[Loftuz]

Just wondering if there any chilli lovers on this forum? I've been growing chillies now for around 4 years with some success.
I'm really into supper hot chillies such as the Bhut Jolkia and the Spanish naga.
I'm late sowing my seeds this year. Normally start the Chinese varieties off in January to give a long growing season.
Anyone got any advice that might come in handy?

[sunshineband]

Make sure the seedlings get enought light at this time in the year, so that they do not etiolated


There are elots of members who grow chillis so I expect there will be lots of advice  

[Yana]

I grow chillies each year Loftuz, but have had differing success. I don't go for the really hot ones, I much prefer to have ones of differing shapes, sizes and colours.
I start them off in January, staggering the sowing over a few weeks (put some in the propagator earlier this week), and the when big enough to transplant, use the polystyrene trays from Potty Innovations as this insulates them and keeps them warmer indoors. They go onto a really well lit windowsill, turned every day (but i also put foil behind the trays so any sunlight is reflected and this helps stop the plants bending) and then transplanted to individual pots when about 4" high. When the weather warms up, into the greenhouse and final pots on the staging or into the soil in the greenhouse.
Last year wasn't that good, maybe lack of sunlight. The year before was amazing. I have never tried over wintering chillies, but by all accounts this can be done.
That's my experience.

[surbie100]

There's lots of advice on chillies on here - try the search button while you're in the grow your own section.

I don't grow super hot either, because I can't eat them, but my seeds are now going in the propagator (lemon drop and chenzo for me and habanero for a friend) and I'll be doing the same as Yana, with the exception that I don't have a greenhouse so they go on a north-facing balcony. I grew chenzos last year for the first time and they were fantastic - more chillies than I knew what to do with.

[Daamoot]

I started growing chillis last year so you would have more advice than I.  I was so impressed by the amount of cayenne peppers I got from 3 plants on my kitchen windowsil (even though greenfly infestation annoyed me) that I've collected a variety of types to try this year.  Sowed one Carribean Red Habanero so far which is about 5mm high and hoping there's enough light for it to keep growing.  Will sow some orange habs and jalapenos later in the month but need a greenhouse before I can increase production to more than 3 plants.  I love spice so can't wait to have an abundance of home grown chillis for drying, cooking and making jam with

[compostqueen]

The orange habs are absolutely blisteringly red hot, not just on the tongue but on your skin!!  You can end up in hospital just handling them without gloves, so don't say I didn't warn you. They're 40 times hotter than a standard habanero

I love chillies and grow all manner of wierd and wonderful ones. Lemon Drops are useful in the kitchen and will grow prolifically and easily. Best frozen as they keep their colour which is lost on drying.

I've not sown any yet this year.  What to choose    Another hot one which is full of seed which can be saved is the Serbian (or somewhere in that neck of the woods) is Biala Shipka. These can be dried easily and seem to get even hotter. Sheesh 

[LeeR]

Well I do grow a few different habanero types and I've already started these indoors in a heated propagator set to 28 C.  I also use a 250W cfl light that's on a timer to give them 12 hours of good light once they have germinated.  I've found the habanero chillies need to be started about mid January, but you'll still get fruit if you start now.  Once we get a bit more day light hours I'll put them in my greenhouse in a different heated propagator.  That will give me room to start of my other chillies types indoors.   I've done this for about six years and I've always had good results even with difficult to grow chillies.   Most habaneros' can be very, very hot, one will go a long way, but I love the almost fruity taste.

[compostqueen]

The orange ones are intensely fruity.  They grow large almost like a small sweet pepper. I managed to mix them up with some orange sweet peppers and that mistake cost me dear    My labelling has improved since 

I like the Thai Purple Tiger. It's a lovely looking pot plant as well as being edible. The cayennes are a doddle and I make my own pepper with those.  I grew Elephant's Trunks last year but they're not hot at all. The small Menorca chillies are dead easy to grow too but they are surprisingly hot 

[GrannieAnnie]

I think the person on here who has the most chilli expderience is Aidy, but we don't see quite so much of him chatting about chillies lately.

I've been growing chillies for around 7 years.  My first one was an Apache chilli plant that I bought at a local nursery.  It did really well so I decided to save the seeds from one of the chillies to grow my own.

Didn't know anything about F1's at the time, but we learn don't we?    The chillies from those plants looked like apaches but were much bigger, but as I don't count myself a connes expert at chilli growing, it didn't matter how they turned out as long as they grew! 

Like Yana, I don't like my chillies too hot, so am happy with the few varieties I grow, like the cayenne, lemon drop, pretty in purple, can't think of the others at the moment.

[agapanthus]

I think the person on here who has the most chilli expderience is Aidy, but we don't see quite so much of him chatting about chillies lately.

I've been growing chillies for around 7 years.  My first one was an Apache chilli plant that I bought at a local nursery.  It did really well so I decided to save the seeds from one of the chillies to grow my own.

Didn't know anything about F1's at the time, but we learn don't we?    The chillies from those plants looked like apaches but were much bigger, but as I don't count myself a connes expert at chilli growing, it didn't matter how they turned out as long as they grew! 

You haven't got any spare Lemon Drop seeds have you Annie....pretty please? 

Like Yana, I don't like my chillies too hot, so am happy with the few varieties I grow, like the cayenne, lemon drop, pretty in purple, can't think of the others at the moment.

[AndyRVTR]

I grew my first lot of jalapeno's last year with great success, I only had two plants but managed to get chilli's around 3" long and 1"wide, there was enough to pickle 8 large jars.
I got the seeds from the 'GYO pass the parcel' that's doing the rounds at the moment, I cant remember who they were off, but they tasted amazing, not too hot, but with a good kick!
Cant wait to grow more again this year!

[Sparkyrog]

I grew my first lot of jalapeno's last year with great success, I only had two plants but managed to get chilli's around 3" long and 1"wide, there was enough to pickle 8 large jars.
I got the seeds from the 'GYO pass the parcel' that's doing the rounds at the moment, I cant remember who they were off, but they tasted amazing, not too hot, but with a good kick!
Cant wait to grow more again this year!

Anyone got any spare Habs seed happy to pay postage

[surbie100]

Anyone got any spare Habs seed happy to pay postage

Think I might have some - I'll have a rummage at home.

[GrannieAnnie]

I think the person on here who has the most chilli expderience is Aidy, but we don't see quite so much of him chatting about chillies lately.

I've been growing chillies for around 7 years.  My first one was an Apache chilli plant that I bought at a local nursery.  It did really well so I decided to save the seeds from one of the chillies to grow my own.

Didn't know anything about F1's at the time, but we learn don't we?    The chillies from those plants looked like apaches but were much bigger, but as I don't count myself a connes expert at chilli growing, it didn't matter how they turned out as long as they grew! 

You haven't got any spare Lemon Drop seeds have you Annie....pretty please? 

Like Yana, I don't like my chillies too hot, so am happy with the few varieties I grow, like the cayenne, lemon drop, pretty in purple, can't think of the others at the moment.

I think you got swallowed up there Aggy! lol  I'll have a look to see what I've got, but if I do they will be about 3 years old.  I'm still using the  last lot of seeds from then!   

[Dai]

Last year i grew Apachi F1's, put 11 seeds in a big pot on the windowsill and they all germinated! I kept 5 plants and gave the rest away. unfortunately they got to tall from lack of light.

I just planted 20 Lemon Drop chillis in seed trays in a propagator with B&Q verve seed compost with some vermiculite mixed in. they are in a south facing upstairs windowsill at the moment but im a bit worried that they wont get the heat needed to germinate.

Oh well, time will tell i suppose.