Anyone on here grow chillies?

[SqerrNipz]

Just wondering if anyone else on here grows chilli peppers and if so what kinds?

I fell down the chilli rabbit-hole about 10 years ago. Bored off work one day, thought I would give growing some a try as I love cooking, spicy food and had never grown anything in my life. Now have a greenhouse, grow-tent, massive propagator, LED grow-light set up etc. surprised my house hasn’t been raided, yet :lol:

I grow a variety, from the weird and funky to the insanely hot. Basically anything that interests me or I can use in cooking. Make a range of jams and sauces, under the name of ‘The Chilli Nerd’

Any other closet chilli fans?

 

[dr_john]

I tried growing some a couple of times, indoor on a window sill and also in a greenhouse, no luck really.

Any tips for a good harvest?

 

[SqerrNipz]

I tried growing some a couple of times, indoor on a window sill and also in a greenhouse, no luck really.

Any tips for a good harvest?

They can be a little fussy sometimes! Chillies generally need starting in a propagator, as they like to germinate between 26-32 degrees c. I used a cheap non-variable temperature one to begin with. It helps to soak seeds in cold tea, as the tannins will soften the seed coat and aid scarification. Just good old English breakfast tea or chamomile is fine too. I use a 5-1 mix of tea-hydrogen peroxide for 12 hours, to soften them and kill any nasties on the seeds.

They need light as soon as they sprout or they will get leggy. A warm, sunny windowsill is okay. Repot once they establish themselves or if you can see roots at the bottom of the pot. Once last frost has gone, they can go out in the greenhouse. They don’t like waterlogged soil, so I use a good quality compost and some perlite mixed in. Once established they’re pretty hardy, just make sure to feed after a few months in the compost. Half-strength tomato feed or there’s some chilli specific ones

Before you know it, you’ll be as much of a chilli-geek as me! :lol:

 

[Zedebee]

Mostly tomatoes and beans this year. I have a padron pepper, but only has two peppers on :x

 

[SqerrNipz]

Mostly tomatoes and beans this year. I have a padron pepper, but only has two peppers on :x

At least you’re growing something useful, there’s not many people willing to sample my superhot chilli sauce for some reason… :evil:

 

[M1k3yC]

I grow chillies. I put less varieties in this year than last, and they didn't do as well as in previous years. I was late planting them, didn't have as much time as last year, and the weather didn't help. I still grew over 20 plants, though, spread across three varieties: padron, hot devils, and cap cayenne. The names might be a bit off (apart from the padron, obviously) because they originally came from a kit and I started saving seeds. I'm not sure that the names given to the chilli seeds in the kit were all the officially recognised names.

I don't put even half the effort in that you do, [ref]SqerrNipz[/ref]! I germinate them in the warmest part of my house in small pots inside clear plastic bags. Once germinated I expose them to sun and light wind asap to toughen them up. Some of mine I plant out in the garden near a fence after they've been potted on a couple of times. Generally they thrive outside just fine. A longer growing season and more care from me supporting and pruning them, and the plants in the garden would have grown pretty big. Yours look extremely healthy, though.

 

[MarkE85]

Yes , been growing them on and for years. I get a few hundred from half a dozen plants. You must get thousands from that lot !
What the heck do you do with them all ?

Mark

 

[SqerrNipz]

I grow chillies. I put less varieties in this year than last, and they didn't do as well as in previous years. I was late planting them, didn't have as much time as last year, and the weather didn't help. I still grew over 20 plants, though, spread across three varieties: padron, hot devils, and cap cayenne. The names might be a bit off (apart from the padron, obviously) because they originally came from a kit and I started saving seeds. I'm not sure that the names given to the chilli seeds in the kit were all the officially recognised names.

