Growing in a sunny attic room?

NoraNoir

Hello all, 
  I’ve a sunny, warm attic room that’s probably big enough to grow some indoor food-type plants. I’m thinking of peppers & chillies perhaps, although I’d love to hear any other suggestions! (I may have room for things that climb) I’m wondering if I can use seeds straight from peppers bought from the shops successfully? And also if there’s a way to prevent those little fruit flies?! 
  It’s a room where I currently WFH in a new job, so hoping that it’ll give me something to do/look at when I need a little break from the screen 🤓

Farway

Using seeds from shop bought peppers is taking a chance, maybe OK if you are growing loads but in your circumstances you could be wasting months using space for some poor small specimen. Far better to splash out on "proper" named seeds, they keep so not wasted if not all used

Quick & easy would be some trays of "Cut & come again" salad leaves, just Google for options

NoraNoir

Thank you @Farway ! Never thought of growing salad leaves up there. I eat so much salad in the summer I’m thinking I may well try this! 

Ebe_Scrooge

I'd agree with Farway as regards the seeds.  If you have the space, then there's nothing lost by having a bash at using seeds from shop-bought fruit.  We did exactly that last year, sowed about 30 or 40 or so seeds from peppers we'd eaten, potted on the best-looking dozen or so from those that germinated.  We did get some fruit, and it tasted OK, but it wasn't the greatest.

Commercial growers tend to use F1 hybrid seeds, and if you use the resulting seeds to grow again, it's a bit of a lottery as to what quality you'll get ( an interesting article here if you're interested: https://www.rhs.org.uk/vegetables/f1-hybrids )

Apart from that, I'd just be careful to watch the temperature and humidity in the summer.  If its an attic room, there's the potential for it to get very hot and dry in very sunny weather (although if you're working in there you'll probably be able to keep an eye on it).

NoraNoir

Thank you @Ebe_Scrooge - that’s good to know. I’ll likely be cooking the peppers within a recipe so can afford a little compromise on taste. Trying to save money as well so not wanting to shell out too much. 

Silvertabby

As a newbie, I would start by buying small chilli/sweet pepper/tomato plants from your local garden centre.  Only a couple of £s and much easier than growing from seed.

You can always try seeds next year, once you've got the hand of it.

NoraNoir

thanks @Silvertabby - that’s a good idea. Also thinking about getting some pea sprouts going this week, and sprouting some alfalfa too, while I decide plans for the bigger plants. 

Farway

NoraNoir said:

thanks @Silvertabby - that’s a good idea. Also thinking about getting some pea sprouts going this week, and sprouting some alfalfa too, while I decide plans for the bigger plants. 

If it's just the pea sprouts then culinary dried peas will do just fine, you know, the ones you soak overnight & turn into mushy peas. Other brands are availble as they say

RAS

If you are looking for salad, try the 25p packet of mixed lettuce sold at Wilko. We grew a batch last year that eventually gave up/bolted in May from an early sowing. 6 different varieties.

Use as cut and come again  in shallow trays or grow a few into plants and harvest the outer leaves and let the inner mature for 2-3 weeks. Rinse and repeat (check out Charles Dowding for ideas).

If you can hang a pot or two, then letting peas or smaller "climbing" French beans tumble over the edges will give you a small harvest each week for a couple of months.

At normal pot level, half a dozen dwarf French beans would be OK. 

Ask on your local FB or WhatApp group?

NoraNoir

Thank you both @RAS & @Farway ! I have some carlin peas I used last year for sprouting so I’ll get those soaking. & great idea about hanging pea/bean plants too. Also will have a look at Wilko seeds next time I’m passing  

Slinky

Sorry but everytime I see this thread I'm wondering if you're starting a cannabis farm in your loft!