Chillies - growing and overwintering 2019

[Scarlet]

Nooooooooo. Not my babies. No. The aphids are back though. I see there is no chance of frost in the next few days, so I'll give them a good dose of soapy neem and leave them outside for while.

Good luck with it it may be painful to bin but it's not as bad as losing a year growing if you can't get rid of them now.
I've been there and done it. A greenhouse full of aphids is unmanageable.

[Scarlet]

Hi,

I have just spent my morning at work reading this thread and have found it very interesting and informative so thank you.

This is my first year growing anything. I have purchased what I have been advised I need at first, including a heated propagator and am looking forward to get going. I am unsure of what I will do once the seeds have germinated. I was told to re-pot them and place them in a plastic grow house however I am unsure if these are any good.

Hi Ben, welcome to the vine!
If you have read this thread I'm sure you are half way to knowing what to do we all do things a little different, there's no right or wrong way just follow the advice that suits you best.

Chillies need warmth, so you start them in your prop, take them out once they have germinated and carry on growing on the sunniest window indoors. They cannot go out until your last frost is forecast.
I've only ever started seedlings in one of those plastic growhouses. I'm not sure it's worth spending the money on one to be honest. They cook plants in the Summer...and one possibly won't be big enough...and they can blow away, taking plants with them.
Mitzi grows outside with success. Mine go in a unheated greenhouse in May. You should be ok in a sheltered spot outdoors? Where about a are you? You will have more luck down south
Whatever you decide to do remember that they need to stay inside until it's warm enough outdoors for them to survive.

[IainM]

Good luck with it it may be painful to bin but it's not as bad as losing a year growing if you can't get rid of them now.
I've been there and done it. A greenhouse full of aphids is unmanageable.

I know you're right, but I just don't have the heart to throw them away. I'll just keep neeming them, and the seedlings if needs be. This might just be a lesson I have to learn the hard way.

[Small pumpkin]

Hi,

I have just spent my morning at work reading this thread and have found it very interesting and informative so thank you.

This is my first year growing anything. I have purchased what I have been advised I need at first, including a heated propagator and am looking forward to get going. I am unsure of what I will do once the seeds have germinated. I was told to re-pot them and place them in a plastic grow house however I am unsure if these are any good.

I have had the following chilli and pepper seeds purchased for me as a gift:

Cayenne,
Jalepeno,
Serrano,
Habenero
Californian Wonder,
D'asti Giallo

I have also purchased Carolina Reaper seeds when visiting the House of Chilli whilst on holiday on the Isle of Wight recently. Saw them and impulse kicked in.

Nice list to get you started on your chilli growing obsession. it soon will be, if it's not already . As you've already been impulse buying reaper seeds I'd say your obsession is well on the way .
You're not going to go far wrong if you listen to our Scarlet. I've learned lots.

[Small pumpkin]

Trying to whittle-down the list this year to make sure everything can be put under cover if needs be.
I can't expect a summer like 2018 every year!

Cayenne
Biquinho Red, Yellow
Telica and/or Tam Jalapeno
Lemon Drop
Something purple/black

Probably going to order 4 from Sea Spring Plants as well: Submarine, Turtle Claw, Trinity and Hamik (sweet pepper)
Growing several other sweet pepper varieties but this isn't the thread for that.

Has anyone had any experience of growing 'Palivec'? It looks like it might be a good one to use in curries.

For black chilli I'm a fan of Hungarian black. They start black and ripen to a dark red. Really nice flavour when ripe.
Not grown palivac. Just had a Google, it does look nice. But all chillies will go well in a curry. If they're hot ones don't use a whole one or cook the with a whole one and take it out at the end so you don't actually eat it.

[benb89]

Hi Ben, welcome to the vine!
If you have read this thread I'm sure you are half way to knowing what to do we all do things a little different, there's no right or wrong way just follow the advice that suits you best.

Chillies need warmth, so you start them in your prop, take them out once they have germinated and carry on growing on the sunniest window indoors. They cannot go out until your last frost is forecast.
I've only ever started seedlings in one of those plastic growhouses. I'm not sure it's worth spending the money on one to be honest. They cook plants in the Summer...and one possibly won't be big enough...and they can blow away, taking plants with them.
Mitzi grows outside with success. Mine go in a unheated greenhouse in May. You should be ok in a sheltered spot outdoors? Where about a are you? You will have more luck down south
Whatever you decide to do remember that they need to stay inside until it's warm enough outdoors for them to survive.

Brilliant, thank you. I probably wont bother purchasing one then. I have a few windows suitable so will keep them there until later in the year. I am in Berkshire, not to far from Windsor/Slough. Im prepared for some disappointments and looking forward to learning as I go along.

[dave_100]

Brilliant, thank you. I probably wont bother purchasing one then. I have a few windows suitable so will keep them there until later in the year. I am in Berkshire, not to far from Windsor/Slough. Im prepared for some disappointments and looking forward to learning as I go along.

I'm in Berkshire too, and growing in 2019 for the first time. We can be competing newbies!

[rambleberry]

For black chilli I'm a fan of Hungarian black. They start black and ripen to a dark red. Really nice flavour when ripe.
Not grown palivac. Just had a Google, it does look nice. But all chillies will go well in a curry. If they're hot ones don't use a whole one or cook the with a whole one and take it out at the end so you don't actually eat it.

