Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat
Growing => Grow Your Own => Topic started by: Gleavo on April 12, 2021, 19:53
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Hi
Planted my first modules of chillis about 6 weeks ago - in heated propagator. I took them out about 2 weeks ago to make room for some more and my toms.
The ones I took out seem to have hit a stage of suspended animation growth-wise at about 2 inches high.They look really healthy but still no true leaves.
Is it too cool for them? I put them on the deck when we have a sunny (but still a bit cold) day and they are in mini greenhouse when it's dull. I bring them in of an evening.
I don't want to put them in the ploytunnel at the plot yet as they're too small and will wilt if too hot and the nights are still too cold.
Usually I'm fine with seedlings on a south-facing windowsill but the one I'd normally use is blocked by the hubster's home-working desk these days :-( Maybe warmer days will just bring them on and they'll catch up?
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Ry keeping them in good light and warm area, are you feeding them?
I swear by Maxicrop, all my chilli plants are growing on fine and in their final pots on the greenhouse.
Feed Maxicrop once a week.
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I gave them a boost of wilko liquid seaweed about a fortnight ago but was wary as they are so small - I usually start feeding them once they have true leaves but will do this weekly from now.
I'll also invest in some maxicrop going forward as it'll be an investment - chillis are a staple in the Gleavo household but I've only really been doing them for the past 3 years since I got the poly.
Thanks Aidy - the chilli sage - I was hoping for a reply from you! ;)
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I feed mine soon as they are up. Weak solution to start, 1/2 Tspoon to a litre of water then once they are growing 1/2T spoon to 500 mil.
Tried various feeds but Maxicrop to me is the best one out there.
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Perfectly timed question and answer for me too, thanks Aidy :)
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I pinched the tops off mine, sweet peppers and chillis, a couple of days ago and they are bushing our nicely now :)
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but still no true leaves.
Still no true leaves? I wouldn't be putting them outside at all - even on the sunniest and warmest of days - given the temperatures we're having. It gets hot in the greenhouse when the sun is out, but soon dips when a cloud comes over. Also the wind chill (even in full sun when your back is burning) is very harsh right now, so putting them out on the "deck" (like decking?) would be a massive no-no.
I would ask what chillies they are. Super hots? Slow and hard growers? All my regular chillies were about a week away from potting on at 4-5 weeks, on heat matts - even hot-ish Bird's Eye and Habanero's - made the effort. I took the mild ones off (but still under light) once they formed true leaves. The only ones that have been slower are my Aji Charapitas and Pequins (my experimental babies), which are now only about four to five inches tall, but with decent growth.
You can re-pot them deep later, and their straggly stems will form roots, but right now they need heat and light for longer periods than current UK can make happen. No true leaves to me means you need to take a step back. Even cheap LED grow lights at this point.
Aidy has been a great source of information when it comes to chillies, and using the search function to read up on various elements. The chilli man to go to, if you will. I honestly think he didn't catch the "still no true leaves" part, and may be thinking further down the line. If I'm wrong, then I want to know EVERYTHING this man does, haha. :)
C'mon, Aidy. What's your secret? No selling of your soul to the devil in exchange for the dark arts of growing chillies in the UK. That's the antithesis of Punk! ;)
Regards
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I pinched the tops off mine, sweet peppers and chillis, a couple of days ago and they are bushing our nicely now :)
I made a point of doing half and half (each chilli veriety) last year to try and gain some kind of understanding of overall yields between pinched and not pinched. Sure, it depends on different plants, as some tend to grow tall and precarious (<--- yes, got to use that word one time in a sentence, yahoo!), and others just handle themselves with the weight of the fruit more amiably.
I kept a fairly decent tally of the levels of productiveness going on between pinched and un-pinched, up until maybe late September, when I was no longer interested anymore. Long and physically trying days at work. I would just come home, check on my "babies" in the most honest and brutal way... "yeah, you all look fine. I'm off."
