I'm very keen to grow my own chillies again this year.  ;D But I won't plant until the Moon is traveling through a water sign, astrologically speaking.  Poppycock, I hear you say, but even James May (Top Gear's Captain Slow) and Oz Clarke, wine guru, have visited and tasted wines using this biodynamic method. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/8008167.stm
Some say pseudo science but the Moon exerts a huge gravitational pull on all water, so when we sow seeds when there is plenty of moisture 'rising' its beneficial to helping the seed propagate. Also bear in mind the waxing of the Moon, from new to full, the increase of gravitational pull is increased, also a good time for white magic, but that is another story.

For info on lunar phases click the link following. 
http://darkstarastrology.com/lunar-calendar-moon-phases/

Just down the road from me, luckily is the great South Devon Chilli Farm, http://www.southdevonchillifarm.co.uk/?referrer=devonchillifarm&gclid=CPD3qODvt64CFe4htAodFnlRFQ I'll be shopping there soon, well when I'm not so pie eyed from all this lovely cider.

All the best
Colette. 

Quote from: 976bar on February 24, 2012, 04:48 PM
I never buy seeds, I just use the seeds from Chillis I have bought and dry them out, and I have never had any problem growing them in the last 5 years except from last year when I sowed them way too late!!

Keep them warm and dry, don't expose them to frost, and don't over water them, I have often used tap water when rain water hasn't been abundent and they still grow fine. I guess I am particularly lucky to have a southern facing back garden which is a bit of suntrap

The idea of my post was to give tips for better" husbandry" not a point for debating. there are all sorts of methods which can work................time has dictated my tips from actual growing experiences over a long time and learning the hard way
I hope some of you are grateful for good advice

Quote from: noble ox on February 25, 2012, 11:54 AM
The idea of my post was to give tips for better" husbandry" not a point for debating. there are all sorts of methods which can work................time has dictated my tips from actual growing experiences over a long time and learning the hard way
I hope some of you are grateful for good advice

Don't go getting your panties in a bunch there friend,
Everyone has there own opinion on things, And It's all about what works for them ;D

Les

Quote from: Whandsy on February 25, 2012, 02:09 PM

Quote from: 976bar on February 24, 2012, 11:43 PM
Hi Martin,

What is this myth about drying out seeds in the airing cupboard? Just put them in some paper towel in a bowl and put them on the window ledge.

I don't even bother drying mine out, I just remove them sometimes from the chilli and pop them straight into the compost

Hi 976bar

Is this method of cutting chillis open and planting a certainty, i'm up for cutting one of my finger chillis open but as it takes 2-3 weeks to appear I'll be gutted if nothing happpens

W

While nothing is a certainty in this game, I do it all the time with all sorts of seeds gifted from produce I've bought, and can confirm that it does work. And on the occasions when it doesn't, it hasn't cost you anything other than around a week of time waiting to see if they sprout. (I'd recommend planting 3 seeds per pot to give yourself the best chance. You can always thin out if they all sprout.)

Nature is a wonderful thing. In 2010, for instance, I chucked some rotting supermarket tomatoes into my compost bin, and in 2011 worked the compost into my raised beds. A few weeks later what I thought were strange-looking weeds started appearing everywhere, and as it transpired their distinct tomato plant appearance was entirely due to the fact that they were, in fact, tomato plants, which had sprouted from those rotting supermarket tomatoes. I let a handful of them do their own thing, and they turned out really well.

Previously I'd gone to all the trouble of scooping tomato seeds out of the flesh, painstakingly separating them and placing them carefully on blotting paper to dry out.

Now I don't bother - just scoop a few out with a teaspoon and whack them in some compost and let them get on with it.

Give it a go!

Cheers

Gary

 

Quote from: Salvador Dhali on February 25, 2012, 02:28 PM

Quote from: Whandsy on February 25, 2012, 02:09 PM

Quote from: 976bar on February 24, 2012, 11:43 PM
Hi Martin,

What is this myth about drying out seeds in the airing cupboard? Just put them in some paper towel in a bowl and put them on the window ledge.

I don't even bother drying mine out, I just remove them sometimes from the chilli and pop them straight into the compost

Hi 976bar

Is this method of cutting chillis open and planting a certainty, i'm up for cutting one of my finger chillis open but as it takes 2-3 weeks to appear I'll be gutted if nothing happpens

W

While nothing is a certainty in this game, I do it all the time with all sorts of seeds gifted from produce I've bought, and can confirm that it does work. And on the occasions when it doesn't, it hasn't cost you anything other than around a week of time waiting to see if they sprout. (I'd recommend planting 3 seeds per pot to give yourself the best chance. You can always thin out if they all sprout.)

Nature is a wonderful thing. In 2010, for instance, I chucked some rotting supermarket tomatoes into my compost bin, and in 2011 worked the compost into my raised beds. A few weeks later what I thought were strange-looking weeds started appearing everywhere, and as it transpired their distinct tomato plant appearance was entirely due to the fact that they were, in fact, tomato plants, which had sprouted from those rotting supermarket tomatoes. I let a handful of them do their own thing, and they turned out really well.

Previously I'd gone to all the trouble of scooping tomato seeds out of the flesh, painstakingly separating them and placing them carefully on blotting paper to dry out.

Now I don't bother - just scoop a few out with a teaspoon and whack them in some compost and let them get on with it.

Give it a go!

Cheers

Gary

Cheers SD

Ive split open a finger chilli and deseeded it ready for sowing tomorrow

Whilst on the subject of growing, coriander is supposed to be easy but i seem to struggle keeping the pre-bought growing stuff alive. It either goes dark green on the edges or goes a bit dry and brown so obviously under or overwatering

Anybody any thoughts on that one

W