It's that time of year again and despite having bags of last years crop still in the freezer (which will soon become hot sauce ), I've been picking up the odd plant here and there over the last few weeks. So far I've amassed a good mixture of capsicum annuum, baccatum and chinense varieties so I'll have a nice variety of heat and different flavours: Dorset Naga. Bengle Naga. Lemon Drop. Etna. Apache. Jalapeño. Cheyenne. I'm sure more will be added. Anyone else growing chillies this year?
Me! I've got some unknown-Nagas growing at the moment that a friend gave to me last year. I've also got a pile of seeds in packets that I've yet to sew as my planter is full of Naga.
My daughter and me have been making wooden window box style plant boxes which we plan on fixing to a wooden pallet and standing in the back garden. We have some basic chillies in out box of stuff to plant.
You can get them to fruit indoors [and I have]... you just can't rely on insects to do the pollination... small makeup type brush usually does the trick instead...
Good stuff, I didn't realise there were so many green fingered folk here. Here's a quick snap of mine as they are now. Back row, left to right: Dorset Naga, Bengle Naga (not Bengal as I wrote on the label thing ), Jalapeno. Middle row, left to right: Cheyenne, Etna, Apache Front: Lemon Drop.
I would love to grow some chillies, any tips for a newb? what do i need to start out on a low budget.
Buy/grab some chillies, take the seeds out, germinate with the paper towel method and plant. Or buy one of those 'grow your own chilli' kits...
Mud + seed + will. Seriously though, do you have a garden centre near you? If so, pick up a nice easy to grow chilli plant (Apache are great but the centre staff will be able to help you choose). A small chilli plant should cost you arount £1.50-£2.00. Stick it in a green-house/conservatory/south-facing window-sill if you can. You'll also need some general purpose compost and a larger pot (10 litre pot is ample for most plants) for when the plant gets too big for the pot it came in ("potting on"), and a small amount of gravel/stones to put in the bottom of the pot for drainage. Once it starts flowering it's a good idea to give it some fertiliser - I use Tomorite which isn't expensive. If you pick the right plant for your climate then it's dead easy.
Also if you drink filter/press coffee, adding some of the grounds in helps as fertiliser [just don't go overboard or they won't fruit properly]... And don't get disheartened if your first attempt at it goes tits up...
Got a few Cheyene(spelling??) growing here. Should be good in about 16 weeks according to the seed packet.... As for growing here is what happened to mine. While I am work my 5 year old puts compost in pot. Sprinkles 1 HOLE PACKET of seeds in the middle of the pot. Covers with more compost and waters daily. I assume they will not grow and forget about them . 2 weeks later 15 seedlings appear. YAY. I now have to re-pot 14 of the seedling into other pots and will end up with more chillies than I can eat..... Kids......
I'm growing 4 different types this year. Tam Jalapeno, Early Jalapeno, Rocoto and pepperdew. Got them inside in germination trays on a sunny window sill. I will be hand pollinating like i did last year.
I have been growing chillies for a few years now and they have always been indoors. This year I have added a Scotch Bonnet to the collection which should be intresting
I grew some indoors a few years back with great success. I used a cotton bud for pollination and worked great, until some tiny bugs got hold of the plant and ripped it to shreds.
You don't *have* to, you will typically get some insects unless you live in an airtight box and never open your windows, but it certainly helps... you can also cross pollenate if you want...