Apart from the known plants that like to go all lanky, I have zero meaningful data on anything. A hard day, and a yearning to finally sit down and watch old Dave Allen clips on Youtube destroyed any meaningful intent I may have had... and I honestly feel all the better for it. :)
I don't know. If you have/had the time, your findings would be rather interesting to read. I'm on to watching Chorlton and the Wheelies, and creepy adverts from the 70's. O_O
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I just found that if left to themselves they tend not to branch, and then as soon as they flower, at the top, and set a fruit - that's it, there was very little further growth.
So for the last couple of years, I've been pinching them out to make them branch low down on the main stem. More stems = more flowers/fruit :)
Which is exactly how I have been treating the fuchias plug-plants growing in modules on the same window ledge, now I think about it :D
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Indeed, I agree. I was just making fun of myself for my own efforts to test production rates on species that tend to not bushy out. Bushy out? No, I think I messed up there, but then again... "bushy out" should be a term, maybe. It sounds nice when you say it out loud. :)
My experience so far has been trying both, but only pinching out half the ones that tend to grow taller in general, like cayenne. Room concerns aside, so far I haven't seen much difference in pod harvest. On sweeter peppers grown as a annual, maybe a little, but growing hotter peppers in the UK.. overwintering etc... long term, nature seems to come out right, and I leave them alone.
I'm still new here, and wasn't being critical, so hope you don't feel that way. I just enjoy the banter and some fun.
Regards.
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Humbled by the kind words Garrarufa.
So over the 43 years of growing chilli peppers I have done mountains of research and experimentation and found what works for me so here is the basics...
Super doper hots...
Sow in November as they require a long growing season.
Average hots (habernero etc) sow early Jan
normal sow Feb
Odd ones I grow like Trinidad Perfume (sweet no heat) same as Habs.
I always sow in the propogater straight from the packet and once germinated transplant to a compost pellet to grow on, this way when ready to be transplanted again there is no root damage.
Clearly with early sowings these have extra needs, I use a grow tent with the grow light, now on to my fave word of all time.... Photoperiodism, I have discovered that chillies require a certain amount of light but more importantly they require a certain amount of dark! I average light to around 12 hours a day, I looked at the areas/ countries they grow in natural habitat and took the average light levels, I found this made a big difference to growing when young.
As mentioned above I feed Maxicrop pretty much from the start, once a week and half the normal measures/ mix suggested until two sets of leaves are established.
Once the roots start to appear at the bottom/ edge of the compost pellet then I pop them into a 3inch pot to grow on then until the weather is safe to transfer them to their final pot.
The final pot is a standard flower supermarket 10L pot, I mix both vermiculite and perlite with the compost, water as required.
I have nipped out the tops and yes you get more but I tend not too as I grow more than enough plants to supply chillies for the year, fresh, dried, flaked and powered.
Hope this helps, its not really rocket science just treat as a normal plant, dont over water and feed them once a week.
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I planted them all in Jan in heated propagator:
Long slim
Bhut Jolaki
Habanero
Choc Habanero
Scotch bonnet
Cayenne
Jalapeno
Hungarian wax
Organic ones from a farmers' market in Greece and the same from a farmers' market in Cyprus (won't be able to do that legally anymore but they are 3rd gen seeds so I know I can keep saving)
Weirdly, the ones doing best are the Bhuts - which do require a longer season so that's good
Thanks for all fo the advice - I'm def going to stagger according to type next year! (and I've got myself some Maxicrop concentrate - 2.5l so should last ages and I can use it on loads of other stuff too)
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Any update on growth?
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Hi Aidy
Still on the smallish side but the last sunny week in the mini greenhouse has done them the world of good, as has the maxicrop I'm thinking so thanks :-) Not where they usually are but I reckon they be polytunnel-ready but the end of the month - I just need to get them to the right size for repotting.
I'm certainly going to take on your staggering tips depending on type next year so thanks again.
Only my third year of seriously concentrating on chillis and I think the hiatus was due to late seed delivery, north facing window and the cold early April.
Am I right in thinking you switch from Maxicrop to regular tom feed once they've flowered?
cheers
Gra
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to be honest I use Maxicrop right through and get loads of fruit, I do tend to reduce the amout tho, feed every 2 weeks rather than one once flowers appear.
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Nice one - thanks I'll do that myself and keep you dated on progress :-)