I don't put even half the effort in that you do, [ref]SqerrNipz[/ref]! I germinate them in the warmest part of my house in small pots inside clear plastic bags. Once germinated I expose them to sun and light wind asap to toughen them up. Some of mine I plant out in the garden near a fence after they've been potted on a couple of times. Generally they thrive outside just fine. A longer growing season and more care from me supporting and pruning them, and the plants in the garden would have grown pretty big. Yours look extremely healthy, though.

Awesome To be fair I did get a bit extreme! First year I germinated just in the airing cupboard and many just grew outside on the patio with no issues. Then I got a bit obsessed :lol:

Some of the superhots can be tricky to germinate (can take weeks to sprout) and only like certain conditions, so it’s more for them really. I didn’t grow any last year for a variety of reasons, so my poor grow tent has now become just another cupboard full of crap in our house. Looking forward to getting back into it this year.

I have a lot of different seeds stored, so if you wanted any just drop me a PM

 

[SqerrNipz]

Yes , been growing them on and for years. I get a few hundred from half a dozen plants. You must get thousands from that lot !
What the heck do you do with them all ?

Mark

That’s a good question I use a lot in jams and sauces that I make, but the rest get given away to friends and family. I bought a dehydrator and made powder before - blitzed dried chillies in a coffee grinder, without any respirator the first time and basically tear-gassed our kitchen!

I think the second year pretty much all seeds germinated and I ended up with about 150 plants as I couldn’t bear to cull any of them :| I managed to give them all away and even did a car boot to sell them. I used to be on the UK chilli forum a lot and gave loads away to people on there.

If you wanted any seeds, just drop me a PM. I have seeds for probably about 50 weird and wonderful varieties

 

[MarkE85]

Yes , been growing them on and for years. I get a few hundred from half a dozen plants. You must get thousands from that lot !
What the heck do you do with them all ?

Mark

That’s a good question I use a lot in jams and sauces that I make, but the rest get given away to friends and family. I bought a dehydrator and made powder before - blitzed dried chillies in a coffee grinder, without any respirator the first time and basically tear-gassed our kitchen!

Lol , I bet that hurt your throat and eyes. I remember the first time I started to cut up chillies for a meal , without gloves , and before I washed my hands I scratched my eye. I was temporarily blinded for about ten minutes. I thought I had lost my sight ! All ok in the end , but , as you know , you have to be careful with them.

 

[M1k3yC]

I have a lot of different seeds stored, so if you wanted any just drop me a PM

Thanks! I may take you up on that next year. How long do you think the seeds can be kept for before they stop being viable?

 

[SqerrNipz]

Yes , been growing them on and for years. I get a few hundred from half a dozen plants. You must get thousands from that lot !
What the heck do you do with them all ?

Mark

That’s a good question I use a lot in jams and sauces that I make, but the rest get given away to friends and family. I bought a dehydrator and made powder before - blitzed dried chillies in a coffee grinder, without any respirator the first time and basically tear-gassed our kitchen!

Lol , I bet that hurt your throat and eyes. I remember the first time I started to cut up chillies for a meal , without gloves , and before I washed my hands I scratched my eye. I was temporarily blinded for about ten minutes. I thought I had lost my sight ! All ok in the end , but , as you know , you have to be careful with them.

Definitely, even washing up the pots that I've made sauces in with the superhots can be like chemical warfare.

Making the powder, I was walking round my kitchen with my eyes streaming and snot pouring from my nose, but I wasn't able to touch anything or wipe my face as I had powder all over my hands! Going for a wee after can be equally traumatic :lol:

 

[SqerrNipz]

I have a lot of different seeds stored, so if you wanted any just drop me a PM

Thanks! I may take you up on that next year. How long do you think the seeds can be kept for before they stop being viable?

I think generally the advice is up to 2 years, but I have used seeds which are 4-5 years old and had good results with them. The chances of germination will obviously decrease over time, but storing in an airtight container in a fridge helps.

Just PM your address if you wanted a selection

 

[M1k3yC]

Thanks, that's helpful - I'm intending to rely on seeds that I saved last year for next year's plants, rather than save more seeds this year.