Topic: Chilli growing time!

[Naga]

I'm just starting out in the Chilli growing from seeds but have grown plants before, when's the best time to plant seeds? I'll be growing them indoors

Get them into a propagator now, mate! Nothing fancy needed - just a covered tray full of seed compost kept on a windowsill in a warm room. Prick the seedlings out to small pots once the seed leaves are fully developed and you'll be well on your way.

I sowed the seeds from 3 dried Kashmiri chillies on the 14th of this month and I've already got a number of small, inch-long seedlings showing. I love it when a plan comes together!

[Sainty62]

I'm just starting out in the Chilli growing from seeds but have grown plants before, when's the best time to plant seeds? I'll be growing them indoors

Get them into a propagator now, mate! Nothing fancy needed - just a covered tray full of seed compost kept on a windowsill in a warm room. Prick the seedlings out to small pots once the seed leaves are fully developed and you'll be well on your way.

I sowed the seeds from 3 dried Kashmiri chillies on the 14th of this month and I've already got a number of small, inch-long seedlings showing. I love it when a plan comes together!

Well, that's my night sorted for tonight, got the seeds and compost the other day 

[Stephen Lindsay]

Can I ask if it makes any difference where you are in the UK - for example I'm in North East Scotland and I wonder if we should be planting a bit later than South England?

[vinders]

Can I ask if it makes any difference where you are in the UK - for example I'm in North East Scotland and I wonder if we should be planting a bit later than South England?

Hi SL

I don't think it would do any harm, though the actual type of chilli can be taken into account. Habanero family chilli and tabasco seeds need to be planted now (or ideally at start of Jan) as they take longer to germinate and flower. Chillis seeds from plants such as padrons, cayennes can be planted a bit later - in Feb/early March.

[Naga]

Hi Stephen. I've been growing chillies for around 10 years now and used to start sowing my seeds around March-time. The problem with that was that, with the low cloud base enjoyed (?!) here in the shadow of the Campsies, strong sunshine isn't always guaranteed. The short growing season (Mar-Sep) doesn't allow the hotter chillies such as Scotch Bonnets, Habaneros etc. to thrive long enough to provide a decent crop.

I've found, in recent years, that sowing indoors in mid-January gives the seedlings a better run at it and, with the growing season extending (for me anyway) into November over the past couple of years, allows for 3 or more good crops from the same plant. I start my seedlings off in a seed tray filled with John Innes seed compost and covered with a clear propagator cover. They are kept the windowsill of a warm, east-facing room and remain there, after potting up, throughout the season.

I can only speak for my own experience, of course, and sunnier parts of Scotland will undoubtedly fare better.

[Ghoulie]

my one remaining chilli plant has been put into  a heated garden room / conservatory over the winter & has continued to grow / flower - I pollinated the flowers using a kiddies paint brush & they are showing signs of chillis forming!

[Naga]

my one remaining chilli plant has been put into  a heated garden room / conservatory over the winter & has continued to grow / flower - I pollinated the flowers using a kiddies paint brush & they are showing signs of chillis forming!

Nice one! Good luck with this year's crop!

[Sainty62]

Well, here's the update. Planted the seeds in a trough on 24/01/2013, woke up on Monday morning to find shoots of about an inch high, 20 of them  ;D, will separate them this weekend into other troughs.

[RubyDoo]

Well, here's the update. Planted the seeds in a trough on 24/01/2013, woke up on Monday morning to find shoots of about an inch high, 20 of them  ;D, will separate them this weekend into other troughs.

Congrats.  Dad! 

[chriswg]

Hey guys, great to see this thread still going strong! I should get this years seeds delivered today so will get them in the propagator soon.

I've opted for a basic cayenne chilli at about 50k SHU, it should go in most things and can be harvested red or green. Then I went for a Ring of Fire cayenne type chilli which is about 90k SHU and should be a good curry chilli when picked green.

Then to be a bit silly and keep the local Indians at the takeaway happy I'm going to try growing some Morouga Reds which I think are the current world record holders at 2,000,000 SHU. I grew some 1,500,000 Trinidad scorpions last season and they were uneatable even though when grown in non-ideal conditions the actual heat was probably half that. One lick of the inside and you'd think you had licked a halogen hob on full.

I also have some birds eye chillies from Sainsbury's. I might try drying out some of those seeds and growing them.