Question for chilli-heads

[Caro]

Hi everyone,

I had a go at chillies for the first time last year, and grew some razzamatazz and some cayenne. They produced fruits, which ripened and I was thrilled. However, they were all very mild, which I gather can be a result of over-watering.

But, I tried to minimise watering, and often only watered when the plant appeared to be wilting and I was scared I would lose it. Could there be another reason?

I'm raring to go this season, and have some over-wintered razzamatazz, and will have various (too many) new varieties. Slightly later than planned, but had a neighbour-watering disaster when I had a week holiday in Feb

I would love advice to help me get gorgeously hot chillies this year.

Many thanks

[vicky]

The riper they are the hotter they should be - ie leave them to go red
Also if they're stressed they 'should' be hotter - so over or under watering - maybe you are really tolerant to the heat and need to grow hotter varieties?

[teakdesk]

Start the plants as soon as possible and leave the fruit on the plants as long as possible - don't pick them as soon as they go red, leave them for longer and they will go a darker red and wrinkle slightly.

I don't grow the hotter types of chilli but last year I brought some plants inside when the greenhouse got cold and didn't pick the fruits until Christmas... I'm a curry lover but dare I say they are too hot to use? I normally put two chillis into a curry but can only use half (or less) of these chillis!!

I often eat fresh green chillis raw from the plant but I ate a piece the size of an onion seed of these deep red chillis and ruined my mouth for the evening!!

[Caro]

The riper they are the hotter they should be - ie leave them to go red
Also if they're stressed they 'should' be hotter - so over or under watering - maybe you are really tolerant to the heat and need to grow hotter varieties?

Nope, I'm not particularly immune to the heat from chillies

I'll try to keep an eye on my watering this year, and let them ripen as long as possible.

Could it be lack of nutrients, needing a bigger pot, anything like that?

[blito]

With mine, i just save seeds from ripe supermarket bought Jalapenos and get them going in pots on windowsills in feb. Fruits are always very fiesty, even when fresh and green, regardless of how much/how little watering I do! Perhaps you could try hotter varieties if heat is an issue to you?

[coreopsis]

Caro,are you going to p**s off you chillies then?

[Buleste]

Have you tried using Chilli Focus? It's a feed specifically for Chillies.

[HotStuff]

Have you tried using Chilli Focus? It's a feed specifically for Chillies.

I tried that last year, I gave some plants Chilli Focus and the others normal tomato food, I saw no appreciable difference.

Caro, if you grow Nagas you won't be disappointed

Also, here is a link you may find interesting:

Grow Hotter Peppers

[Caro]

Caro,are you going to p**s off you chillies then?

Probably, when they get under-watered this year!

It's not that I must have hugely hot chillies, it's just that the ones i grew were so mild you had to chew on a seed to get a hint of heat. Not much different from sweet peppers really.

Thanks for the tips. I'll check out the link properly and see what it suggests.

As some of you mention feeding, it makes me think perhaps I didn't do enough of that last year. Almost none.

Must do better!