Growing Chillies
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I bought some little Chillies while at the garden centre today-all down to being inspired by this here threadnever thought about growing them before,but they are now sitting on the window ledge in little pots ..look forward to sampling them eventually !
We'll be demanding photos
I have an HPS but I think I'll stick with the current bulb for a bit then see if the plants produce fruit from the flowers rather than produce and then drop the flowers. If they start dropping then I'll think about switching to HPS. Which chilli varieties did you have in mind? In addition the Chilli Galore forums are a good point to start from with them
I'm using a 400W Euro Grow light combo which is a little confusing but only one bulb is used at one time but you get separate MH and HPS bulbs in the pack. There is, of course, the dual spectrum bulb version (and you can buy other bulbs too as needed). Just to explain the acronyms to anyone reading:
MH = Metal Halide which produces a blueish cold light that causes the plants to grow vegetation.
HPS = High Pressure Sodium which produces a orange tinged light that is meant to help promote fruiting.
The dual spectrum is basically MH and HPS in one bulb.
The reflector is ok but a little flimsy (does the job - don't get me wrong).
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my try failed miserablythe seeds did not even germinate
Which did you try? How long has it been? What temperature was it? Lastly - did you seal them in a plastic bag to keep them moist?
You could try 5ingh's way of germination. Then pot into smallish pots to start with.
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Nice - I warn you now.. you may not need that many plants if my current experience is to go by!
** Incoming update **
Now I have found the camera battery charger (skillfully hidden), I have a bumper update!
A week on from the last photos and mid week I switched to the High Pressure Sodium (HPS) bulb from the Metal Halide (MH). My thinking on this is that it should slow the rocket propelled growth upwards in favour of helping the flowering and fruiting.. hmm.. boy was I wrong! It didn't help that the couple that were due to pop in and collect one or two plants didn't manage to make the trip but they've rescheduled.. so it's likely they'll have fruiting plants!
As this has been my first experience of (a) HPS, (b) flowering chilli plants and (c) fruiting plants I thought I'd make this one a little more than just a set of photos..
Firstly my Motely lot of now teenage delinquents (no comment about kids at this age!). The HPS gives off a different, warmer, light just like the street lights. It's also seems to be cooler in terms of heat output than the MH light at the same distance. The effect on the plants is very different too. They don't rocket up, although they still grow, but instead they seem to bask in it.
I'll concentrate on the Jalapenos first as they've been very busy and have kept me busy too..
Initially they started with the flower pods:
The observant will notice the oddity with the leaves - this is from the plant getting scorched by the MH as it grew into the minimum space between the bulb and the plant tops! They'll grow into larger leave but will still bare the scars.
Maturing into an unopened flower - this could have 1-2 days before it's open:
Then finally as a fully opened flower, below, where you can clearly make out the stigma (centre white stalk) and stamen (smaller things around in a circle) that produce pollen.
I use a 1/2 wooden peg to fertilise the flowers. I find the grain of the peg holds the pollen well and it's easy to spot the pollen. I collect the pollen by tapping the flowers with the peg underneath and (if the flower is mature enough) the pollen drops out easily.
I take the pollen from one plant and dip the stigma from another plant's flowers into it. The stigma is sticky to pollen so it should hold as much as it needs. Repeat for other flowers and plants. I'm not sure of the pollen from one plant can fertilise it's own flowers but I the pollen from one plant on the others and then use pollen from another plant's flowers to pollenate the first one..
My trusty insect
So once they're fertilised, the flowers shrivel. If there's pollen, this will still be harvestable so don't just bang the dead flowers!
They petals and stamen then fall off.. leaving the growing chilli fruit and the stigma (which will fall off easily after a while):
The stem of the flower also thickens too. I've learnt that a fertilised flower is easy to spot because the stem thickens. Then they they keep growing:
Each morning it's like playing find the flower/chilli but jumping deep into the foliage.. here's one of the first that appeared now getting to a decent size..
The flowers are even popping out of the stems too!
They petals and stamen then fall off.. leaving the growing chilli fruit and the stigma (which will fall off easily after a while):
The stem of the flower also thickens too. I've learnt that a fertilised flower is easy to spot because the stem thickens. Then they they keep growing:
Each morning it's like playing find the flower/chilli but jumping deep into the foliage.. here's one of the first that appeared now getting to a decent size..
The flowers are even popping out of the stems too!
So what about the Dorset Nagas? They're doing well.. they're still slowly growing upwards!
I mentioned in another post about the size of the Dorset Naga's leaves and that they should really have about 1 metre x 1 metre to grow in.. here's a Naga leaf (south-east from the CD) and a standard 8" CD for comparison.
These have all the hallmarks of being a monster plant! However I have them in 13cm pots.. which, along with the HPS, has started to make them think it would be a good idea to flower..
