2019 Chilli Growing thread

Psycho Sonny · 13 Sep 2019 at 12:46

How often do you guys give them chilli focus. I've only done it twice so far this year. The compost I used had loads of nutrients in it and some which release over 6 months.

vanpeebles · 13 Sep 2019 at 12:54

Once or twice a week for my Jalos

vanpeebles · 13 Sep 2019 at 12:56

Pigeon_Killer said:
Picked my first Ghost pepper this afternoon and a number of work colleagues, who love spicy food, want to try a piece tomorrow. Got loads more ripening fast now so I'm prepared to sacrifice one for my own amusement. Also going to chop up a small reaper and offer that around.

How did the taste test go? What kind of heat are they?

Daytrader · 13 Sep 2019 at 13:22

Psycho Sonny said:
How often do you guys give them chilli focus. I've only done it twice so far this year. The compost I used had loads of nutrients in it and some which release over 6 months.

Should be at least once or twice a week, especially when you get your first pods, i feed every watering, but i am using quadgrow/chilligrows, and the chiil plants take up the nutes when they want them.

Pigeon_Killer · 13 Sep 2019 at 13:33

vanpeebles said:
How did the taste test go? What kind of heat are they?

Taste test went very well

Five of us tried very thin slices of the Ghost pepper and we all agreed it was a slow builder but once the heat ramps up it ramps up very fast which resulted in a few streaming faces.

Tastes very fruity to begin with and very fruity after the initial burn resides so I think a few would add a lot of flavour to something like a stir fry without the overpowering heat eating it on it's own provides.

Funnily enough, no one wants to try the Reaper now

vanpeebles · 13 Sep 2019 at 16:04

Pigeon_Killer said:
Taste test went very well

Five of us tried very thin slices of the Ghost pepper and we all agreed it was a slow builder but once the heat ramps up it ramps up very fast which resulted in a few streaming faces.

Tastes very fruity to begin with and very fruity after the initial burn resides so I think a few would add a lot of flavour to something like a stir fry without the overpowering heat eating it on it's own provides.

Funnily enough, no one wants to try the Reaper now

Sounds lovely! What will you be doing with them? Cooking or pickling?

Pigeon_Killer · 13 Sep 2019 at 18:47

I'm going to freeze most and use them for cooking as and when I need them but I'd love to make a proper hot sauce with some.

I've also got 6 stacked Habanero plants so I'm going to try and make some chilli powder with those.

Daytrader · 13 Sep 2019 at 19:12

Same here, will freeze some, thats if they all turn ripe, and i am drying some as we speak in the oven(for flakes and powder), will take 18/24 hours, as i do it really on low heat with door open(not a fan oven), just collected my coffee/herb grinder from argos, and a immersion blender for making sauces/soup etc.

Nazbit · 16 Sep 2019 at 14:30

This weekend's harvest...

Very happy with my first year trying any of this.

ShotInTheAss86 · 16 Sep 2019 at 15:30

What are these pots/trays called? or have you just drilled holes in the trays to run canes through?

Daytrader said:

Psycho Sonny · 16 Sep 2019 at 15:36

Gave chilli focus again for the second time this year. Will see if it makes a major difference. Mine are still flowering loads but a lot of the buds are falling off. I've got 1 plant that hasn't flowered at all but I just seen what looks like potential buds just starting.

My compost already has high nutrients in it so didn't want to overfeed but looks like I was being stingy. Also they are quite well watered. I might leave them all now for 2 weeks see how the leaves look every day and if they aren't falling down and looking droopy i'll do a finger test in the soil to see how wet it is.

All mine are kept indoors.

Daytrader · 16 Sep 2019 at 15:58

SHOTinTHEface86 said:
What are these pots/trays called? or have you just drilled holes in the trays to run canes through?

These are self watering quadgrow £46 each and chilligrow £30, there great, you feed using special nutes A and B also from the site, some of my chilli plants are 6 feet and over tall, stacked with chillis, info here https://www.greenhousesensation.co.uk/2018-quadgrow-planter-bundle.html/

Daytrader · 16 Sep 2019 at 15:59

Psycho Sonny said:
Gave chilli focus again for the second time this year. Will see if it makes a major difference. Mine are still flowering loads but a lot of the buds are falling off. I've got 1 plant that hasn't flowered at all but I just seen what looks like potential buds just starting.

My compost already has high nutrients in it so didn't want to overfeed but looks like I was being stingy. Also they are quite well watered. I might leave them all now for 2 weeks see how the leaves look every day and if they aren't falling down and looking droopy i'll do a finger test in the soil to see how wet it is.

All mine are kept indoors.

You should be feeding twice a week really once flowers/pods show, i feed at every watering in my self watering system.

Daytrader · 16 Sep 2019 at 20:01

Lemon drop picked earlier, then put in oven to dry, for either flakes or powder, still a lot more to pick, i reckon i will have around 200+ on the plant if all ripen.

Just a little part of the lemon drop plant, it hits the polly tunnel roof, and then goes across it, i reckon 8 to 10 feet tall so far.

Bonnets ready for picking.

Paper lantern ready for picking.

Fatalli, looking great, thought they were meant to be yellow, but these look quite orange, same shape and look thou, loads of pods on the plant thou.

Paper Lantern and Fatalli

Chocker

Daytrader · 17 Sep 2019 at 13:46

Lemon drop and hot wax dried in oven, came out great i think, will do a lot more now.

ShotInTheAss86 · 17 Sep 2019 at 14:12

those pots do look the business but carry a price to match. Might see if i can make something similar next year with what we've got at home already. Greenhouse is ready to install just waiting for gravel to arrive 1st before putting greenhouse up (apparently missed delivery this morning)

Daytrader · 17 Sep 2019 at 15:05

Yeh the quadgrows/chilligrows are great, and with the A & B nutes deffo gives double the yield in my case, but yes you could make your own self watering pots.

ShotInTheAss86 · 17 Sep 2019 at 15:12

What capacity of liquid do they hold, and how many days can they go with self watering system in a greenhouse in height of summer? Our neighbours are useless at remembering to water our plants when we are away so often come home to a dry and wilted garden. Been looking at systems to link in to the mains and remotely control with an app but its damn expensive for just the few weeks we are away each year

Daytrader · 17 Sep 2019 at 15:18

Quadgrows 30 litres, they say upto 2 weeks, but when plants big and peak in summer, every 3 or 4 days, but i never let them dry out, you can buy holiday addon for quadgrows also, that hold like 25/50/250 litres and it connects to the quadgrows. https://www.greenhousesensation.co..../?___store=default&nosto=nosto-page-category1

ShotInTheAss86 · 17 Sep 2019 at 16:56

Yes just seen the holiday addition (popped up as an advert on my phone scrolling a certain app) seems to just be a big water tank sitting higher up with a thin hose connecting it to act as a drip feed to keep the trays topped up. The pic i saw they just had the tank sat on a chair next to them.

An all round generally gd idea!