[jermaindefoe]

Hey everyone. This is the first time i have ever tried to grow anything so i am a little worried it may be going pear shaped!

As i really enjoy spicy food my girlfriend bought me some seeds to grow the hottest chillis in the world( its called the  Bhut Jolokia)

Anyway, we got 5 seeds, some soil and some feeding fluid stuff all together in a kit. I planted the seeds on the 24th may and 4 have come through, 2 much quicker than the others.

I keep the pot on the window cill and when sunny i leave it outside in the sun (as the hot chilli plants grow best in hot countries?). Anyway, in the last 2 days or so, a couple of leaves started to go white, one leaf completey died and fell off and one is curling up a little.

Can anyone suggest what maybe the cause of this, or is it normal. The whitening of the leaves is quite concerning as it seems to be getting a little worse.

Thanks for the help.

[flitwickone]

an expert will be along shortly     but i think its a seed leaf that has done its job i asked in a post about cabbage leaves yellowing
and apparantly its normal just pick them off and leave the plant to it etc

[jermaindefoe]

an expert will be along shortly     but i think its a seed leaf that has done its job i asked in a post about cabbage leaves yellowing
and apparantly its normal just pick them off and leave the plant to it etc

pick of the white ones and the ones curling up?

thanks

[Ice]

If you are watering from above and getting the leaf wet it is most likely sun scorch.

[skywalker]

I could be wrong but I think May is a bit late to be sowing chilli seeds. Mine are sown around Feb and the most advanced are already starting to flower? I'm not sure that your plants will see enough summer to get a good yield but I'm no expert and someone else will correct me if I am wrong?

[jermaindefoe]

I could be wrong but I think May is a bit late to be sowing chilli seeds. Mine are sown around Feb and the most advanced are already starting to flower? I'm not sure that your plants will see enough summer to get a good yield but I'm no expert and someone else will correct me if I am wrong?

the packet said best sown in april/may - admitidley it was late may, but still

[jermaindefoe]

If you are watering from above and getting the leaf wet it is most likely sun scorch.

can that kill it? i am watering from above, i shall try and be a little more careful to not get the leaves wet.

[Ice]

It should be ok.  Have to hope for a long summer though.

[mumofstig]

They look a bit scorched to me. They are probably too small to cope with the strong sunlight at this time of year........they take a while to get used to it...a bit like you on holiday
Is there anywhere you can put them where they can get dappled shade/filtered sun then gradually get them used to it, before leaving them in the sun all day?

Bhut Jolokia is perennial so you can continue to grow it through the winter on your window sill

[Ice]

Forgot to say not to pick off any leaves.  It will sort itself out and drop any it doesn't need.

[Lardman]

Way too late to be planting those   Your going to need a greenhouse and a good summer to get any fruit very late in the year.

Your poor seedlings look frazzled - they really can't take the direct summer sun at that stage, move them out of direct sun light but still somewhere bright if you see what I mean.

Oh and your compost also looks far too wet, Id be potting the larger one on into their own 3 inch pots.

Did you have them from a reputable source ? There are lots of seeds going about that aren't what they claim to be.

[jermaindefoe]

They look a bit scorched to me. They are probably too small to cope with the strong sunlight at this time of year........they take a while to get used to it...a bit like you on holiday
Is there anywhere you can put them where they can get dappled shade/filtered sun then gradually get them used to it, before leaving them in the sun all day?

Bhut Jolokia is perennial so you can continue to grow it through the winter on your window sill

thanks for the reply, you live close to me too!

yes, instead of the pure sunlight i will leave them in a shaded area outside then bring them in at night.

I didnt understand perennial so i googled it and wikki says this;

Perennials, especially small flowering plants, grow and bloom over the spring and summer and then die back every autumn and winter, then return in the spring from their root-stock rather than seeding themselves as an annual plant does.

I dont fully understand this, does that mean, if by the end of the summer i still havet got a full plant, it will die and then return from when it is supposed to next year?

Thanks

[jermaindefoe]

Way too late to be planting those   Your going to need a greenhouse and a good summer to get any fruit very late in the year.

Your poor seedlings look frazzled - they really can't take the direct summer sun at that stage, move them out of direct sun light but still somewhere bright if you see what I mean.

Oh and your compost also looks far too wet, Id be potting the larger one on into their own 3 inch pots.

Did you have them from a reputable source ? There are lots of seeds going about that aren't what they claim to be.

http://www.chileseeds.co.uk/ thats where i got them from, the kit and instructions said apri / may also

yeh i watered them earlier as i was scared that was the reason for the discolourment and leaves falling off.

[mumofstig]

It will grow all summer and hopefully start to fruit, if you can keep it on a light and warm window ledge it may carry on fruiting for months.......then very early next year you can prune the branches a bit and it will then start growing again, so no need to buy seeds next year.

Ask for further instructions much later in the year, if you want to try doing that

[Swee'pea]

 Don't water from above..stand them in a small tray and water..once damp at surface ( not soaking wet btw) drain the tray out of water. they hate their roots to be wet all the time. Also be careful on window ledges if they take a sharp temperature drop they will die back. Best just to keep them in a greenhouse or on a sunny window ledge..as moving in and out of doors daily will cause them to die back if it is too cool. don't pull any leaves off. they will drop if they aren't needed. once flowers begin to form start to feed according to the directions. don't be tempted to make the mis stronger and feed once a week. Pot on into a larger pot when you see the roots just beginning to appear out of the bottom of the pot. you should think about putting them into their own pots when they get their second set of leaves.

bhut jolokia are extremely hot but exceptionally nice chillies

need any further advice please feel free to im me
 hope this helps