The bigger naga has slightly more developed flower pods but this was the clearer photo..
I have to say the chill plants were looking the worst this morning. They've had several long 'days' under the HPS and with the warmer weather, the temps in the house have risen slightly. This along with the fruiting has seen a increase in the amount of water the plants have started use.
I could see they were feeling it as the lower 1/2 of the plant leaves had drooped heavily. I picked the pot up and it felt as if it was bone dry and feather light - even though they'd been watered each morning. So I took a bucket and gave each a good soaking by standing them in the water for 5-10 minutes to let the soil recharge.
The photos above show that they've recovered nicely as they've perked up no end
I mentioned in another post about the size of the Dorset Naga's leaves and that they should really have about 1 metre x 1 metre to grow in.. here's a Naga leaf (south-east from the CD) and a standard 8" CD for comparison.
These have all the hallmarks of being a monster plant! However I have them in 13cm pots.. which, along with the HPS, has started to make them think it would be a good idea to flower..
The bigger naga has slightly more developed flower pods but this was the clearer photo..
I have to say the chill plants were looking the worst this morning. They've had several long 'days' under the HPS and with the warmer weather, the temps in the house have risen slightly. This along with the fruiting has seen a increase in the amount of water the plants have started use.
I could see they were feeling it as the lower 1/2 of the plant leaves had drooped heavily. I picked the pot up and it felt as if it was bone dry and feather light - even though they'd been watered each morning. So I took a bucket and gave each a good soaking by standing them in the water for 5-10 minutes to let the soil recharge.
The photos above show that they've recovered nicely as they've perked up no end
Yup- that's my plan. Jalapenos are easy to use up. Salsa, Pizza, pickle, Beef chilli, Nachos, Kebabs, summer salads and BBQs.. They're also easy to offload as people will take them for the same reason if you end up with too many.
That'll give a good spread of heat levels too.
Yup - I'm over the moon that Nagas have decided to start flowering. With any luck they'll be ready to harvest June/July time (given the feeling that the lights have accelerated the growth).
Now I can cope with the 1-300K SHU from the professionally grown scotch bonnets.. it'll be interesting to see if I get a decent heat level out of the Nagas (at 8-900K SHU).
To be honest I think you may be better just going for a 200W CFL setup from the start. The results will probably justify the difference in cost (CFLs are available on the bay too).
The MH/HPS setup has returned serious returns and I would say it's been worth every penny so far.
The MH/HPS setup has returned serious returns and I would say it's been worth every penny so far.
Well when you're established and fruiting - I'll be glad to swap a pepper or two.
The bulbs themselves have two parts to them - an inner and outer. The outer is a UV filter. For example if the HPS outer breaks then the bulb will produce masses of shorter-end UV light. The bulb packaging states this.
MH is marked as 400W/U/LU/4K: http://www.venturelighting.com/LampsDataSheets/EnergyMasterandWhiteLux/52134.pdf
So that's a 4000K colour profile.
I know people that have cut their plants back over winter (once the sap has retreated from the tops of the plants. With the right temps they'll continue fruiting over winter but eventually I assume they'll die of a pathogen getting the upper hand.
HPS is a Sylvania Grolux 400W
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Excellent 
yup - just check the temps first.
What you do to germinate depends on what you have at hand. 5ingh's bag and cotton wool is a good one. just put the seeds in with the wool, water and seal the bag before placing into the prop.
A prop is only semi sealed but the problem is that it requires water to keep the entire air (and the seeds) in a moist humidity.
Then leave... if you didn't use a bag then you'll need to keep an eye on the moistness of the soil/jiffy as they will dry out of they're sat on the floor of the heated prop. With a bag - as they get started you wait until there's a root and move it carefully to a pot of soil.
chilli plants like a good draining soil - the water goes through from the top out of the base of the pot rather than having a sealed bottom that causes the water to sit and rot the roots. Jiffy's will be fine for 4 weeks and all you'll need to provide is water.
The soil drainage is helped further by mixing in vermiculite and pearlite in something like a 1/2 soil 1/4 v, 1/4 p. or perhaps 3/5 soil, 1/5 v, 1/5 v.
Really - they'll just sit there... then suddenly you'll look in one morning and OMG I GOTZ CHILLIS!
yup - just check the temps first.What you do to germinate depends on what you have at hand. 5ingh's bag and cotton wool is a good one. just put the seeds in with the wool, water and seal the bag before placing into the prop.
A prop is only semi sealed but the problem is that it requires water to keep the entire air (and the seeds) in a moist humidity.
Then leave... if you didn't use a bag then you'll need to keep an eye on the moistness of the soil/jiffy as they will dry out of they're sat on the floor of the heated prop. With a bag - as they get started you wait until there's a root and move it carefully to a pot of soil.
chilli plants like a good draining soil - the water goes through from the top out of the base of the pot rather than having a sealed bottom that causes the water to sit and rot the roots. Jiffy's will be fine for 4 weeks and all you'll need to provide is water.
