chillie virgin

[simmo116]

hiya guys. first of all happy new year to one and all.

going to try some chillies this year. and not sure where to start. i have some nag jolokia seeds and some normal jalepeno's which i realy like ,the naga are more of a novelty as my friend reckons he likes spicy food......(tee hee cant wait....)
what im asking is would i benefit from a heated propergator/when to i start them off. and eventualy they will go in my un heated polly tunnel. also will there be isues with growing cucumbers and toms in close proximity?
thanx in advance
;D

[simmo116]

[Lizann]

Hi

I start mine off in pots on the window sill, don't have a heated propogator.  After the frost is gone I put them into my unheated greenhouse where they grow alongside my tomatoes and don't have any problems with them. 

Good luck. 

[Bugloss2009]

you'll have much, much better germination with chilis if you use a propagator. also once they germinate they can take an age to start growing

actually i found jalapenos quite difficult to get anything from. For me they were not easy, even though they're so well known as a variety

[simmo116]

thanx for the info. i have some unheated propergators i got the seeds from the chilli pepper company in cumbria. quite dear. for ten seeds. but i think worth a try. someone told me to start as early as now but i dont have the light so i know i would only end up with dead seedlings. also do they come back each year or would i need to plant start new ones each season?

[Bugloss2009]

chilis are the most wonderful things to grow. once you get them started they are usually OK. Earlier the better. I have mine in the porch which is reasonably light, with the option of a heater at night.

actually i sow some of next years at the end of the summer, and overwinter the small plants - gives them a head start in the spring

the plants can overwinter and live for a few years, depends on the variety and how much fruit they produced in the season etc

[saddad]

A very dependable and useful variety is " Ring of Fire" which I have the most luck with... heavy crop, quite hot but dries and stores well... just strung up in the kitchen they dry glossy not wrinkled...  :)

[Jill]

I'd give a thumbs up for Ring of Fire too although I had a dodgy lot of seeds last year.  I usually start my chillies off in the airing cupboard as I don't have a propagator.  Just have to make sure I bring them out before they get too straggly and anaemic ;D

[Vinlander]

Nagas are very difficult by reputation - don't be put off if you don't succeed in the first year.

Jalapenos are reputed to be a bit late, and though my first try was OK (medium hot and I do like the flavour) I've seen posts to say that there are very many late strains and very few early ones.

You'll probably be OK if you have a good greenhouse, but if not then you might like to consider some varieties with a reputation for being early.

I'd recommend Cherry Bomb, and many suppliers mention its earliness.

It's only medium hot, but I can't see the point in having more than a few plants of anything hotter unless you own a restaurant.

Not to mention how little flavour the hot ones have behind the heat, and how easy it is to get hold of very hot ones from the supermarket...

It's a no-brainer that it's better to use 2 or 3 mild ones per pot and add some flavour while you're at it.

Cheers.

[Flighty]

This might be of interest -
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/gardening/howtogrow/8243859/How-to-grow-chillies-anywhere-in-Britain.html?utm_source=tmg&utm_medium=TD_8243859&utm_campaign=garden1201

[simmo116]

great tips there gang gonna treat myself to a heated propergater and plan to start some seeds off towards the end of the month.

[mike77]

Not to mention how little flavour the hot ones have behind the heat,

??? I'm going to have to disagree with that I'm afraid!! Which "hots" have you tried to come to that conclusion? My personal favourite is fatalii which is a habanero type.
The pods have a citrussy taste to them and the smell when you cut a pod open is amazing and fills the room-they pack quite a punch but the heat tends to mellow when cooked while retaining it's flavour
My hydro grown fatalii

great tips there gang gonna treat myself to a heated propergater and plan to start some seeds off towards the end of the month.

I can spare you some seeds to get you going if you like? Or if you decide to buy seeds I can highly recommend simpsons seeds-nickys nursery are also good but they have been sending wrong seeds to people lately.....me included :'(

[simmo116]

that would be great can i pm you my address?

