Sowing Chillies

[lynsey.a]

Hi,

Ive just made an order which included a variety of chilli seeds! My books all say sow jan-feb. and that They can usually be overwintered (depending on species?).
So, i was wondering if there would be an advantage in sowing them just now (heated propegator) to give them a good head start on building themselves up? Or would they go all leggy on my windowsill and be rubbish by next year!

Thanks,
Lynsey.

[FionaH]

I would leave it till Jan or Feb

[Newton]

Unless you have a light box and heater propoagtor set up you are better to wait till feb. I planted mine 5 feb this year and they been very successful.

If you grow them with lights you will probably get a knock on the door from her majesties constabulary too!

[Two_Sheds]

Yes they will go all leggy. You may well keep them warm, but they need daylight and lots of it. It's a struggle in Jan/Feb, in Nov you're on a hiding to nothing with the days getting shorter and shorter

[northepaul]

Its best, as others have said, to wait until Jan or Feb, when its that little bit lighter....the if they do well over the summer next year, you could try overwintering them.

[The Large One]

iv'e been tempted with this lightbox growing

as above, i'll be starting first week in Feb 2012 and going full pelt next year

[northepaul]

I always sow mine at the end of Jan....and get good results.

[BarleySugar]

I've posted a couple of times about using day light energy saving bulbs to grow chillies. I lined my under eaves cupboard with silver stuff that goes behind the radiators to reflect the light. I sowed some last Oct under lights, and since May they have been on my bedroom windowsill. The lemon drops reach to the top of the window, and are still producing ripe chillies, OH says they are hotter than last year. I've also got peach habanero, Chocolate habanero and scotch bonnet on there, still flowering, with fruit coming. I do pollinate them by hand, and not all set fruit, but they have been better than the ones open pollinated in the GH. I don't know how long they will keep going for as they only have the light from the window at the moment.
I grew 90 plants last year, the ones for outside were sown at the beginning of Feb as I wouldn't have space to grow too many to maturity in the cupboard, although some of my early ones did set fruit quite happily in there. No knocks on the door yet, but Kissykit did get worried about the research I did before setting up my little grow house, especially with me being a teacher.

[The Large One]

i'm tempted, really tempted but maybe next year, i'll have a search on the vine for more info
i have been following the guy from the hippy seed co in Oz on twitter as he grows early with lights and i know of a compnay not far from me who does all the kit and hydroponic set ups also this could be an expensive hobby but SWMBO keeps asking what i want for (the time of year we shall not mention yet)

[Two_Sheds]

I grow enough chillies for us without resorting to lights & winter heat. Sow in early Feb, keep harvesting well into the autumn