Nice setup with the MH. Will you be switching to the more yellow/red HPS for flowering/fruiting? I used to use a 600w Son-T HPS when I was growing. I might have a bash at some chillies this season, and maybe some peppers.
Growing Chillies
- Thread starter NickK
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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
Only planning to grow three plants to full size.
Hot cherry
Fatalii
But I can't decie on third
I have
Peach Habanero
Tahi Dragon
Thai Dragon
Heat Level 7
Red Thai Dragon chillis are 3 inches long and 1/2 inch wide and about 6 times hotter than Jalapenos. Two foot Thai Dragon pepper plants are high yielding, with a strong well-branched habit to support the heavy fruit set. Each plant can produce 150 to 200 chillies! Very good flavour. Use Thai Dragon fresh or hang up its heavy branches of ripe chilli fruits to easily air dry for a colourful and abundant supply all year long. (Capsicum frutescens)
jalapeño
and
Hungarian hot
so I need to choose one.
Tempted with the Jalapeno as I can slice and pickle them, for home made kebabs and nachos.
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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).
I have a feeling home grown ones, might blow my head of compared to shop stuff. We will see.
Would love to get a Mulato as well. Maybe when I have a bigger house or a garden.
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.
This is what I've got at the moment - strangely fruity, pretty hot. They start green, then go orange, then peachy.
Goes well in spicy asian foods.
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