[michelleh]

Hi Everyone,

Forgive my ignorance, this is my first year growing anything!!

As i was too late to sow from seed, I bought a chilli plant from my local nursery a few weeks ago.  It is about 35cm at present, is staked with a cane and in a 7 inch pot in my garden.  It has just started to show some yellow coloured buds but is looking a little droopy!!!

I have been reading websites including the bbc gardening one which says:
"When plants are 30cm tall, pinch the tops to make new branches.
Give high potash feed when first flowers show."

Could someone explain this to me please.  How do i pinch the tops?  What does this mean?  What is a high potash feed? Can i get it in Wilkos or similar?  Should i feed it now or when the buds open?

Thank you in advance for your advice, I know you lot know everything!

[daveinbracknell]

Hi Michelle,

I also grew plug plants this year from Thompson and Morgan, I have not pinched out my plants and they are very bushy and about 2ft tall, I have also read on here not to pinch out the bushes.

I feed my Chillis with the same tomato feed as I do my tom's, it is a NPK fertiliser (Just check out a typical organic tomato feed) it will do.

Droopy could be a number of things, over watering, not enough watering, natural behaviour, could you post a picture?

Yellow coloured buds, did it flower? I had these after my chilli had flowered but not polinated, it was just dropping off, has your chilli flowered?

Finally what kind of chilli is it?

Dave

[agapanthus]

It is a bit late to sow seeds now. It sounds as if it needs putting in a much larger pot. Some people take the tops out and some don't. I do when I remember but normally when the plant is a lot small. They also need feeding with a high potash feed (tomato feed is good) about once a week.

[gobs]

High potash feed is a tomato feed, for example. Contrary to BBC gardening advice of uselessness you do not want to use it till fruit set naturally.

Also, you don't want to pinch out, leave alone.

Have you re-potted them after buying? That might need doing.

[michelleh]

Hi,

No flowers yet - just about 5/6 yellow buds have just appeared.  

I will buy tomato feed tomorrow and see if this helps with the droopiness! I have been watering almost every evening - is this too much?  

I have just re-potted into a bigger pot tonight.

Thanks for all your advice - should i steer clear of bbg gardening then??

Michelle

[gobs]

no, just double check gardening advice you get

[daveinbracknell]

Hi Michelle,

They could be the flower buds but mine where green, then flowered, went yellow if not pollinated, but if you have not had flowers yet they could be started.

Remember Chillis are typically from Hot places where they can get limited water, I water mine once every two days or so, the important thing is temperature. I gave my freind some chilli's I kept mine in my green house (Regularly gets to 30C currently) and they rocketed up like i said about 2-2.5 feet now and still growing variety is Chilli Apache and Giant Jalapeno, been growing since march) my scotch bonnet is really slow.

 My friends have barely pased a foot, his scotch bonnet has barely grown from the plug.

Important thing Chillis hate cold wet roots, if they are outside and it is damp it could also be a problem, night time temps get down to about 8-9 degrees in Berkshire at the moment.

What variety are they?

Dave

[Sadgit]

I've got loads in 6in pots as I have ran out of anything larger now and cannot afford new pots
just hoping to get something from them... about 15 in 10inch pots and 15 in 6inch pots..

they sometimes go droopy for a day or 2 once re-potted.. well some of mine did/do. As already said the chilly night air can also do it

[purplebean]

I've got loads in 6in pots as I have ran out of anything larger now and cannot afford new pots

Have you tried Morrison's? 8 of their flower buckets for a £1, you should find them near the flowers,  when we can't see any we ask and they usually have some in the back. Often they are packaged up as 9 or 10, either someone can't count or doesn't care    Hubby has drilled holes in the bottom and none of them have split.

I daren't tell you how many I have bought  :shock:

[Sadgit]

8 for 1 whole pound?? seriously?

[purplebean]

8 for 1 whole pound?? seriously?

Yes. They have special containers to hold the flowers that are for sale so they have no use for the black buckets that they arrive in hence they sell them. They have two sizes we always try to get the bigger ones. They even have special tape to stick them together that says "8 for £1" on it

Shhhh don't tell but I have over 100 now  :shock:  

[Sadgit]

Holy cow... I will be popping in tonight on the way home, IF they do this deal near me.. thanks for the brilliant tip.

Cheers

[Big Jen]

I bought 8 for 99p at Morrisons in Coventry on Saturday, they had loads of them. I had the 8 inch ones but there were some much bigger ones as well. Should have bought more for next year as well.  

[rugbymad40]

Don't pinch the tops out, grow them in large pots and water only every other day.  Spray the leaves and flowers in the evening with a fine mist water spray to help set flowers and create a humidity the next day.  If you find fruits not setting take a fine small paint brush and aid pollenation by pushing the brush into flowers to collect pollen and then transfering it to other flowers.

I have three different varieties  of chilli (2 plants per cultivar), ten Capsicums and six long roasting pepper plants.  Chillies in the greenhouse, Capsicums in one coldframe and the roasting peppers on the sunny side of the green house (outside).

At present all are doing reasonably well.

Enjoy yours

Rugbymad40

[michelleh]

I'm not sure what variety they are - the label at the nursery just said "Chillies"!  Not very helpful I know.

They are less droopy today (maybe the re-potting helped)!

So if i have yellow flowers, does this mean they are not pollinated and will not bear me anything??  

I thought growing my own would be lot simpler than it is turning out!!  My questions may seem dense, but when you dont know, you just dont know!!

I have been watering almost every night so will try to limit myself with the hose!!  I dont have a greenhouse but bought a plastic "hot house" from B&Q.  Should i put the plant in there??  I did try it in there when i first bought but it didn't look very happy (V V droopy).  

PS  Good tip about Morrisons - will be popping in there next time i'm passing!

Michelle