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Produce => Edible Plants => Topic started by: weedgrower on April 23, 2007, 18:43:58

Title: chillies
Post by: weedgrower on April 23, 2007, 18:43:58
are you supposed to remove the side shoots from chillie plants the same as you do on tomato plants
Title: Re: chillies
Post by: woody on April 23, 2007, 18:51:19
no, just pot on when large enough and water when the top of the soil goes dry.
;D
Title: Re: chillies
Post by: SueSteve on April 23, 2007, 19:06:04
We are, or should I say Steve is!! Growing chillis this year, he has Tepin, Habernero, Scotch Bonnet, Jalapeno, Cayenne. The Cayenne germinated fine, followed by Jal and Hab, but the scotchbonnet adn Tepin have been a little reluctant to germinate.
What chillis is anyone growing, and what do you think the hottest is?
Sue
Title: Re: chillies
Post by: manicscousers on April 23, 2007, 19:12:49
we got that many last year, we've still got 4 bags in the freezer and loads dried so we're leaving it this year..can't remember any we grew apart from cayenne and hot wax..all i know is, they're hotter when they're dried  ;D
Title: Re: chillies
Post by: veggiewomble on April 23, 2007, 19:48:52
I have lemondrop, prairie fire, Thai hot and orange habanero all growing in pots at the moment. They're barely 2 inches tall.  ??? Hard to believe that they'll bear any chillis at all this year, but I must be patient.  ;D They're quite tricky plants to germinate, I find!

The hottest chillis I've tasted so far are the really small Thai birdseye ones.

vw
Title: Re: chillies
Post by: kitten on April 23, 2007, 21:33:20
Never grown chillis before but we've sown demon red (i think), 2 seeds per 3" pot, no sign yet (sown just over a week ago).  I'm hoping they germinate soon, getting impatient  ;D
Title: Re: chillies
Post by: woody on April 23, 2007, 21:56:33
hi all,
        1 have 450 plants,
                                      i am making all my own produce which i will be selling at farmers markets........buy the way the hottest are bhut jolokia/bih jolokia/naga morich and the dorset naga. i have a few plants of each, they are 3 times hotter than the red savina which used to hold the record.

woody :P
Title: Re: chillies
Post by: JoJo on April 23, 2007, 22:11:31
We're growing Joe's Long and also habanero, we also have 3 huge plants that we overwintered from last year, so hopefully more chillies more quickly... ;)
Title: Re: chillies
Post by: PJW_Letchworth on April 23, 2007, 22:15:20
I growing Cayenne.  Perhaps I should say "trying to grow" as they've not germinated yet.

I've never grown chillies before.  I planted about 6 seeds in a 4" pot and will transplant them into individual pots when they get big enough.  I've got them o the kitchen window sill with a plastic bag over the top of the pot.

This thread reads that they can be difficult to germinate.  Any tips from anyone?
Title: Re: chillies
Post by: Tinkie_Bear on April 23, 2007, 22:34:47
Hubby has 15 varieties this year, most are growing fine and he is a little obsessed with them !  I read somewhere that the hotter the chilli the slower it is to germinate, not sure if that's true but it appeared to be the case with the ones we planted.....

Helen
Title: Re: chillies
Post by: Georgie on April 23, 2007, 22:35:06
That's the method I use PJW but I start mine off in February.  I don't find chillies hard to germinate - perhaps I'm just lucky? - and my plants are about 10 inches tall now with the first flower buds showing.  I don't know the variety - I just save a few seeds each year.

