas would be perfect!

thanks for the advice