The soil drainage is helped further by mixing in vermiculite and pearlite in something like a 1/2 soil 1/4 v, 1/4 p. or perhaps 3/5 soil, 1/5 v, 1/5 v.
Really - they'll just sit there... then suddenly you'll look in one morning and OMG I GOTZ CHILLIS!
In the worst case just put a desk lamp over them initially. They'll not need a massive amount in their first few days.
Duluxe1 - they're looking healthy!
I'd give them some exercise with a desk fan. It'll strengthen the stems, promote the uptake of nutrients (evap helps the capillary action) and will help keep the humidity under the canopy in control which will help reduce/prevent mold/fungus attack.
I see you're starting to get big leaves too
You all realise we're going to have to have a chilli eating youtube thread..
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Stupid Question Alert:
On these sites it says like £3 for 10 seeds etc...will these last me forever if I keep the plant alive or will I only get so many chillis from the seeds?
Germination is the risk - once you've got a good way of germinating the seeds to return a good number of seedlings then you're laughing.
The seeds grow into plants, the plants will fruit and you can use those seeds (assuming they don't cross pollenate you'll have the same chilli variety).
The plant will over winter if cared for, even fruiting given the right conditions. The main thing is that if it's planted outside then the cold UK winter will kill them.
One of my plants (one germinated seed) has over seven Jalapenos growing with more on the way.. the plant has a mass of flowers on it. That's going to be hundreds if not into the thousand(s) by the time summer is over - I may over winter a plant or two ready for a quick start next season.
It's possible to dry and store seeds too for next season or the season after, although the germination rate drops as seeds don't stop they just slow down their use of their inbuilt energy reserves. Once those reserves have dwindled to a point below what is required for germination then it's all over.
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Just tried the largest Jalapeno.
The fruit's taste is weak peppery jalapeno, it's got seeds inside, the smell is jalapeno but there's also a slight sappy taste. So I think it was still under-'green' ripe. So the other's aren't ready yet - two to four weeks I think!
I snapped it off with my fingers and I think next time I'll use scissors. Partly because it's quite an effort but also although the pepper may not be hot the sap is also long persistent heat.. hence after wiping my nose it's tingling and all I can smell is jalapeno peppers (I used a knife & fork on the open fruit).
Also repotted the Naga's into larger pots. They were starting to look as if they were having problems getting enough nutrients/water. I think the jalapenos may not be far behind.
The fruit's taste is weak peppery jalapeno, it's got seeds inside, the smell is jalapeno but there's also a slight sappy taste. So I think it was still under-'green' ripe. So the other's aren't ready yet - two to four weeks I think!
I snapped it off with my fingers and I think next time I'll use scissors. Partly because it's quite an effort but also although the pepper may not be hot the sap is also long persistent heat.. hence after wiping my nose it's tingling and all I can smell is jalapeno peppers (I used a knife & fork on the open fruit).
Also repotted the Naga's into larger pots. They were starting to look as if they were having problems getting enough nutrients/water. I think the jalapenos may not be far behind.
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Excellent. You don't have to use pedigree seeds; if you like what you get at the supermarkets then you can eat the chilli and use the seeds for more
Just couple of points:
1. in the top photo the soil looks too moist (almost water logged). Careful with this otherwise you'll get a spread of mould and the roots can rot. Chilli plants like their soil well draining so you may want to mix the compost with pearlite and vermiculite which are easily available at garden centres.
2. I would look at potting them asap rather than using a single bed of soil. The roots will quickly spread and intertwine.
Easily solved - put a plate upside down - raises the seeds off the bottom of the propagator
That's why my initial naga seedling photos seemed a little bumped up.
Would now not be the best time to buy Chilli seeds? My brother is a chilliaholic and its his birthday ina few weeks, a few of these ready for next summer could be something really cool for him, as I know he'd be really up for this kinda thing!
This depends on the type of chilli and the conditions it's grown in.
If you're growing them in the UK without additional lighting it can take longer. Chillis love long hours of sunlight and a good 8 hours of snooze time in the dark.
My Jalapenos were sown in Jan and are full of fruit right now. My Nagas are just about starting to flower but were sown at the same time as the Jalapenos. Both have had the benefit of a 400W lamp and being kept warm but the Nagas grow slower and can be as long as 5-6 months before the first harvest.
will ease off a bit with the water
Generally - if something's wrong they wilt. It just takes a while to used to exactly what that 'something' is. Given some good light they'll grow straight up towards it - so it's worth rotating the tray/pots if you have them by a window and they're bending towards it. After a while that bend will stay and then the plant is a pain as it will fall over easily when it's got chillis on.. especially when it's drunk all the water giving it ballast to stand upright
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