G x
Title: Re: chillies
Post by: chlodonnay on April 23, 2007, 22:47:26
We have jalapenos and cayennes growing. They germinated quite quickly in the propagator.
Title: Re: chillies
Post by: weedgrower on April 23, 2007, 23:00:06
thanks for the replies. i am growing tepin, demon red and cayenne. the cayenne are about 4 inches tall but the tepin and demon red are only about1 inch so i have put them back in the electric propogater to hopefully get some more growth. thomson and morgan reckon that tepin are the hottest in the world but we will just have to wait and see. i grew pinochios nose last year and they were fantastic, the only problem is they grow as big as tomato plants so am trying to grow only dwarf varieites now as i havenet much room in my 2 greenhouses. before you say anything the cayenne were free with a magazine. i also have an appache but that was given to me. does anyone know wether this is a dwarf or not
Title: Re: chillies
Post by: woody on April 24, 2007, 07:12:18
http://www.thechileman.org/search.php (http://www.thechileman.org/search.php)

This is a great link to find out about the chillis you are growing this year

woody :P
Title: Re: chillies
Post by: Biscombe on April 24, 2007, 08:07:08
veggiewomble - watch out for thise lemon drops!! they kick a**  :P
Woodie - Thats loads of chilis!! cheeky but can you share any recipies?
Title: Re: chillies
Post by: Barnowl on April 24, 2007, 12:09:23
Last year I grew about 20 varieties, this year around 35. I usually prune the top off some to encourage side shoots. Seems to me to increase fruiting, but haven't done a proper comparison yet.
Title: Re: chillies
Post by: Sprout on April 24, 2007, 12:09:38
I'm growing tepin, poblano and cheyenne. Apart from tepin which I've only just started off, they all now all out in my cold frame awaiting to be planted out (under cloches) in the next couple of weeks. No probs with germination.
Title: Re: chillies
Post by: pye on April 24, 2007, 21:12:46
I'm growing two of last year's favourites:
Super F1
Fiesta

Plus new for this year:
Apache (thanks Barnowl for the rec)
Ring of Fire
Pepperoncini
Greek Golden Pepperoncini (the ones pickled in jars from the Greek shop)

They went in a couple of weeks ago and are all up, late I know but I've only got a tiny mini greenhouse so I have to pace meself.
Title: Re: chillies
Post by: woody on April 24, 2007, 22:05:06
(http://www.protectabadge.co.uk/DSCN2633.JPG)

(http://www.protectabadge.co.uk/DSCN2634.JPG)

(http://www.protectabadge.co.uk/DSCN2632.JPG)

Its like having a full time job ;D
Title: Re: chillies
Post by: saddad on April 24, 2007, 22:55:40
We have a few of several varieties... Habanero (Orange and White) a stray Purple one, Krakatoa, Ring of Fire, loads of Cayenne and Jalapeno... Suprised Deb P hasn't commented her OH is a chilli fiend as well...
;D
Title: Re: chillies
Post by: David R on April 25, 2007, 09:10:00
My Bolivian mother in law sent us a bag of dried chillies a couple of years ago. I saved the seed and last year grew about 50 plants outside. I harvested about 3 kilos of aji chillies for drying. My missus uses them in a traditional bolivian chicken dish.
This year i am only growing about 20 plants, these will also be grown outside. They grow to about 3 feet high, and get covered in 4" long chillies. I am going to try overwintering some as the chillies come late in the season, and i am sure that i could keep harvesting throughout winter.

Woody, great link, put in aji and got about 100 different types :o. Sort off identified my cultivar!
Title: Re: chillies
Post by: SueSteve on April 25, 2007, 10:02:25
This might sound really dumb, but how do you dry them?
Title: Re: chillies
Post by: David R on April 25, 2007, 10:14:21
i left some of mine in a hot conservatory for a couple of weeks. The others were dried in a warm oven, (say 70-80 degrees C), with the oven door slightly ajar to let the moisture out. Done in a day.
Title: Re: chillies
Post by: petuariapete on April 25, 2007, 10:17:15
@SueSteve

I would recommend this site if you are into chilli growing...

http://www.chillisgalore.co.uk/pages/growingtips.html (http://www.chillisgalore.co.uk/pages/growingtips.html)

Scroll down to the heading 'Harvesting' and you will see the info. on drying.
Title: Re: chillies
Post by: chuff on April 25, 2007, 10:36:28
Quote from: woody on April 23, 2007, 21:56:33
hi all,
        1 have 450 plants,
                                      i am making all my own produce which i will be selling at farmers markets........buy the way the hottest are bhut jolokia/bih jolokia/naga morich and the dorset naga. i have a few plants of each, they are 3 times hotter than the red savina which used to hold the record.

woody :P
I havnt been able to get any of my chilies to germinate, just planted my second batch. keeping everything crossed ;D ;D ;D
Title: Re: chillies
Post by: Curryandchips on April 25, 2007, 10:40:21
I always have a small tub of frozen chillies to hand as well, this preserves the colour ...