Yeah, I've used the 'seasoning'/'spice' types I've been growing with lots of success; I suppose what I mean is, 'Palivec' looks more ..er, vegetabley?!, so it would add more substance as well as flavour to a dish, maybe? Anaheim worked nicely for that last year, but I only got about 4 fruit from one plant. Was verrry nice roasted, though; the skins just fell-off!

Palivec rings a bell, I think Trip Grows that?

Feel free to discuss peppers here too! They need to be treated much the same I think.

As for a black one - Royal black is lovely. Iverwinters well and only grows about 2ft so perfect if you think you may be running out of space.

Oh great, I'll add what sweet peppers I'm growing as well, then

Thanks both for the black chilli recommendations, I'll go have a read-up on them.

[Deano's "Diggin It"]

Here's how I do mine!


Sow 5 seeds in each cell............

Into the heated prop situated by the Dining Room French Doors.........much to my OH's amusement.......Not!.............

Once Popped......... under the lights in the loft to come on a little further, pot on individually into 9 cell trays



A few weeks later................... Harden off n plant out!

Jobs a "Good Un!)

[toomanytommytoes]

Yeah, I've used the 'seasoning'/'spice' types I've been growing with lots of success; I suppose what I mean is, 'Palivec' looks more ..er, vegetabley?!, so it would add more substance as well as flavour to a dish, maybe?

Grew Palivec last year. Fruits got up to ~6 inches and curved. Nice taste, a bit like a sweet pepper, and not too hot (perhaps similar to a jalapeno). The heat is mostly further up the fruit, where the seeds are. Will be growing again this year.

[rambleberry]

Grew Palivec last year. Fruits got up to ~6 inches and curved. Nice taste, a bit like a sweet pepper, and not too hot (perhaps similar to a jalapeno). The heat is mostly further up the fruit, where the seeds are. Will be growing again this year.

Well that sounds ideal. I might give that one a go!

[Mitzi]

I have a question about Havana Gold. I�ve seen it described as �all the habanero flavour but only half the heat.� So I assumed it was a chinense. However, having sown it, I�ve now looked it up online and although the pictures vary from pale yellow to deep orange, they all look more like baccatums than chinenses, and it is defined as such in some sites / catalogues. So, assuming it�s a baccatum, how on earth can it have �habanero flavour�? Admittedly I�ve only tasted a limited selection of baccatums but all of those have had a quite different flavour � more fruity and fresh tasting � than habaneros or any other chinenses I have tasted. It can�t possibly have habanero flavour, can it?

Chrissieteacup, any thoughts? And has anyone else grown it who can comment?

[andypagett]

Hi everyone!

First post on here so hope a question is OK!

Have always been excited by chillies and last year we were lucky to take on an allotment which had on it a 3m x 6m polytunnel. I had some chilli seeds for Christmas (Scotch Bonnet, Cayenne and Jalapeno) which I sowed into propagators on an upstairs south facing windowsill in the middle of February. They germinated with great results, and I ended up with some great chilli flakes, pickled jalapenos and scotch bonnet sweet chilli sauce at the end of the year. This year I've gone a bit daft and bought the following:

Orange Habanero
Chocolate Habanero
Johnson's Carribean Blend
Lemon Drop
Lancer
Jalapeno
Sivri Biber (Turkish mild pepper)
2 x variety sweet pepper
2 x variety bell pepper

I wanted to be a bit more organised this year, so wondered when I could start sowing them, particularly the hotter ones, so any advice greatly welcome!

I have heated and unheated propagators, and a warm upstairs room with a large south facing windowsill. After that I have a heated (frost free) green house (where they lived in April and May last year) and their eventual place will be in a large unheated polytunnel (last year they moved in first week of June).

Thanks!

[Small pumpkin]

Hi everyone!

First post on here so hope a question is OK!

Have always been excited by chillies and last year we were lucky to take on an allotment which had on it a 3m x 6m polytunnel. I had some chilli seeds for Christmas (Scotch Bonnet, Cayenne and Jalapeno) which I sowed into propagators on an upstairs south facing windowsill in the middle of February. They germinated with great results, and I ended up with some great chilli flakes, pickled jalapenos and scotch bonnet sweet chilli sauce at the end of the year. This year I've gone a bit daft and bought the following:

Orange Habanero
Chocolate Habanero
Johnson's Carribean Blend
Lemon Drop
Lancer
Jalapeno
Sivri Biber (Turkish mild pepper)
2 x variety sweet pepper
2 x variety bell pepper

I wanted to be a bit more organised this year, so wondered when I could start sowing them, particularly the hotter ones, so any advice greatly welcome!

I have heated and unheated propagators, and a warm upstairs room with a large south facing windowsill. After that I have a heated (frost free) green house (where they lived in April and May last year) and their eventual place will be in a large unheated polytunnel (last year they moved in first week of June).

Thanks!

Welcome to the vine
You can sow your chilli seeds now in your heated propagator. You sound like you've got the perfect set up.
Nice selection of seeds you've got their.
Trust me when I say you haven't even started to go a bit daft........yet . Stick around a while you will
What you did last year sounds perfect do it again ( just starting some of your seeds a bit earlier). Most of us don't put any plants out into greenhouses/polytunnels until late May.
Feel free to ask as many questions as you like. We're all quite friendly. But one or two are a bit nuts!

[Scarlet]

^^^^ yes, Sp's the nutter

Welcome to the vine! I agree with SP, the super hots need a long season, especially the habs.