Chilli Growing (Merged Thread)

Clive_Woody

chilligirl wrote: »

As the name suggests I've been growing chilies for a while! I think we have over 20 different varieties in our greenhouse.

Top tips - freeze your fruit, that way you'll have plenty to use all through the year. You can also leave them to dry for example in an airing cupboard and then make chilli powder by putting the dried chillies through a food processor, or liquidiser. Put them in a clean jar and they'll keep for ages.

Loads of information on www.thechileman.org - huge database of varieties, growing tips and lots more

Good advice, I have still got a bag of birdseye chillis from several years ago in my freezer, they even moved house with us. I tried to grow Scotch Bonnets last year and I had a few but they were rather disappointing, in size and heat. I am growing Apache chillis this year and they currently have loads of flowers on them so should start to show fruit soon.

kitaj

Because we get a local veggie box we don't get peppers although we use them a lot. I thought I'd have a go at growing them this year. I put in 10 seeds on the basis of I might get one plant out of them (not very green fingered). All ten grew - all are flourishing and all have loads of peppers and flowers on. They're on a very warm windowsill and I water every day. Looks like there might even be a glut.......

nickmack

I've got numerous chillis growing this year after buying/acquiring quite a few different varieties of seed.

None of my Tepin germinated, but I have Twilight, Orange Habanero, Hot Banana, Scotch Bonnet and a mystery mixture that a guy from work gave me from last years dried chillis.

They've various sizes at the moment, no flowers yet, but I'm probably a bit slow at planting on.

Some look as if the leaves have been eaten, not sure it's ants or slugs that are doing this. I've stuck some broken egg shells in the pots to hopefully deter slugs.

Has anyone had ants eat their chilli plants at all?

ilikefreefood

I grow mine outdoors and start them off under 1/2 a coke bottle (the large ones) it acts like a coldframe/greenhouse and works wonders! Also I water them once a week with tomorite (tomato feed) and grown them in the same bed as my tomatoes it works wonders! You can also grow peppers the same by dried one from the suppermarket out and planting the seeds. (Move both inside in the winter tho). Also if the chillies are too hot try poping them in a bottle of cheep olive oil and drizzle over pasta and salads for a kick! The fruits can also be dried or forzen for use over the winter! Happy Growing!!

nickmack

ilikefreefood wrote: »

Also if the chillies are too hot try poping them in a bottle of cheep olive oil and drizzle over pasta and salads for a kick!

I fancy making some chilli oil, need to watch out for botulism though.

JWF

d.o.o.g wrote: »

I've been growing chillies and peppers for a few years now, some inside and some outside. I find a mild solution of washing up liquid and water sprayed onto the plants when the pick up aphids will get rid of the little blighters pretty sharp.

I was just about to try spraying as you suggest, when I spotted some little grubs living on my peppers. Turns out they are hover fly larvae and I have got to say they have completely eliminated the greenfly from my plants. All natural and free too!

Jave_2

I have just started growing chillis, on a windowsill, what size pots should I be using?! - I have Anaheim, Jalopeno, and Hungarian Hot Wax. They all came with starter pots, but they are now getting a bit big for those!

Any suggestions??

queenyb100

OH MY! Advice definitely needed!!!

I feel bit of mug now compared to you guys and all your experience!!

At the weekend the OH and I bought some herbs to grow in my kitchen on my VERY sunny windowsill as I have no garden.
My flat is always warm and bright.

Thing is we got them as little plants rather than seeds but reading back on some of these posts, that doesn't seem the way to go?
Some were from Homebase (Chilli Pepper, Sweet red pepper and Thyme)
The corriander, chives, mint and basil were from Sainsburys. Will they be OK or they just crap?

So... in my first attempt to be slightly domesticated we re-potted them with some organic compost and plant feeder, 2 x 2 -
chilli and sweet pepper together.
Chives & thyme,
basil and corriander,
mint in a new pot on its own as I've got it to about a foot and 1/2 high already - served lovely in my mojitos so far this summer!

Any advice or tips you have would be much appreciated.

Thanks!

mtp123

Bought a packet of seeds from Lidl 29p and planted 12 , 11 growing had two indoors and all flowers (which become chillis dropped off) read that outdoors they get pollinated by bees etc but indoors just rub finger against one flower and then using same finger do the same on others!! Like a miracle plants covered in chillis now. Cool!!

Davesnave

Jave wrote: »

I have just started growing chillis, on a windowsill, what size pots should I be using?! - I have Anaheim, Jalopeno, and Hungarian Hot Wax. They all came with starter pots, but they are now getting a bit big for those!

Any suggestions??

Minimum 3 litres really, for those. They will take bigger, but will your windowsill???:rotfl:

Edit; Don't go up to 3 litres direct, go to 1.5 litres first and let the roots fill that.