So who's growing chillies 2020?

[Oneflewover]

Seems to be quite a bit of interest in growing chillies on here. Started my Chinense and Pubescens varieties last week (they both need a long growing season). I've sown Dorset Naga, Moruga Scorpion, Chocolate Habanero, Fatalli, red Rocoto and orange Rocoto. Here they are under my Heath Robinson (but perfectly serviceable) grow lamp

Annuum and Baccatum varieties to follow. What are you growing / planning to grow this year?

 

[marshbrewer]

My seeds arrived today. I was going to pop them into a (unheated) propagator on a windowsill, but can't work out if it's best to put them in potting compost or wet paper towels; online advice seems to be conflicting.

Edit - I've got jalapeno purple, Cayenne long and Thai Dragon

 

[Oneflewover]

My seeds arrived today. I was going to pop them into a (unheated) propagator on a windowsill, but can't work out if it's best to put them in potting compost or wet paper towels; online advice seems to be conflicting.

Edit - I've got jalapeno purple, Cayenne long and Thai Dragon

I don't think you need to sow them (Annuum varieties) yet mate. At this time of year I think that you've got to keep them warm (particularly to germinate) and a source of supplementing the poor natural sunlight. Mid Feb is when I'll be sowing mine.

In terms of what to germinate them in, I'm using growsure seedling compost with added vermiculite. Normally I cover with a thin layer of vermiculite to retain moisture and heat, but didn't have any. I've got almost 100 % success rate on the Chinense a week after sowing, with plenty of the Rocoto 'looping'. I really wouldn't go down the paper towel route, just my two-penneth

 

[marshbrewer]

Cheers - I was planning to sow them the first week in Feb, but I'll take your advice and push that out a bit.

 

[johncrobinson]

Back in the early 1980s a friend grew some chillies.Someone thought they were cannabis and informed the Police.
The Police duly arrived confiscated the plants and gave my mate a right grilling down at the station.
After a few days he got the plants back and an apology.

Just shows how much times have changed when even the POLICE did not know what cannabis looked like.

This was in NE England town pop 20,000. Year 1982

 

[Hanglow]

I've got some overwintered Espelette, Biquinho and maybe a Jalapeno. I've got seeds for Early Jalapeno, Aci Sivri, Kashmiri and Aleppo. I've done the really hot ones (naga/scorpions etc) before and really can't stand that amount of heat so I've settled on the milder and to me tastier ones. I think I'll be pot growing all of them this year, I want to use my greenhouse for a few tomatoes although I might change my mind in a couple of months

 

[Oneflewover]

I've got some overwintered Espelette, Biquinho and maybe a Jalapeno. I've got seeds for Early Jalapeno, Aci Sivri, Kashmiri and Aleppo. I've done the really hot ones (naga/scorpions etc) before and really can't stand that amount of heat so I've settled on the milder and to me tastier ones. I think I'll be pot growing all of them this year, I want to use my greenhouse for a few tomatoes although I might change my mind in a couple of months

Yeah, I've not grown superhots for a few years, but have had some requests from family and friends for a remake of a bum-clenchingly hot sauce I made a while back.

 

[Clint]

I'm planning jalapeno,cayenne and another..I also have two plants from last year doing ok on my kitchen window sill. All will be in the ground in my tunnel once it gets warmer and I spread some well rotted muck.
I'm going to dig a hot bed out in one area and plant melons into it.

 

[foxy]

My seeds arrived today. I was going to pop them into a (unheated) propagator on a windowsill, but can't work out if it's best to put them in potting compost or wet paper towels; online advice seems to be conflicting.

Edit - I've got jalapeno purple, Cayenne long and Thai Dragon

Start them off in a seed raising mix, a propagator is good for chillies, they are notoriously slow, but just put a heat mat under it. Even in the climate over here without a heat mat they are slow.

 

[Dave 666]

I was intending to start this week but for the sake of me I can't find my heated propagator so may well end up buying seedlings again which I didn't really want to do this year. Still, I also have a 250 watt duel spectrum cfl light here so might get the seedlings and start off under light until we get (hopefully) decent weather. It's always plagued me growing chillies, the lack of consistent weather, so to get a decent start under light indoors might get good results later on. Of cause if using the same room as my fv's well the extra co2 given off would also benefit the chilli plants.

 

[Horners]

The one time I tried with seeds, I struggled but at that point hadn't realised it was such a fine art. Inspired by this thread might have another crack.

There will still be chance to buy plug plants later in season in any case.

