Growing Chillies

[NickK]

Work colleges here grow chillies in the office. Now our system admin is a bit of a guru and so to make it more challenging I've challenged him to a Chillie growing contest

I've been advised to start with Jalapeño so I've ordered these.

For the fun of it I've also ordered some Dorset Naga.

I know it's not spring but our office is warm enough to grow them.

Anyone else here grow Chillies?

 

[Glaucus]

I tried last year and they died, going to try again in the new year.

Really want the cherry bombs to grow. Nothing nicer than stuffed chillies..

 

[quackers]

I've always wanted to do this, but i haven't a clue where to start

 

[caff]

Yep currently got a plant on the go, given to me as a cutting - I think it's a lemon chilli.

 

[SamuraiTortoise]

What sort of climate do they like as I'd like to give it a go in my office (and home). I guessing fairly constant warm temperature? I don't have aircon so heopfully that will be ok? How much light do they like?

 

[caff]

Very easy to grow, just like a standard houseplant. By a south-facing window with a decent room temp should be fine. Had mine on the go since around August and it's sprouted a couple of chillis so far.

 

[Majago]

My in-laws grow chillies and have done since the wife and I bought them a plant for Christmas a couple of years back. They use them to make chutney and things. They seem pretty easy to maintain and produce lots of chillis.

 

[Haircut]

I grew some this year, just cut the plants down this weekend.
Very easy to grow, just need watering when they become dry and some feeding when they start to get flowers.

I must have got at least 200 chillies from mine over the last few months.
Used lots in various sauces and salsas and have got loads dried now too.

 

[Deluxe1]

Try some plant food for them my naga's turned out great and the plant is starting to flower again.

http://www.chileseeds.co.uk/fertilizer_nutrients_feeding.htm

 

[5ingh]

I grew some this year, just cut the plants down this weekend.
Very easy to grow, just need watering when they become dry and some feeding when they start to get flowers.

I must have got at least 200 chillies from mine over the last few months.
Used lots in various sauces and salsas and have got loads dried now too.

I started growing mine in June (wrong time iirc?). I've 4 of them now, one of them which is about 10/11 inches in height but a long way to go before getting any chilli. What I'm worried about is, the chances of them making it through to spring, when the weather gets a bit warmer. They're next to the window so always getting plenty of light. Do you think they'll survive? I mean they're all nice n' green at the moment

 

[Deluxe1]

You need to start way earlier than June,end of jan early feb is a good time.

 

[Haircut]

You need to start way earlier than June,end of jan early feb is a good time.

Yeah, I was getting chillies from mine from around June.
I think they were probably put in around end of Feb?

 

[Hencore]

I grew some this year, just cut the plants down this weekend.
Very easy to grow, just need watering when they become dry and some feeding when they start to get flowers.

I must have got at least 200 chillies from mine over the last few months.
Used lots in various sauces and salsas and have got loads dried now too.

Do you have a specific process for drying your chillies? I had more chillies than I knew what to do with last year and wasn't sure on the process for drying them?

 

[Deluxe1]

I dried most of mine then ground them into powder.

I heated the oven then turned it off and put the chilies in on a tray and left them for an hour or so and repeated 4 or 5 times until they had dried out.

 

[Streeteh]

Was going to grow some but then realized i have no windowsill space left, too many herbs growing at present (the legal kind).

 

[malef!c]

I had a plant last year just sat in the kitchen window - no special treatment and it gave me a good crop of chillis.

Glad to say they are not the hardest plant to grow - and lobbing them in your own food is a great result

 

[5ingh]

You need to start way earlier than June,end of jan early feb is a good time.

Yeah, I was getting chillies from mine from around June.
I think they were probably put in around end of Feb?

Aye, I just wanted to know whether they'd have a chance of making it through this winter or any way to keep them alive. Don't wanna start again

Do you have a specific process for drying your chillies? I had more chillies than I knew what to do with last year and wasn't sure on the process for drying them?

I didn't dry mine at all. This is what I did:

• Took seeds out of a green chilli
• Find some cotton wool and wet it with cold water
• Put chilli seeds on cotton wool (space them out)
• Put the cotton wool with chilli seeds in a sealed plastic container
• Leave the container in an airing cupboard (somewhere where it's not cold) till the seeds germinate
• When the seeds are 1.5/2 inches tall plant them in a small pot

Should take 1 to 3 weeks for the seeds to germinate. All depends on the seed!

 

[alexakasloth]

I tried this year, started growing them in march but my mum didn't look after them properly (moving them away from the open window when it's cold is not much to ask!) when I moved to uni.

 

[NickK]

My seeds have arrived

The Dorset Naga has a warning on the packet "Handle seeds with gloves".
5 months till first harvest.

I think I'll pop up to homebase later and see if you have any mini environments for germination.

 

[Cosimo]

Stop it.
-Scuzi