Many thanks for that. What time of year is best to start the seeds going?
I started Feb 1st indoors with a heated propagator but some start them in March. I think April is too late but is possible.
Then i use 2 sensi grow lights after they germinate. Only 10 watt bulbs for about 12 hours a day so the electric cost is low.
You dont have to use grow lights, many people use a windowsill, it just helps boost light levels.
And then waited until temps in the day were good enough to leave them in the glasshouse most of the day and bring them in at night.
The issue is that they really hate the cold so you have to nanny them for months and only leave them in the glasshouse / pollytunnel full time when all risk of frost has gone.
Unless you have a heated glasshouse but that is very expensive and not worth it to me.
Or the much easier way is simply to buy them from your local garden centre or you might find someone local to you selling plants.
It is quite hard work, next year i think that i will just buy some Apache plants from my garden centre in mid April.
You can get good results though, i have way more pods than i know what to do with. I pickled a huge jar full, i have loads in the freezer and loads hanging up in the glasshouse drying and now there must be another dozer ready to do something with and several hundred green ones waiting to ripen.