Hello there from deepest darkest Yorkshire

[Caireen147]

My name is Caireen. I'm 37 years old and have my own allotment. Due to working full time, I don't have a great deal of spare time but whenever I do I enjoy spending it on my allotment. With the weather this year, its been quite difficult growing a great deal of stuff. My courgettes are doing well. Have opted for the round ones this year and have just pulled up my first set of onions this year.. Tomatoes are waiting to ripen. Leeks doing good and just had my first set of spuds. They were left overs from last year that I'd thrown into the compost heap and forgotton about. The end result was fab plants and mutant spuds. My real love is growing chillies. The hotter the better. Am experimenting with Bhut jolokia this year and they are just starting to fruit. In addition I have some hydroponic (experimental) habeneros that are just fruiting. Would love to hear from anyone who fancies a chat

[gooseberry]

Hi Caireen with ref to chillies what a disaster i've had with mine planted' Bhut jolokia' scotch bonner' hot wax' and baby red.The only one you could say was showing any signs of producing fruit is hot wax the scotch bonnet just did'nt bother i've 2 bhut jolokia in a miserable state and 3 baby red starting to flower all in greenhouse must have done something wrong along the way.All info gratefully recieved

[yoanbob]

Hi caireen, welcome to the mad house, where abouts is your lottie? we are growing jalepeno, twilight, and a couple of others I forget the names, the only ones fruiting so far are the jalepenos.

[Caireen147]

Growing Chilli's

Hi there.

Thanks for replying. This is my fifth year of chilli growing with varying degrees of sucess. I've had more luck actually growing chilli plants indoors, particularly with the dubious weather we've been having.

The hotter varieties tend to like a more stable growing temp. I always start them off in a heated propergator and then put half the crop in green house and keep the rest indoors. My indoor lot are thriving at the moment and producing a lot of fruit. I feed them with a general tomato feed as soon as they start flowering and hand pollinate them. One thing to watch though is they cross pollinate so its quite tricky to keep the varieties pure.

It'll be interesting to see what the Bhut Jolikia are like. I've heard rumours that you need to wear goggles and gloves before even touching the fruit.

[Caireen147]

My allotment is in Ossett near Wakefield. Its my third year and I love it. Just wish I had a bit more time to spend there. I share it with my mum and dad so it gives us some quality time together.
Its been quite a tough year so far this year with the weather etc but we're all persevering.

[dandy]

Hi Caireen

I'm from Eastmoor in Wakey so not all that far away from you really.

[Maf]

Hi Caireen. I'm in highest Yorkshire.

Was interested in your Hydroponic experiment. I bought some HP gear this year but was too busy to grow 'owt' with it.

Are you using NFT ? DIY ?

Please tell more.

[Rhona]

Hi Caireen, we're in slightly hilly Yorkshire.

Nice to hear about your lottie. I haven't tried chilies this year due to many previous (failed) attempts. I thought I'd give myself a year off!

Also good to hear about the Hydroponics - I only heard of this method very recently and thought it sounded interesting.

Welcome anyway!

[Anna]

Hi all
I'm new to all this, would love to have own allotment but just been growing a very few things in my little garden in Huddersfield for the last couple of years. I have a monster bramble that gives loads of fruit most years, rhubarb, have done herbs & salad stuff before, one (!) self-seeded raspberry cane & have grown a few tomatoes this year.
Until I can get an allotment - could be years! - what can I grow in a small space? We like most fruit & veg & I'd like the kids to do their two penn'orth to help!
Would love to hear from anyone else in Huddersfield, too.

Anna

[Caireen147]

Hi

Sorry I've been ages responding. Lack of PC I'm afraid. I'm using 2 methods of hydroponics. I bought my friends daughter a hydrogarden toy and decided to try it out first. Its basically a wick mechanism which consists of a nutrient tray, a cotton strip and growing medium (vermiculite etc) The concept is simple. The nutrient is placed in the tray and is soaked up into the growing medium by the cotton strip. I'm growing habenero chillis in that and they're doing really well. Got about 100 fruit so far and have not had to use any additonal light and heat other that natural light etc it receives from sitting on my window sill
The other hydroponic system is an all in one system called the Aerogarden which you can purchase from the intranet for about £90 - £100. Its a complete kit and comes with lights etc. I love this system as it is so easy to use and you just top up the nutrients when required. I'm growing habeneros and fatalli chillis in this at the moment and the plants are amazing. They're just starting to flower. I'd definately recommend giving hyroponics a go especially with all they rubbish weather. It also limits the amount of bugs etc that you can get.

[Two_Sheds]

Hi Caireen,
My first red chilli has just appeared, yay! (Cayenne, from ShirltheGirl).
I've been getting lots of yellow Inferno (from RustyLady) too.
I want to grow lots more in '09, here's praying for sunny weather.

[Caireen147]

After months of waiting, I've finally picked my first bhut jolokia and it was hot hot hot. Have only had the smallest of slivers and it felt like I was swallowing fire. Spent the rest of the evening trying to cool down.

Have made quite a fiery sauce with habeneros and small amount of bhut jolokia so far. Hydro chillis doing fab. Good thing about those is I don't need the sun. x

[T-lady]

Hi Caireen, nice to meet you.

We're a little more south and east somewhere off the M18. Haven't got an allotment but have got a largish plot in the garden. Love growing chillies in the greenhouse but tend to grow more than I know what to do with.

Picked my first 'Lemon Drop' last night and then seriously regretted tasting it (bravada moment - OH nibbled it so I scoffed it - BIG mistake!)

Any chance of you posting the recipe for your fiery sauce?

[FROSTYFRECKLE]

Hi Caireen,

I'm further North than you. As a fellow newbie can I recommend the Seed Swapping forum, just got hold of Peppadew Pepper seeds (from Tricia), trying to grow more peppers/chillies. Next year will be growing Chocolate Peppers - "meant" to be easier to grow in our British Climate. But be warned seed swapping is sooooo addictive. Hope you enjoy the site as much as I do

[Jamie Butterworth]

Hi there, I am also from wakefield with my allotment (grandmas garden) in horburary, so I am pretty close to you