Derek :)
Title: Re: chillies
Post by: veggiewomble on April 25, 2007, 11:21:55
Maybe its just my plant but my lemondrops weren't too hot... I bought it off a farmer's market last year and did not manage to overwinter it, but saved a load of seeds and they all seem to have germinated nicely (and fast!).

I had more trouble with the orange habs which took >2 weeks to germinate, and the prairie fire and Thai ones germinated but now a lot of the seedlings are just dying off and I don't know why. :(  ??? I keep them in the same conditions as the other chillis but the seedlings are just wilting!

Anyway any tips on overwintering? I tried it on my lemondrop and apache but both wilted and died in the late autumn. I don't have many sunny windowsills unfortunately, all east or north facing too. They all seem to develop a cobweb-like disease too. :(

veggiewomble
Title: Re: chillies
Post by: Biscombe on April 25, 2007, 14:55:38
not too hot!! I must be a bit namby pamby!!! could red spider mite be the problem? I pruned my chiies and wrapped them up in fleece, all doing fine now, but the lemon drop has kept going in the green house fruiting from last summer!!!
Title: Re: chillies
Post by: Robert_Brenchley on April 25, 2007, 16:47:40
Mine germinated without problems, but have grown very slowly since. They're now in a mini-greenhouse which gets the sun all afternoon, and I'm hoping the extra warmth will make the difference.
Title: Re: chillies
Post by: cleo on April 25, 2007, 18:17:24
I used to laugh when folk said they could no longer take ultra hot chillies-I don`t mind the bald patch,the `distinguished` few grey hairs but I stick to Joe`s long Cayenne,Apache,and my favourite, Cherry Bomb now-how sad is that :)
,
Title: Re: chillies
Post by: Jeannine on April 25, 2007, 19:17:21
Well after a bad start with my first seed order I re-grouped and have sown (all up and growing nicely)

Congo Black
Aji Golden
Grande Chilli
Cayenne
Blh Jokia Kia
Purirn
Purple Tiger
Jalapeno
Bulgarian Carrot
Varigated
Georgia Flame
Roceta
Yellow Scotch Bonnet
Tepin
Habanero paper Lantern
Tabasco
Espanola
Guajillo
Mulatto Island
Aji Roji
Hot Banana

and one marked T.B.U. that I got in a seed swap??

XX Jeannine
Title: Re: chillies
Post by: woody on April 25, 2007, 19:19:34
overwintering is quite easy, just chop back the plant so there is the stem and forks like a "y" cut the roots right back to the ball, and then re-pot in a small pot and in new compost, keep on a south facing windowsill and warm at all times.
i'm sure you could just bring them in and trim them for a quick and easy way, but my first way saves loads of room.

:P
Title: Re: chillies
Post by: Deb P on April 25, 2007, 19:34:36
Having a go at quite a few varieties this year, as Saddad says OH is questing for a superhot chilli so trying to oblige! This year, I am mostly growing.....

Tabasco
Jalapeño ‘Summer Heat’
GYO Chilli Pepper
Fatalie
Jimmy Nardello’s
Red Savina
Thai chilli
Golden Cayenne
Morrison’s med.hot chilli
Dorset Naga
Cayenne
Aji Rojo (Red, Yellow and Orange)
Habenero Orange
Scotch Bonnet Red and Yellow
Jalapeno
Tepin
Purple Tiger
Rocoto Orange/Red/Yellow
Thai Bangkok Upright

I've had to pot 28 of them on into 8" pots today, except a few varieties like the Dorset Naga which seems to be a much stockier smaller plant. I did a second sowing a few weeks after the first in Feb. as got quite patchy germination; used the airing cupboard and got better results than in my heated propagator, so I know what to do next year! ;D

