[garrarufa]

Hi everyone,

I want to dive into growing chili peppers next year and would really appreciate some advice on a few things. I've already started growing a few varieties as indoor windowsill plants with heat mats and grow lights, really as an experiment because I've suddenly become very child-like in my excitement and just can't wait a few more months. They seem to be doing very well so far, so I feel like I'm in training.

Anyway, I bought a bottle of chili focus concentrated fertilizer, and have been using that for my indoor babies. I plan to try and grow a lot next year, so am looking at keeping my initial costs as low as possible. I read about growing and using comfrey to make fertilizer, and it would be a lot cheaper than buying more off the shelf bottles of concentrated feed. Does anyone have any experience with using comfrey with chili plants?

Secondly, I'll be growing mostly in my greenhouse in pots, which might end with the plants taking up at least half of my shelf space on one side. The other side of the greenhouse is raised beds where I grew cherry tomatoes this year. I plan to mix it up a little next year and also grow cucumbers/gerkins for pickling, and okra. Are there any recommendations for climbing chili plants I could try on the netting and poles?

Finally, I'm in the UK (midlands) and was wondering if there are any specific chili plants that experts have noted do better than others when grown outside? I understand they might not be as fruitful, but there is only so much greenhouse space I wish to use for chili plants.

I can currently handle scoville heat up to about 10,000 (yeah, I know... amateur that I am), but I have already started my training routine (feels more like a regime at this stage -_- ) and want to grow Tabasco and cayenne, but I'll take hotter suggestions as I can always try drying and smoking to create flakes to sprinkle into soups, stews etc...

Any help or ideas would be greatly appreciated.

Regards

[New shoot]

I can't answer your questions about comfrey feed.  I feed my plants a high nitrogen food when they are growing, then switch to tomato food once they start cropping.  The high nitrogen stuff is whatever I see at a good price and is usually a general veg feed.  I certainly don't treat them to anything special or costly 

Check this page out and scroll down to Nigel's Outdoor Chilli .  I have grown this out on the allotment plot before and got a decent crop.  Most of the others do better inside to be honest, but chillies are very productive, so you don't need loads of plants.

https://www.realseeds.co.uk/hotpeppers.html

This seed company does some unusual and different stuff.  You asked about corn on another post and they have a couple of interesting and very ornamental varieties that you might like as well 

[jambop]

I like a hot chilli or curry so I used grow a few different scotch bonnet, arbol, jalapenos and cayenne  all outdoor but now I only grow Arbol specifically because they produce a heat which I find acceptable they have a kick but not too hot great for pickling and making any spicy food. I find with age the really hot chilli peppers are too much for me now So if you are after a not too hot chilli try arbol... they dry well too!

[Aidy]

To answer a few.....

1st. Grow lights/ indoor growing.
I use a 14w LED to start them off at germination stage then once transplanted switch tona grow tent with a 300w LED light. They can take upto 18 hours for the first few weeks but once true leaves appear knock it down to 12, 12 hours is average for the tropics.
I will keep then in there until greenhouse temps increase to around 18-20 during the day but will bring them in at night. Once night time temps increase to around 10c then I will pot on to final pots, 10L the ones from flower shops.
2. Feed... I use Maxicrop for the most part and has been said switch to a tommy feed once chillies start to form.
I also use vermiculite in the compost.
3. Sowing times... Chillies are day light neutral plants so they need a specific growing time to fruit, they dont require lights levels to change. Super hots I will sow between Christmas n new year so they are ready to go in the grow tent once the kings have paid us a visit.
Mid heat ones (cayenne, jalapeno etc) are sown mid Feb .
4. Watering.. I normally water once every two days or so depending on temps and feed once a week.

Dont worry if you start getting fruit and they drop off, this is normal early on.
5. Types... My kitchen types...
Cayenne, dragon back, jalapeno and few other odd ones that take my fancy.
Hotter ones.... Thai prik kee noo (mouse *#!+) chilli, these are small tiny ones that you dont know youre eating them until they are in your mouth, bit like mice, you dont know you have them until you see the droppings. Bhut jolokia is one of my faves, love them, hot but great flavour and plenty of chillies, habs, all time fave for chicken jerk.
Best thing us just grow them and see which ones you like.
Enjoy and good luck.