Also top tip for the lazy, Waitrose tend to do plants in their herbs and spices section I always buy one of these at 1.50 about third of price in garden centre and pot out in garden at start of summer.

 

[VW911]

Will be growing the usual favourites - Paper Lanterns, Jalapeno, Srrrano, Padron, Ancho etc.
Already got Moruga Scorpion, Fatalii, Rad Savina and Wartryx on the go, plus a few over-wintered varieties.
Every year I say that I will cut back on the number of varieties, but always end up with stupid amounts!
Start mine off in a heated propagator, and on top of the tropical fish tanks.
I use a mix of low nutrient seed compost and vermiculite or perlite.

Just remembered that I promised @dan125 some seeds - I'll get them in the post in the next couple of days...

 

[Oneflewover]

The one time I tried with seeds, I struggled but at that point hadn't realised it was such a fine art. Inspired by this thread might have another crack.

There will still be chance to buy plug plants later in season in any case.

Also top tip for the lazy, Waitrose tend to do plants in their herbs and spices section I always buy one of these at 1.50 about third of price in garden centre and pot out in garden at start of summer.

I've seen plug plants for sale and wondered how they are packaged? I'll have way more plants than I need so could send some your way if it's do-able.....

 

[dan125]

Will be growing the usual favourites - Paper Lanterns, Jalapeno, Srrrano, Padron, Ancho etc.
Already got Moruga Scorpion, Fatalii, Rad Savina and Wartryx on the go, plus a few over-wintered varieties.
Every year I say that I will cut back on the number of varieties, but always end up with stupid amounts!
Start mine off in a heated propagator, and on top of the tropical fish tanks.
I use a mix of low nutrient seed compost and vermiculite or perlite.

Just remembered that I promised @dan125 some seeds - I'll get them in the post in the next couple of days...

That's very kind and very well remembered :hat:
Would love to have a go at growing some this year
Thanks

 

[Dave 666]

Will be growing the usual favourites - Paper Lanterns, Jalapeno, Srrrano, Padron, Ancho etc.
Already got Moruga Scorpion, Fatalii, Rad Savina and Wartryx on the go, plus a few over-wintered varieties.
Every year I say that I will cut back on the number of varieties, but always end up with stupid amounts!
Start mine off in a heated propagator, and on top of the tropical fish tanks.
I use a mix of low nutrient seed compost and vermiculite or perlite.

Just remembered that I promised @dan125 some seeds - I'll get them in the post in the next couple of days...

I also end up with a ridiculous number of plants against available space. I just can't help it, it's like going into a sweet shop with a tenner being told all sweets 10p each and getting greedy lol. But hopefully I'll keep to under 20 plants if buying plugs (including some repeats) and over winter the best 6. But saying that, couldn't help but buy a couple of packs of plugs from Aldi last year after buying my super hots.

 

[Hanglow]

Yeah I tend to do that too

I've bought plugs by mail before and they worked well. Also bought seedlings from Aldi that were ok

 

[Dave 666]

Yeah I tend to do that too

I've bought plugs by mail before and they worked well. Also bought seedlings from Aldi that were ok

There is only 2 places I buy from, though last year I'm sure at least 1 of my plants were wrong. Sadly a house move mid season took my attention off the ball so to speak and so my crop suffered last year. Though chilli focus ready to order to feed the plants.

Will be sure things go right this year and building a duel purpose poly carbonate (clear rigid plastic sheeting) shelter in the back yard to act as both a well vented if open greenhouse & a sheltered man cave bar, er I mean family all weather sheltered seating area lol.

 

[foxy]

Problem with growing a swag of different varieties is the danger of cross pollination, unless you are growing them a fair distance apart.

The one time I tried with seeds, I struggled but at that point hadn't realised it was such a fine art. Inspired by this thread might have another crack.

.

Real easy from seed, I use the coir seed raising mix, some potting mix at the bottom of the seed tray, sieve through a fine sieve the seed raising mix, water well, add the seeds, sieve some more seed raising mix over the top of the seeds and add more water.

 

[Oneflewover]

Problem with growing a swag of different varieties is the danger of cross pollination, unless you are growing them a fair distance apart.
QUOTE]
Only a problem if you plan to keep the seed though. I've done it a fair bit and had some some interesting crosses the following season

 

[VW911]

Agreed. I cross chillis every year - it always seems that the larger, fleshier (often milder) ones come through as the dominant strain the following year.
Crossing the super hots seems to be easier than trying to cross a really hot one with a milder, flavoursome one...
Ideally, I'd like to cross a Scorpion with a Jalapeno, to make a decent chilli for smoking.
See what this (last) years seeds bring!