Potting on chillies

[mrbadexample]

Evening all.

I'm just checking before I prick out & pot on my chillies - do I plant them up to the seed leaves? I know toms like to be nice and deep, but wasn't sure on the chilli front.

Thanks,
MBE

[Plot103]

I'm just checking before I prick out & pot on my chillies - do I plant them up to the seed leaves? I know toms like to be nice and deep, but wasn't sure on the chilli front.

I hope so, as it is what I have done with all of mine!

[Lotsaveg]

I normally just make sure the roots are well down in the pot but seed leaves are not touching the compost surface. Most chillies produce quite a woody stem so are very different to tomato.

[zazen999]

I bury the seed leaves and plant up to the first set of leaves.

[Incy]

I bury the seed leaves and plant up to the first set of leaves.

So do I and sometimes even further if they have got rather leggy.
Like tomatoes, chillies will put out additional roots from the stems.

[mrbadexample]

I might try a bit of both, just to be on the safe side.

[plymouthred]

Growing my first ever chillies in a heated propagator in seed trays whereas I planted 5 seeds in each (Exotica Red & Cobra G4) and 3 seeds have germinated in each

My question is do I repot now in 3" pots OR wait until the first set of 'true' leaves have appeared OR wait even longer? I have lifted the lid and took that off and they seem happy in the warm kitchen near the window

[rustylady]

If they have germinated then remove the lid or they'll rot. How big are your seed trays? I would wait at least until they have true leaves before potting them on.

[MrsDaffy]

As soon as my chillies sprout I put them into separate 6cm pots and then grow till the roots come out of the bottom and then pot them into slightly bigger pots. I'm sure I read some where that chillies like to get a bit pot bound so you shouldn't make a big jump in pot size when potting on.

[Chocolate8me]

Whilst we are on the subject of chillis, the weather is due to change up north by 10 degrees less than it has been (that's summer over then!) & I'm wondering if I should leave my chilli seedlings in the greenhouse or bring into the house as I know they like the warmth?

Our house is quite chilly though & the only warm place is the airing cupboard but I think they need light at this stage.

I really don't want them to die as it's my first year & everything is doing rather well so far.

[kizkiz]

As soon as my chillies sprout I put them into separate 6cm pots and then grow till the roots come out of the bottom and then pot them into slightly bigger pots. I'm sure I read some where that chillies like to get a bit pot bound so you shouldn't make a big jump in pot size when potting on.

I know a guy on a chilli forum who pots seedlings into 6" pots, then straight into builders buckets.
This year he has planted a seed direct in a bucket to see how it goes. The seedling is up, but still early days.
He produces thousands of pods every year
Not that i reccomend quite such a jump. lol

[Pa Snips]

Rather than start a new thread I decided to piggy-back onto this one...hope you don't mind.

Should these be split into separate pots now?



The two in the left hand pot are Cayenne, the two in the right hand pot are Jalapeño. Also, there are a couple of places where the leaves look a little withered around the edges, other than that they seem quite 'perky', what could be causing it?

They're kept on the kitchen windowsill, have been watered carefully to avoid getting the leaves wet and have only been watered when the top of the compost was looking quite dry (which was daily during the recent heatwave) but only given enough to re-moisten the compost, not soak it.
So, should I water them more, less, more often, less often, adding nutrients....what?

Any advice will be greatly appreciated...these are the plants I'm most excited and most nervous about.

[Potstubsdustbins]

I am no expert on chilli's but if I had any plants to that stage of development I would be thinking of splitting them so as to avoid root damage later on.

They look nice plants and I can see just two places were there is a little browning, however until someone tells you differently I wouldn't worry.

Colin

[plymouthred]

If they have germinated then remove the lid or they'll rot. How big are your seed trays? I would wait at least until they have true leaves before potting them on.

Seed trays are about 8' x 7' (Standard ones you get free with an heated prop) and lid off as recommended.

Just noticed that one of the young seedlings still has the seed shell attached to it........looks like a seedling with a crash helmet LOL

[mcuk]

Also, there are a couple of places where the leaves look a little withered around the edges, other than that they seem quite 'perky', what could be causing it?

It might be a sign of a mineral deficiency in the soil. Oddly, too much feeding can do that too, although you shouldn't be feeding them until the fruit is forming. Is the compost of a good enough quality? The reason I ask is you are relying on the fertilizer that the compost manufacturer added to their product, if it's lacking in trace elements then it will show in the plants.