[garrarufa]

Many thanks for the great tips and suggestions. I will definitely try Nigel's Outdoor Chili. I've looked up the others mentioned. Bhut Jolokia?    I'll pass on that one, haha.  Maybe in a few years time. I had no idea there were so many varieties. Should be enough to keep me interested for years to come.

Thanks again for the help.
Regards

[Ema]

I recently took a trip to the lovely south Devon chilli farm to buy a Christmas present for my sister who’s a chilli head.

I got some fertiliser there and I think it’s seaweed based! I much prefer home made fertiliser.

I’ve sown chillies inside on windowsills as early as January but won’t bother again as they just take up too much space and time for no extra crop. I’m going to try to hold out til the first of March and do my chillies and Toms then I don’t have a greenhouse so these won’t go outside for 8 weeks and then they’ll need a cover

[garrarufa]

Thanks for your reply, Ema.

I've come across the South Devon Chilli farm online, during my casual research. Can I ask, is it a place where you can have a bit of a walk around and see lots of chili plants maintained under special conditions, or is it just like a normal shop where you go and buy things?

I keep coming across references to seaweed while growing peppers, but not much beyond that it can be good in general for maybe most plants. The same with Comfrey, I guess, but I asked purely on the basis of growing my own feed. But that takes up space, so maybe it comes down to that... and time, and money in the long term?

Your comments about sowing early indoors - particularly from a UK resident - make me take stock of my current indoor space. I have likely got ahead of myself because of sheer enthusiasm for my virgin experience. I have a few Anaheim and Jalapeno plants that seem to be doing well under a heat mat and lights, but maybe they'll flower too early and... blah, blah.

Yesterday I sowed some Habanero seeds that are the hottest variety I wish to grow next year. Almost everything I have so far read suggests to sow early in the UK (end of December/first weeks in January) so they may have the time to later ripen into their hottest state. Anyone have thoughts or experience on that?

Regards

[I Love Spuds]

Re: South Devon Chilli Farm:
I went there in 2018 and it was good. They had a show tunnel, were they had a good selection of plants all laid out nicely with labels etc. They had other tunnels were they grow their stock, which I poked my nose in just to have a look. They had a well stocked nursery were I bought a couple of unusual purple chilli plants. And finally they have a cafe and shop were you can try all the sauces (amongst other things like chilli chocolate) from weak to absolute monster heat (which I loved and was still getting heat in my mouth hours later!)

Also, you wrote "seem to be doing well under a heat mat". I think you might have this the wrong way round, the plants go on top of the mat, not the other way round  (sorry for being so cheeky)

[Ema]

They have a few Polly tunnels, I think one is a display tunnel for visitors to look at - I didn’t take a look as it’s was chucking it down.

If you ever come down this way, check out the polly tunnel at riverford field kitchen and the privately owned hill house nursery at Landscove. If you’re this way for a while check out Overbecks.

If your lucky enough to have a greenhouse and even greenhouse heaters then sowing in January is sensible especially for the long maturing varieties.

I can’t wait to start sowing!

[garrarufa]

I Love Spuds: Many thanks for your notes on the South Devon Chilli Farm. It sounds like I'll have to make a stop there the next time I go down to visit friends in Plymouth. Oh, and I love a "cheeky" comment, haha. A slip of the mind/keyboard on my part. I assure you I have been using my heat mats the same way as everyone else... to keep my feet warm under my computer desk! 

Ema: I appreciate your additional ideas for locations in the area. I might have to make a day of it. I was gifted with a free greenhouse when I moved. It does have lighting, but the previous owner must have taken the extension lead with them. However, they were kind enough to leave the hole drilled through the kitchen doorframe. It took me a while to figure out why it was there in the first place, haha.

Thanks again for your thoughts, folks.

Regards