Bringing on Chilli Pepper Seedlings

[JBFUK]

Hi,

I'm starting off some chilli pepper plans indoors before it gets warm enough for them to go in the greenhouse in a couple of months. I'm starting them off in a small tent with a T5 grow light and a met mat to keep things warm and help germination.

Initially I've started the seeds in a small propagator inside the tent. Seeds germinated quite quickly. This morning I removed the propogator lid and raised the seed tray up closer to the light to try and prevent the seedlings from stretching and getting all weak/leggy. 3-4 hours later I checked back on them and have found all the seedlings have wilted and fallen over.



I have given them some water and popped the propagator lid back on for now while leaving them raised closer to the light.

Any ideas what my problem is? Temperature in the tent is around 27-28'c. I would prefer it to be a little lower but it's difficult to regulate as the heat mat is either on or off.

[the big lebowski]

mine did the same when i took the lid off ,i think it might be due to the change in the moisture in the air when you take the lid off ,i just repotted mine and they are doing fine ,cheers

[JBFUK]

Thanks. I have removed the lid again - will see what happens to them hopefully they recover.

[Alison]

They do look very wet, had you just watered them?

[JBFUK]

They do look very wet, had you just watered them?

Yes I gave them some water just before I took the picture to try and perk them up and raise humidity in the tent.

[Scarlet]

I don't have lights so I'm not much help ...hopefully someone with grow lights will see this and give you some answers based on experience.

Although i think if the temps are 27 I would keep the lid off. Probably they were a little shocked and they flopped but should have perked up now. I would be careful watering from the top, those leaves with water on could get damaged with the lights being close.

Not sure on the set up you've got but when my seeds have germinated I take them off the heat. Can you just keep the lights on with no heat? The house should be warm enough to grow them on.

[JBFUK]

Just the one propagation tent for germinating and starting them off. Will re-pot and move to the windowsill as soon as they have a second set of leaves on them.

I am considering getting something larger to grow them on in as that would potentially mean I can grow chilies in the winter too

[sparrow100]

I have growlights and my chilli seedlings come out of the heated propagator and go under lights as soon as they've germinated. Mine don't need heat to thrive, just lots of light. They get 12 hours under the lights and as much as possible when they get bigger and I chuck them onto the windowsill. The early Feb sown ones are 6inches high now.

[JBFUK]

Do you top them? Where to they go when they are past windowsill size?

[Scarlet]

I am considering getting something larger to grow them on in as that would potentially mean I can grow chilies in the winter too

Generally when you bring your chillies indoors they go through dormancy as the weather turns. They will drop their leaves etc and when the daylight hours start to lengthen with start to green back up. I manage to overwinter several chillies most years and usually have some very good crops without the use of lights. Mine usually spend the days in the GH in late April through May and come June are in there all day.

[Scarlet]

You might find this thread interesting
http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...ing_88223.html

[JBFUK]

Thanks that sounds like good advice.

My chillies were a disaster last year. My Anchos and Serranos produced nothing (were in the greenhouse all summer but think I started them off too late), cayenne produced one chilli. The only plants that went well were my Prarie Fires (my favourite) which produced lots of fruit. Managed to keep one alive over winter on the kitchen window sill. Have just given it a prune, will re-pot with some fresh soil and hope it produces well again this year.

I think part of the problem I had may also have been that my tomatoes got out of hand and hogged most of the light in the greenhouse. That and perhaps it got too hot in there.

Learning is all part of the fun I guess.

[sparrow100]

Do you top them? Where to they go when they are past windowsill size?

I keep them indoors till night temps are reliably over 10C, just in bigger pots as needed, then they go in the greenhouse. I pinch them out when they get to about a foot high and I don't let them flower till then. From the end of May some stay outside (padrons, serranos) and others go into the greenhouse border or shuffle in and out of the greenhouse in their pots, depending on how many I have.