2024 Chilli Growing Thread

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Overwintered plants getting a bit keen. Far left is pink tiger which sadly I think has given up. From left to right is scotch bonnet (with a flower on), Faddas white and then either a Serrano or a Tabasco… can’t remember. It’s sort of a climbing vine like plant.

Have stuck a couple of seeds in to see what happens, but not holding out too much hope as they’re a bit old now. If the bonnets and the Faddas plants crop well I’ll have plenty of fruit for hot sauces!
 
I'm waiting for better weather. I had a terrible year last year, we don't have many windows in direct sunlight and I'm holding out for the moment.

I've got a large amount of Bulgarian Carrot and Ring of Fire seeds from the year before last, which I hope are still ok.

I'm also going to try to get hold of some forbidden peat compost for potting once they're rooted.
 
tom_nieto said:
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Overwintered plants getting a bit keen. Far left is pink tiger which sadly I think has given up. From left to right is scotch bonnet (with a flower on), Faddas white and then either a Serrano or a Tabasco… can’t remember. It’s sort of a climbing vine like plant.

Have stuck a couple of seeds in to see what happens, but not holding out too much hope as they’re a bit old now. If the bonnets and the Faddas plants crop well I’ll have plenty of fruit for hot sauces!
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The Scotch Bonnet looks good. I dunno why my plant has developed so many leaves over winter, is that normal?
 
caff said:
The Scotch Bonnet looks good. I dunno why my plant has developed so many leaves over winter, is that normal?
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It’s looking better now than it did even in the summer last year! I hope I can jolly them along until the last frost. No action from the seeds. Mother in law kindly bought me some plug plants for my birthday, so will look forward to those in the spring!
 
tom_nieto said:
It’s looking better now than it did even in the summer last year! I hope I can jolly them along until the last frost. No action from the seeds. Mother in law kindly bought me some plug plants for my birthday, so will look forward to those in the spring!
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Yeah this is the odd thing, my 3 plants looked awful last summer and only 1 survived, the habanero. It grew a ton of leaves in Jan/Feb. Just today I've repotted it in a bigger pot, and just hope it lasts nicely until summer.

I think I'll keep it indoors as much as possible. It seems any cold temps stress a chilli plant. Better to stick by a patio window even if it has less light than outdoors, I think.
 
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caff said:
Yeah this is the odd thing, my 3 plants looked awful last summer and only 1 survived, the habanero. It grew a ton of leaves in Jan/Feb. Just today I've repotted it in a bigger pot, and just hope it lasts nicely until summer.

I think I'll keep it indoors as much as possible. It seems any cold temps stress a chilli plant. Better to stick by a patio window even if it has less light than outdoors, I think.
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As long as you can keep aphids and pests away, chillies do really well as a houseplant by a sunny window.
 
Upgraded my growlights to have another go at a crop on my desk. These ones are pretty powerful, think they're fixing my SAD as well as keeping plants happy :D Can feel the warmth if you put your hand under em.

Planted 12 seeds from 4 diff varieties of seeds I had knocking around from previous years. 5 germinated so far, and seem to be loving the new lamp. Just need to get a timer switch and watering system for upcoming holidays.
 
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!
 
yeah cold weather has really put things a little behind. not bothered with chillies this year . you do always get a late blast of winter though this sorta time of year.
 
Scotch bonnet, hot banana and cayenne chillies this year bought as small plants and currently in the greenhouse. Regarding the cool weather my marigold seedlings from last year's plants shot up earlier in the year but have stalled a bit just recently.
 
Mercenary Keyboard Warrior said:
Last frost date for most of us is actually mid may
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Had a frost an 0°C this morning :eek:

Of course, its clear skies (hence the temp drop) and due to be about 12°C today (currently showing 9°C now). You either get rain and warmer temps or clear skies and cooler overnight temps at this time of year but rarely both as the lack of cloud lets the heat escape.
 
What compost are you guys using?

Clover is the only peat based compost around now?

MULTI-PURPOSE COMPOST | Cloverpete

www.cloverpeat.co.uk www.cloverpeat.co.uk

Irish Moss Peat | Cloverpete

www.cloverpeat.co.uk www.cloverpeat.co.uk
They sell Irish Moss Peat 100lites seems to be around £8 at garden centres who stock it
for people who want to make their own compost mix


Peat free compost are proper rubbish, I can never tell when it's too try or too wet and plants grow like crap in it compared to peat based.

I've literally got a bamboo plant in the kitchen that looked wet, but started to die... I dig in the soil and it's as dry as anything apart from the top and bottom of the pot!


From what I read sylvagrow is supposed to be the best out of the peatfree ones but I've never tried it.

all the usual brands I remember from before the peat free revolution seem rubbish now
 
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Don't buy peat based compost. Peat is a massive co2 sink and there is no need to use it.
The peat free are fine. They are even better if kept damp for a year as they break down into a super fine mix.

The miracle grow compost seems good (wickes often have on offer) or just use the specific blend of chemicals needed for the plants your growing to give them what the need.
Eg chilli focus for chilli plants.

We get the local council stuff free at the allotment, its just the brown bin collections composed and its as good as any peat based stuff anyway once its fed with the correct chemicals for what your growing.
 
Mercenary Keyboard Warrior said:
The peat free are fine. They are even better if kept damp for a year as they break down into a super fine mix.
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seem to break down into a super compacted soil like substance? and dries into what looks like fine sand and really fine particles of dirt.
It's not good for roots imo. It's either to wet or too dry


Maybe I need more pearlite and even vermiculite mixed in for peat free stuff, but then water probably just drains straight through the aquaphobic substance (yea yea wrong word :p )


collections compost can have glass, eggs and rhyzomes of weeds etc I hate that stuff

I had a japanese knotweed start growing in my kitchen window one year...

I used to reuse the same compost for years in a row with peat free, then chuck it in the garde.

I'll try and get some sylvagrow or whatever it's called I guess
 
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