Big Jim Competition

[pigletwillie]

Were climbing up the board slowly and are now measuring 12cm. Shirl, I am right behind you.

[shirlthegirl43]

Well done to all the grapes on the board. It is great fun isn't it? The second chilli on my tiny plant has now caught up with the first one - hopefully it will now overtake everyone - however, I won't hold my breath

[Mrs Dobby]

Got to our plot last night for an hour after work, and the first thing we did was measure our Big Jim!

Yayyy!! It seems to have started to grow again!!!

Its now at 20.5cm, cant wait till I can get down for another peek, deffo gonna give it a bit more feed very soon now!

[Alice]

Were climbing up the board slowly and are now measuring 12cm. Shirl, I am right behind you.

You're climbing up the board RAPIDLY Piglet. We're now neck and neck - but mine have taken a week to get from 11cm to 12 cm. Oh well, whatever happens I haven't disgraced myself, and I do have plenty of cracking chillies - but the games not over.
Come on Alice's Big Jim

[Alison]

Mine aren't even big enough to bother putting on the board yet, only about an inch long but if I keep feeding and watering you never know!

[Alice]

Alison, you can put them on the board from 1cm. Oh please do. Plenty of competitors out there with nothing so another grape on the board would be wonderful.

[pigletwillie]

We are now at 16cm and still going slowly, but they are not ripening which is the best bit, they should carry on growing.

[Alice]

Mine seem to be stuck at 12 cms, but not ripening so maybe there is hope. There are so many of them all the same size so at least I will have a good crop of chillies. And plenty of flowers, so maybe another one will do it.
Might not be a competition winner, but will be a great chillie crop. I'll grow them again.

[shirlthegirl43]

I have one 15 cms, one 14 and one about 7 cms on a second plant. No other flowers. Can't say I am impressed with the crop but might just overwinter them and see if they do better next year. You never know, summer might be at Christmas this year!! Perhaps the world is turning upside down.

[Mrs Dobby]

Our largest has finally put on a spurt and grown a whole, wait for it, 0.5cm, to make it to 21cm, the other seems stuck at 19cm, but the third which only showed recently is already at 15cm, and more flowers have now appeared, so still time for it to come good! None of them are suffering with the rot we had earlier in the year (fingers crossed) or seem to be showing any signs of changing colour yet, so if we get a bit of sunshine and warmth they may well grow some more yet! Hopefully!

[Alice]

You're doing brilliant Mrs D. Our hopes are placed on you for a "place" for a grape. I've got a great crop of big Jims, the weight of the plant is such I can hardly keep it upright - but size where it matters (length in this case) No !
But have got flowers , so maybe !

[Mrs Dobby]

Seems that they arent going to grow any bigger now, all of the ones on the greenhouse plant have started to colour, so gonna harvest them as soon as they are ripe!

The ones we've got in the kitchen window and the back garden are fruiting, but only about 5 to 9cm long, so hopefully they'll make some good eating!

Will post a piccy as soon as I get some taken!

[Alice]

Mine grew to 12cms then ripened so not going to be a conteder in the competition. But I did get plenty of them and they were big and fat so not disappointed with them. Have now got a late crop coming which look longer and thinner - so will wait and see. In the meantime you can see my fat ones.

[shirlthegirl43]

Those look lovely Alice.

We have eaten the biggest chilli I grew - it reached 15 or 16 cms. Tasted nice though!

I have others growing but don't think they will get anywhere near big enough in time for the end of the contest.

Mine have not been very big croppers. One plant has only produced 2 fruits

[Mrs Dobby]

Well, the chilliman challenge is over, we placed 10th in the world, second best in the uk, not bad for a first years growing! Congrats to all the other grapes who made it onto the leaderboard, I make it 9 of us out of 76 who posted a chilli length, so not a bad result for the 'vine overall then!