2024 Chilli Growing Thread

[arknor]

People with sensi bulbs seem to have more compact plants, although I'm guessing the bulbs are 4000k so simulate normal sunlight and better for vegetation, whilst the other lights have more red spectrum for fruiting

the more creases in your alum foil the less efficient it is btw, you want it to be as smooth as possible, or just use mylar
White printer paper is better than aluminium foil btw according to chatgpt

Chatgot

est Reflective Materials for Plant Growth​

1. Mylar (90–98% reflectivity)
   • Highly reflective and diffuses light well.
   • Available in different thicknesses (2mil, 4mil, etc.).
   • Must be kept smooth to avoid hotspots.
   • Can tear easily and may degrade over time.
2. Flat White Paint (85–95% reflectivity)
   • More affordable and durable than Mylar.
   • Reflects light evenly with minimal hotspots.
   • Easy to apply on walls and does not degrade quickly.
3. Panda Film (85–95% reflectivity)
   • Black on one side (light-blocking) and white on the other (highly reflective).
   • More durable than Mylar.
   • Easy to clean and resistant to moisture.
4. Foylon (95%+ reflectivity)
   • A more durable, tear-resistant alternative to Mylar.
   • Less prone to creasing and wrinkles.
   • More expensive but longer-lasting.
5. Aluminum Foil (~55–70% reflectivity, highly specular)
   • Not ideal due to uneven reflection and hotspots.
   • Crinkles create shadowed areas.

even printer paper beats foil

• Printer Paper (~70–90%) – Decent for reflecting light but absorbs more than Mylar or white paint.
• Flat White Paint (~85–95%) – More consistent and durable for plant growth.
• Mylar (~90–98%) – Best for maximizing light reflection.
• Aluminum Foil (~55–70%) – Less effective due to hotspots and uneven reflection.

with all those creases your probably under 50% reflectivity.

Steps to Seal and Paint Cardboard White​

1. Seal with PVA Glue & Water​

• Mix PVA glue with water (50:50) for a thin sealant.
• Apply one or two thin coats with a brush or sponge.
• Let it dry completely (4-12 hours) before painting.

2. Apply a White Base Coat​

• Use acrylic or latex paint for best results.
• Apply thin layers with a brush or roller.
• Let each coat dry before adding another.

 

[arknor]

Those sansi lights are weak as hell.

I upgraded to a mars hydro FC-E1500

Mars Hydro Smart Dimmable FC-E1500 Bridgelux 150W LED Grow Light for 2.5'X2.5' Grow Tent

Boost indoor plant growth with the Mars Hydro FC-E1500 150W LED grow light. Full spectrum, energy-efficient, and perfect for hydroponics.

marshydroled.co.uk

the FC-1500 has better LEDs though and can be had for basically the same price.
with the sansi the plants angled their leaves like they weren;t getting enough light.

Literally hanging it from a clothes horse/line with a dumbbell to stop it falling over.


even on 100% it runs pretty cool, I added an USB fan to blow over the top of it and then to the touch the metal bars feel nice and cool.

The Sansi 10w bulbs are almost a 100 at 12" distance

This is over 1000 at 10 for the centre area of a 2x2ft square


Sansi bulbs are for seedlings and house plants

 

[~>Dg<~]

it comes down to budget end of the day. 10w sansi bulb is like £15 vs a £120 unit. so yeah its going to be a lot more powerful. also if you dont know check out certain mars products as they have very dodgy wiring. like almost deadly on some items.

repotted 3 seedlings today all ghost peppers. then in another month or two they will go into the big pots i have depending on the weather. on third set of leaves doing good.

 

[arknor]

it comes down to budget end of the day. 10w sansi bulb is like £15 vs a £120 unit. so yeah its going to be a lot more powerful. also if you dont know check out certain mars products as they have very dodgy wiring. like almost deadly on some items.

its not really 15 quid though if you need the head too, its more like 35-45 depending on if you want 2 or 3 lights.

I tried to research on the net about brands and saw no bad posts about mars hydro... Chat GPT was claiming it was a good brand too. I think the other brand I was looking at was AC infinity

mine seems fine anyway and you never know if its americans reporting the fires, there power grids not like us...

people turning off PCs etc because of a storm and such, no one does that in the UK?


I'd never leave my lights on when I'm not in the room anyway, just using them for an extra 4 or so hours of light each day


Also In a thread about fires I see most people saying they use them fine, and one guy offering a post from a grow log website showing it was the most used brand by people on there by far

Maybe there was a bad batch or something, but seems like theres been no mention of fires since 2023 from a quick google search and my lights a 2024 model so.

but obviously thanks for the warning, it would be of some concern if I were running lights when I'm not around.

 

[~>Dg<~]

its not really 15 quid though if you need the head too, its more like 35-45 depending on if you want 2 or 3 lights.

I tried to research on the net about brands and saw no bad posts about mars hydro... Chat GPT was claiming it was a good brand too. I think the other brand I was looking at was AC infinity

mine seems fine anyway and you never know if its americans reporting the fires, there power grids not like us...

people turning off PCs etc because of a storm and such, no one does that in the UK?


