2024 Chilli Growing Thread

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Off the ball this year, usually try and get them in early Jan.

Ordered some Scotch Bonnet seeds from South Devon Chilli Farm, had good success with their seeds last year.

I like Scotch Bonnets they are probably my favourite of all, but they are quite hot, on the limit really of still just about being practical to use.

 

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These are my two biggest ones, been up about 2 weeks.

I was going to grow scotch bonnets, but misplaced the seeds, then ordered habaneros, so those are growing.

I ended up finding my scotch bonnet seeds later, doh.

But disappointed with germaenation rates, I got 9 of 20 up, it's possible I guess a few more might come but it's been a good 3 weeks or so.

9 plants is probably enough though for my polytunnel as I'm going to grow a couple of tomato plants as well.

 

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I usually plant them in the polytunnel by about mid April, but looked at the weather a few weeks ago and forecast to be pretty grim (which it has been) and bloody frost this morning....it's nearly May!

 

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Finally planted them outside, normally do it about a month ago, but the weather has been so **** this spring.

 

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Yeah planning the same, dig a couple up and turn them into houseplants
Been a terrible year for chillis as the early part of the summer was just so cold

Yea I'm going to give up growing chillies I think, I've had some really successful years but last few seem to be crap.

Probably use the space for tomatoes.

 

[BUDFORCE]

Picked these today, I've had a few already, but this year the yield has not been good, we've had less sun.

There are loads left on the plants but all green I'm gonna leave them until we start getting frost.

I don't think I'm gonna bother with chillis next year though, the are good on a good year, I've had literally bags full of good chilli's but then some years are pretty dire, last few haven't been great.

I'm probably just going to stick to tomatos they are more consistent.

 

[BUDFORCE]

I harvested a load of chillies towards the end of summer. They had been sat on my window sill in a paper bag and shamefully life just got in the way of doing anything with them. They've now fully dried out / shriveled up.

Are they still safe to eat/use? Any useful way of using them or should I just bin them at this point.

100% safe.

You can just use them like normal.

Dried chillies are a good way of preserving them.

 

[BUDFORCE]

Is anyone going to bother in 2025. It seems like most people have had very poor results the last couple of years.

Nope.

I'm giving up, I've been growing chillies 10 years maybe more, last few years have been rubbish for them.

I'm gonna just grow tomatoes they are far more reliable, get a nice plum variety, mmmmmm.

 

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I've had aphids indoors 3 times ovee the last few years. A nightmare. Trying to wash the plants hasn't worked for me. Is there a more brutal i.e. chemical solution?

If you can grow some rosemary nearby, ladybirds love it, then they'll go eat all your aphids.

Rosemary is very easy to grow as well, grows like a weed in my garden and it's always covered in ladybirds.

 

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@Molep I'm pretty certain we got the same grow lights.

I'm not doing Chillis this year, first time in about 10 years, had a run of bad seasons, I'm sticking to tomatoes this year.