2018 Chilli Growing thread

Associate
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Is Chilli Focus worth the extra over tomato feed? I usually always use tomato feed as its a lot cheaper, but i'm tempted to give Chilli Focus a try this year. What size bottle would I need for 5 plants?

Just potted up a few to 5L pots and put a layer of Perlite on top to try to combat fungus gnats. I saw a few buzzing around my kitchen window, so I am praying they haven't touched my plants!

I've never bothered with it and have always used Tomorite. Would be interesting to know if it makes much difference though.

I picked up a 5L container of chilli focus last year for a little less than £20 which puts it into same sort of price as tomorite, it only needs 5ml a litre of water - watering weekly so half a litre should be easily enough.

I had good results with it last year but don't have anything to compare it with - I could try watering one chilli with tomato feed and another with chilli focus this year to see what difference it makes :cool:

Moved the cold frame outside and keeping it open during the day to give the plants some more sunlight whilst we have decent weather - they seem to be responding quite well and toughening up nicely.

 
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Well my reapers are now flowering nicely. Whilst they are too hot for most things they are extremely good for cutting in half & dabbing the juice on the rim of your colleagues coffee cup. That was quite amusing last year, for me at least. :)
 
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Put my younglings on a south window yesterday to lap up the sun, it was clearly too much as they're all wilted now. Soil is still damp on top, worried I've killed them off already :(
My ghosts did this when I changed them into bigger pots. Within hours they were standing for attention again :)

They are now outside in a growhouse... Hoping I havnt moved too soon but its been fairly mild overnight. (south east)
 
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I had good results with it last year but don't have anything to compare it with - I could try watering one chilli with tomato feed and another with chilli focus this year to see what difference it makes :cool:
I'd be very interested to see the results from that if you do it :).

I ended up just getting a bottle of Tomorite as they sell it online at tesco and I was ordering my shopping anyway, but if I grow more next year I might get some chilli focus.

Put my younglings on a south window yesterday to lap up the sun, it was clearly too much as they're all wilted now. Soil is still damp on top, worried I've killed them off already :(

Have they recovered?
 
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Well my reapers are now flowering nicely. Whilst they are too hot for most things they are extremely good for cutting in half & dabbing the juice on the rim of your colleagues coffee cup. That was quite amusing last year, for me at least. :)

Were they over wintered? I've got Reapers in this year but mine are nowhere near flowering.

I bit the bullet and ordered some Chilli Focus as I'd ran out of Tomorite, it was about three times the price for a 1l bottle so I'll see if it makes any difference this year.
 
Soldato
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Were they over wintered? I've got Reapers in this year but mine are nowhere near flowering.

I bit the bullet and ordered some Chilli Focus as I'd ran out of Tomorite, it was about three times the price for a 1l bottle so I'll see if it makes any difference this year.

Super hots are slow, they need lots of light and warmth, probably kept warm earlier.
 
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bQ0btc
What size pot should I be expecting to have to eventually move into? I have them in 1 ltr pots at the moment and they seem to be doing okay


bQ0btc

hDzEeH
 
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Soldato
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xprqMUO.jpg.png

Getting tall now! I have never topped a chilli plant before, but i'm tempted to give it a go as there seems to be loads of space in the middle of the plant that is bare. But its also just split into two, so not sure if I should or not?
 
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xprqMUO.jpg.png

Getting tall now! I have never topped a chilli plant before, but i'm tempted to give it a go as there seems to be loads of space in the middle of the plant that is bare. But its also just split into two, so not sure if I should or not?


Think that genius of chilli as more of a small bush - they will get to 4ft..
 
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Looks like vermiculite on the top.
Perlite I think it was, just did it to try and combat fungus gnats as it drains really fast, so the top stays dry and confuses them (apparently).

There is also some mixed in with the compost to make it drain better and stop it getting compacted.
 
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Overwintered plants are starting to get going (very slow) so I have got two new seedlings ... one Trinidad Scorpion and a White Habinero :D
 
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That sucks Mercenary, hopefully they recover. It shouldn't have been below 0c, so I doubt the cold will have done any harm and I have had plants come back to life after scorching. As long as there are still some leaves it should be ok.
 
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