Soldato
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Sowing season is listed as feb to april. I say you have plenty of time!
The 2012 Chilli growing thread - the second burn!
- Thread starter NickK
- Start date
Soldato
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Well I'm planning on having a second crop planted as late as april! Depending how well this lot will grow.
I have a heated prop for my chillies. Should I leave it on constantly until my chillies start to sprout? Last year I only had it on overnight and my chillies didn't seem to work so well. Some of the plants were tiny and barely fruited. What's the best thing to do with a heated prop?
Soldato
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I've kept mine on all the time. Pepper planted on the 9th the sprouts are maybe 3inches tall. I would say this is amazingly quick growth!
Soldato
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Or feed, that's what I think killed mine off last year. They all developed black patches on the leaves =[
Caporegime
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Got the rest of the bits for my growbox, but got back too late to do it, so it's going to be finished tomorrow now.
Also I might have to grow some of these and serve them up to guests for the lolz.
Also I might have to grow some of these and serve them up to guests for the lolz.
Last edited:
Soldato
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one of my seedlings has fallen over. Hope it's not dead! Turned the seed tray around ad they were all leaning and pointing in one direction.
That happened to me last night. Went to wipe the electric propagator lid before I went to bed and noticed 3 had fell over. Gave them a bit of a spray of water and when I got up this morning 2 of them had sprung up again. Not sure what that was all about?
Soldato
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Might give it some water then.
Still no signs from my later planted seeds. Either I'm rushing it or the germination powder stuff does work wonders. I think using it I've had 100% success rate.
What is it that you're using?
Soldato
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The germination powder?
The stuff from this site:
http://www.chileseeds.co.uk/hot_chili_pepper_seed.htm
Will need to scroll to find it!
I never measured it, just a few crystals in a small ramikin and some water too. Soaked for an hour/till I was bored and I wanted to plant. You get it in a small plastic sachet thing. Looks rather drug like!
One of the seeds planted on the 13th has appeared in the past 24hours. The other ones planted at the same time there's no sign, but I think the seeds themselves have sunken quite deep in the soil! All the quick germination ones have all been placed on top of the soil with not really any soil to cover them.
The one that fell over is back up now after some water.
Caporegime
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Finished my lightbox, now I'm all set to go this year!
First thing I done was to construct a box of around 4 1/2 X 2 ft using a 2X1 timber frame with plywood panelling.
I then had to wait for my growlight and eazi-roll hangers to turn up, which they eventually did.
I then decided to use a false floor to give the plants some nice bottom heat. Of course, the light gives out some heat, but it's especially useful to have bottom heat at germination time. I first cut some polystyrene to size and fitted in the base.
I strengthened this with a centre baton to stop the shelf giving, and then used Parasene Soil Warming cable to evenly distribute heat around the base.
This is controlled by a Habistat pulse proportional thermostat that I used to use for my snake's viv. It pulses heat rather than a simple on/off, so temp changes are less drastic.
I then covered the bottom of a hardboard base in tin foil in order help conduct heat.
This was then fixed on top of the bottom frame and then sealed all round to prevent any water seeping under to the heat cable.
Final step was to line it. I was going to use Mylar, but the fact is Mylar is around 93% reflective, while flat matt paint is around 87% reflective. Hardly any difference and seeing as I had a tub in the shed, I decided to use that. So painted it with 4 coats, drilled a hole at the back for the thermostat probe and added a thermometer.
The end result!
Very happy with it and the brightness is insane! Should have no trouble with leggy plants in this thing. Will be sowing the first seeds in the next couple of days.
First thing I done was to construct a box of around 4 1/2 X 2 ft using a 2X1 timber frame with plywood panelling.
I then had to wait for my growlight and eazi-roll hangers to turn up, which they eventually did.
I then decided to use a false floor to give the plants some nice bottom heat. Of course, the light gives out some heat, but it's especially useful to have bottom heat at germination time. I first cut some polystyrene to size and fitted in the base.
I strengthened this with a centre baton to stop the shelf giving, and then used Parasene Soil Warming cable to evenly distribute heat around the base.
This is controlled by a Habistat pulse proportional thermostat that I used to use for my snake's viv. It pulses heat rather than a simple on/off, so temp changes are less drastic.
I then covered the bottom of a hardboard base in tin foil in order help conduct heat.
This was then fixed on top of the bottom frame and then sealed all round to prevent any water seeping under to the heat cable.
Final step was to line it. I was going to use Mylar, but the fact is Mylar is around 93% reflective, while flat matt paint is around 87% reflective. Hardly any difference and seeing as I had a tub in the shed, I decided to use that. So painted it with 4 coats, drilled a hole at the back for the thermostat probe and added a thermometer.
The end result!
Very happy with it and the brightness is insane! Should have no trouble with leggy plants in this thing. Will be sowing the first seeds in the next couple of days.
Soldato
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Bloody hell! All that for some chilli's?!
Why not, chillies are gooooooddddd.
And not easy access to a variety of fresh chillies.
However with lights he won't need heated soil.