I'd never leave my lights on when I'm not in the room anyway, just using them for an extra 4 or so hours of light each day


Also In a thread about fires I see most people saying they use them fine, and one guy offering a post from a grow log website showing it was the most used brand by people on there by far

Maybe there was a bad batch or something, but seems like theres been no mention of fires since 2023 from a quick google search and my lights a 2024 model so.

but obviously thanks for the warning, it would be of some concern if I were running lights when I'm not around.

first of all i use sansi bulbs have done for years for numerous vegitable grows. they are cheap and very reliable with good results. i start my seedlings off under a 10w bulb then progress to a higher watt sansi bulb later on. mars do have dodgy products you might not know for eg the biggest selling product they have the TS 600 for eg has grounding issues LOL. so you literally could be electrocuted to death. numerous posts on this. even though its a brilliant light. there is a guy on reddit who specializes on lights and goes pretty deep. https://www.reddit.com/r/SpaceBucke...hydro_ts_600_quantum_board_failed_very_badly/ for eg..

you do bring up some good points and you should look into the safety of your lighting. sansi are very safe and cheap my 10w bulbs were £15 from amazon. 100w was £30 and do me fine until they go outside. i have them on a timer so they on when im up and go off before im in bed. just in case. always best to be safe.

 

[Daytrader]

Just started to harden off my 10 year old over wintered Fatalli, the trunk of it is like a tree, cant believe i have managed to get 10 years out of this chilli, usually lucky to get a few years out of one, miss doing all my chillis in my polly tunnel, but now i am full time carer for my dad, have no time really.

click on image for smaller example.

 

[caff]

Just started to harden off my 10 year old over wintered Fatalli, the trunk of it is like a tree, cant believe i have managed to get 10 years out of this chilli, usually lucky to get a few years out of one, miss doing all my chillis in my polly tunnel, but now i am full time carer for my dad, have no time really.

click on image for smaller example.

That is seriously impressive, the trunk as you say especially so.

Most of my seedlings died.

But one Tabasco is still going, but not growing at all - just stuck at two initial leaves height. I don't see why I'm bothering watering it really.

Next week I should have some plug plants coming from Sea Spring Plants, a very reliable seed & plant supplier.
Jamaican Jerk plug plant 1 £2.75
Lemonella chilli plug plant 1 £2.75

 

[dave28]

Sensi 10W bulb + box with kitchen tin foil to boost light levels

12 hours on, 12 off in a room that is about 18 / 19 degrees constantly

40 days from planting the seeds

watering little but often and recently started putting small amount of maxicrop seaweed extract plant feed in the water, they love it

added loads of perlite and started them in the pots they are still in so not transplant shock and I wont need to pot on for a while yet

put them in greenhouse in the day ( only when sunny, so most days this month )

Sensi 10W bulb + box with kitchen tin foil to boost light levels

12 hours on, 12 off in a room that is about 18 / 19 degrees constantly

40 days from planting the seeds

watering little but often and recently started putting small amount of maxicrop seaweed extract plant feed in the water, they love it

added loads of perlite and started them in the pots they are still in so not transplant shock and I wont need to pot on for a while yet

put them in greenhouse in the day ( only when sunny, so most days this month )

And roughly 5 weeks later we have the 1st Chilli growing and the Cayenne types are 15 inches tall.

 

[Daytrader]

Great job.

 

[~>Dg<~]

congrats ! my 6 ghost pepper plants doing well. moved to window sill now few weeks will be putting them in the big pots to go outside.

 

[Hagar]

That is seriously impressive, the trunk as you say especially so.

Most of my seedlings died.

But one Tabasco is still going, but not growing at all - just stuck at two initial leaves height. I don't see why I'm bothering watering it really.

Next week I should have some plug plants coming from Sea Spring Plants, a very reliable seed & plant supplier.
Jamaican Jerk plug plant 1 £2.75
Lemonella chilli plug plant 1 £2.75

Similarly all my seeds failed to germinate this year, the first year I tried and i did not have lamps or other tech gear.

Yesterday I cycled to the local nursery and bought two scotch bonnets and three cheyenne F1 plants in three inch pots at five plants for a tenner. I will be potting them on to 5 inch terracotta pots this week.

 

[~>Dg<~]

hows peoples chilli plants doing ? this sun has made my ghost peppers go crazy ! nearly doubled in size in a few days will be sticking them in their final big pots soon outside.

 

[Molep]

Carolina reapers have really grown well last week, others are already flowering and have a couple of small chilis growing. Pinched out tops 2-3 weeks ago so many now really bushy and have lots of leaves.

 

[~>Dg<~]

Carolina reapers have really grown well last week, others are already flowering and have a couple of small chilis growing. Pinched out tops 2-3 weeks ago so many now really bushy and have lots of leaves.

what node do you top them at ?

 

[Molep]

what node do you top them at ?

Who knows, not me, I just followed this guide, sort of.

A guide to pruning pepper plants

Hi guys, welcome back to our blog. As we gear up for another season of growing peppers for our sauces, it’s time to share a few tips and tricks for getting the most out of your own homegrown chillies this year. We love hearing from our customers about their chilli-growing adventures and recently...

khooshotsauce.co.uk

 

[~>Dg<~]

nodes are the levels inbetween branches. so first set is 1 second set of proper leaves is two and so on. you generally nip top after a new node is starting to grow.

 

[dave28]

Starting to get interesting now, apparently these green gusto pods mature while still green

 

[Hagar]

Cheyenne F1 and Scotch bonnet. Some fruits already growing but likely harvest in late July early August.

 

[~>Dg<~]

my 6 ghost peppers are doing well. one has been repotted the best biggest one into a big pot rest probably will stay in the small pots.flowers just forming

 

[dave28]

Starting to get ripe ring of fire now, I ate the milder bottom half of one raw and it was a real tongue stinger. I kept the rest for cooking, I dont fancy eating the rest of it raw