[Vinlander]

Not to mention how little flavour the hot ones have behind the heat,

??? I'm going to have to disagree with that I'm afraid!! Which "hots" have you tried to come to that conclusion? My personal favourite is fatalii which is a habanero type.
The pods have a citrussy taste to them and the smell when you cut a pod open is amazing and fills the room-they pack quite a punch but the heat tends to mellow when cooked while retaining it's flavour

The citrussy taste you describe is available in spades in green Bulgarian Teardrop (and some others in the C.baccatum species) - it isn't hidden by habanero heat, and on top of that it means you can put nearly 10x as much in without blowing your own head off. It's a hell of a lot earlier than chinensis too...

Of all the C.chinensis tastes I value the apricot overtones most - but even these are available in the 'perfume' and 'seasoning' types - and at least as strong in 'trinidad perfume' (and unfortunately just as late) but without any distracting heat - you can use 20 and add a bit of supermarket chilli if you want it...

Growing good quantities of medium high-flavour chillies is a much better strategy - more flavour, more flexibility.

You can grow one plant of an easy hot one (for all you need in a year) if you regard it as defeatist to buy a years' supply for a couple of quid from your local ethnic grocer...

99% of the mystique about Scovilles is pure macho posturing (I know, I've faced down bangalore phall chefs in my time) - but all the important stuff - like flavour - ends up going out the window in the process.

Cheers.

[mike77]

that would be great can i pm you my address?

pm recieved will put a little package together for you and post in the week ;)

The citrussy taste you describe is available in spades in green Bulgarian Teardrop

got any spare seeds? ;D

if you regard it as defeatist to buy a years' supply for a couple of quid from your local ethnic grocer

i wish i had the luxury of having one that i could get to without having to drive for at least half an hour!

99% of the mystique about Scovilles is pure macho posturing

i love my food hot and spicy probably extreme to most people but i can assure you i'm not a meathead!

I know, I've faced down bangalore phall chefs in my time

for what reason?

[Vinlander]

99% of the mystique about Scovilles is pure macho posturing

i love my food hot and spicy probably extreme to most people but i can assure you i'm not a meathead!

Sorry Mike77 - but my 'facing down phall chefs' was pure macho posturing on my part!

I have been and can still (occasionally) be a 'meathead'.

I used to enjoy phalls, but (even when I was in training) 90% of the enjoyment was the look on the face of the waiters etc.

Occasionally someone from the kitchen would pop up to have a look at me, but one time the chef and the whole lot of them trooped out and stood against the wall, watching me eat and hoping (vainly) to see me explode...

It's possible this was a regular event in that restaurant, because you will find the same anecdote in M.Amis's "London Fields" (which I don't recommend) - though I had been dining out on the story for 15 years before it was first printed.

PM me about my surplus seeds of Bulgarian Teardrop - though they shared space with Bishops Hat and Aji Amarillo - so 3 baccatums in one place means crosses are possible.

Cheers.

[mike77]

pm sent!

I used to enjoy phalls, but (even when I was in training) 90% of the enjoyment was the look on the face of the waiters etc.

"sir this curry is very very hot" seems to be the favourite response when i order it

<mike-off to the kitchen for a spicy snack>

[lottie lou]

I chit my seeds in the airing cupboard first.

[simmo116]

that would be great can i pm you my address?

pm recieved will put a little package together for you and post in the week ;)

cheers. want to start them soon. is the general consensus to chit there seeds first?

[mike77]

Seeds will be going out on Friday morning for you simmo had a busy couple of days!
I'm thinking cherry bomb/Thai hot/friars hat/hyper pube and a couple of surprises ;D
As far as chitting is concerned it's not something I ever bother with personally but I know of people that do so maybe an experiment is on the card's?
Be warned though a couple of plants this year soon becomes an addictive hobby!

[simmo116]

sounds great....hyper pube???? lol ;D
thanx mike.