I have been growing them in a mini greenhouse inside my unheated greenhouse, the second sowing ones are mostly at the four to six leaf stage, but some are stuck at the two leaf stage as well....all sown and grown on the same, odd eh? ???
Title: Re: chillies
Post by: GrowingChillis on April 25, 2007, 19:46:27
I am growing quite a few this year. I had good germination rates on the whole. I used an old cream cake clear plastic punnet. Filled bottom half with sieved soil, sowed the seeds and placed it in the airing cupboard. Then once they were up some went on the windowsill and others in a propagator. You have t be careful when transfering them from hot to cold, as they sometimes get shocked and wilt.

I am growing:

Scotch Bonnet Red (sown last September, grown all through winter)
Jalapeno
Bolivian Rainbow
Santa Fe Grande
Congo Trinidad
Caribbean Red
Habanero White
Habanero Chocolate
Fatali
Prairie Fire
Dorset Naga
Naga Morich
Bhut Jolokia
Trinidad Scorpion

Half of the seeds are from swaps, the other half I have bought myself. A few are a little leggy, but on the whole are doing well.
Title: Re: chillies
Post by: Georgie on April 25, 2007, 20:12:15
Blimey, I am amazed at the amount of chillies some of you are growing.  I find that two plants per year more than meet my needs and I still end up with a few in the freezer to keep me going over winter.  Here's a pic of mine I took yesterday. They have just gone into 5" pots.   :)  G x

(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y30/georgie_girl15/Chillies.jpg)
Title: Re: chillies
Post by: jo9919 on April 25, 2007, 20:50:30
They look really healthy, Georgie.

I think mine's just about ready to pot on. I only have one Chilli plant growing. We're not big Chilli eaters so I was hoping that one plant would suffice. I'm beginning to worry now after reading all the previous posts. How many Chillis can I expect to get from one plant?

Jo.
Title: Re: chillies
Post by: Georgie on April 25, 2007, 20:58:57
I think the answer to that one is it depends!   ;D

I grow mine on the kitchen windowsill and I reckon I get about 30 or so chillies per plant.  These are quite hot so only require one per dish.  Don't know if this helps?

G x
Title: Re: chillies
Post by: Jeannine on April 25, 2007, 21:03:39
The reason I grow several types is the heat and taste, They all taste different and the ones I am growing are different heat levels, on 1-10 level which is easy to understand mine range from the Mulaki Ilsand at 2 to the Paper Lantern at 10. The Joko Kia  is off the scale, hot...hot...hot !! XX Jeannine
Title: Re: chillies
Post by: Georgie on April 25, 2007, 21:09:25
Several Jeannine?  I make that 21 types!   ;D  :o

G x

Title: Re: chillies
Post by: jo9919 on April 25, 2007, 21:13:34
Like I said, we don't eat many Chillies, so even a few mild ones would be sufficient for us.

I'll let you know how I get on later in the season  ;D

Jo.
Title: Re: chillies
Post by: angle shades on April 26, 2007, 20:38:06
:)

I'm only growing Cayenne this year, very productive and ideal for my Christmas decorations when dried /shades x
Title: Re: chillies
Post by: Georgie on April 26, 2007, 20:49:04
Hey Shades, I'm intrigued.  You got a picture of your Christmas deccies?

G x
Title: Re: chillies
Post by: angle shades on April 26, 2007, 21:01:16
:) No!

I don't really know how to post pictures it took me ages to find the flash on my camera ::)

I dry the chillies and  with florist wire  attach them in bunches to my evergreen garland made from yew,holly and ivy.

I also dry orange slices in the oven  studded with cloves and again with florist wire string them with dried chillies and red ribbon  and hang them on door handles through out the house

I like an old fashioned Xmas!!/shades x


Title: Re: chillies
Post by: Georgie on April 26, 2007, 23:15:16
Wow that sounds fab.  Thanks for the tip.   ;D

G x