Germinating Chilli Seeds

[Norm]

Yo Splinter, I planted 4 x 9" pots each containing 9 seeds. The Apache (1 pot) and Scotch Bonnets (2 pots) are about 2" high and all 27 are through, after 4 weeks next to the outlet on a parafin heater in the greenhouse. However,the other pot is only showing 5 of the 9 seeds I planted of Bhut Jolokia. Dorset Naga measure only 876,000 Scoville heat units. Bhut Jolokia measure 1,001,304.
Just keep 'em warm keep 'em damp and keep patient.

[Grovsey]

I am chilli mad and have produced 35 plants this year, not sure what I will do with them. I germinated them all in a seed tray in the airing cupboard, about 90% sucess rate. I think the most important part of germination is keeping the temperature constant at about 60-70 degrees min. Changing temps (day and night) is not something they like. It is also apparenlty important to keep the soil heated form all around so a nice high psoition in the airing cupboard will make sure this happens.

I have germinated all my seeds in the airing cupboard this year with excellent sucess rates. Cucumber, tomatoes, courgettes, sweet peppers and sweetcorn.

Good luck.

[Waffler]

Hmmph! My 6 (or 7??) varieties of chilli were sown on 11th April, and I have several of one variety germinating and 1 of another; there is no sign of life elsewhere, which is really disappointing! Surely I should've got more by now!? They are in an unheated propogator in an unheated greenhouse, but this was enough to germinate the 'unnamed' vareity.

[Fred Perry]

I started mine off in seed tray in bedroom, 80% success, transplant to pots in bedroom, I think that a slow increace/ decreace in room temp and carbon dioxide air helps.North east.
All the best Fred p.

[The Doctor]

I started mine off in a covered seed tray with Homebase basic compost. After a couple of weeks only one or two were up but I got an idea that was because they were too wet. I dug them all out, dried them off on the windowsill over night then replanted them in dryer compost.

Virtually all came up within a week and I guess this had the same effect as soaking them first!

[Paulottie]

Welcome to the vine Dr.

[Marthasdad]

Hi Splinter, glad to hear you're chillies are doing well! We planted our first 12 plants into the unheated greenhouse on Monday, and one of the Naga Jolokia has 3 chilli pods on it, one of which is about 1 1/4" long, and our Big Jim has a small pod on it too!!

Hi,

I'm new here and wondered if I could get some help....

I'm germinating some seeds using the plastic bag and paper towel method - most of them have sprouted in the kitchen towel now - I just don't know when to plant them in soil (I'll be growing them in pots on the kitchen windowsill) - I don't want to do it too early and damage them, but also don't want to leave them too late!!?

Can anyone help?

[PLSteve]

I am chilli mad and have produced 35 plants this year, not sure what I will do with them. I germinated them all in a seed tray in the airing cupboard, about 90% sucess rate. I think the most important part of germination is keeping the temperature constant at about 60-70 degrees min. Changing temps (day and night) is not something they like. It is also apparenlty important to keep the soil heated form all around so a nice high psoition in the airing cupboard will make sure this happens.

I have germinated all my seeds in the airing cupboard this year with excellent sucess rates. Cucumber, tomatoes, courgettes, sweet peppers and sweetcorn.

Good luck.

Ditto - easily the best results I have had this year using the same technique. Even habaneros with quite a long germination time tame through quickly!

Remember though, as soon as they are through to get them out of the cupboard and onto a windowsill to get as much light as you can get them!

Steve.

[aayoiung2]

Cheaper Seeds Make more chilli!

Hi all,

Was not previously a member of this site, but was reading your bloggs about this whole chilli business and thought I might be able to help:

If you buy the chillis from the supermarkets or grocery stores (or for some special varieties - eg Naga etc.- visit your local curry house or indian foods store) you will get many many more seeds for your money.

As an example; Bird Eye chillies 89p a packet (tesco), 32 Chillis in the packet, av' 30 seeds per pod = 32 x 30 = 960 Seeds
/ 89p = 10.7 Chilli's per penny!

Naturally, it depends on the chilli - plain red chillis dont have so many seeds, but the stronger ones tend to have quite a few - Plus, the supermarket breeds are genetically superior and therefore less prone to infection, grow faster, give larger fruits and have higher germination rates.

As for germination rates, it doesent really matter too much, because you can afford to be lazy as a result of the massive cost reduction - no matter what you do you will still have loads of stunning chilli plants.
E.g.
- 12 seeds for £3, with a germination rate of [say] 70% = 37p per plant
- 960 seeds for 89p with a germination rate of [er] 5% = 1.2p per plant

Of course, this wont work for the rare varieties but certainly these ones:
(Some share names, but if you don't know whichthey are listed)

- Scotch bonnet
- Bird Eye
- Naga
- Finger
- Cherry Bomb
- Red, Green
- Thai/Thai dragon
- Joes Long
- Jalepinio
- Cayenne
- Serrano

I don't know a huge amount about germination, but I germinated seeds from 8 varieties and two chillis from each pack. I ended up with so manny chilli plants I had to give them away. I just germinated them under cling film (to keep moisture) out in the sun during late summer. But now, I am doing the same thing indoors, just on a sunny, south facing window ledge.

I think that in terms of cooking the chillis (which is my speciality as a chef), i think scotch bonnet and naga type varieties are the best for dishes which taste very much like chilli such as chilli con carne and other mexican food as well as some more bitter carribean curries. But the less pungent ones, such as cayenne and thai go much better in bengali and nepalese curries, where the spices are typically the dominant flavour.

I Hope this info will fill your house with some of the most elegant plants in the world.
- TIP: Try finely chopped 'cherry bomb' chilli, garlic, grated lime - zest, saffron and finely chopped corriander with TIGER - prawns = pan fried in generous amount of olive oil.

Alan.

[OllieMartin]

Useful stuff. I've been keeping an eye out for cheap chilli varieties, but now I can purchase these and show a little more sangfroid, it makes perfect sense.

Thanks

[quark1]

I've also considered that there could be cross pollination with other variants - but consider the 'farm' situation - loads of the same plant producing at 'factory' rates - cheek by jowl with the other.

I reckon there'd be good similarity of parent to child plants via seed on this basis for many supermarket/factory farmed crops?

[HotStuff]

aayoiung2, everything you say makes perfect economic sense, but you haven't taken into account that this Forum is also home to Seedaholics Anonymous

Personally, I have used seed from shop bought Scotch Bonnets with success, but although I started growing Chillies just to eat them I now grow some more obscure varieties because they look good. I've never seen Peruvian Purples in my local supermarket.

[Bagpuss]

I invested in a heated propogater this year (didn't have much luck with the germination rate of seeds sowed indoors last year). Had excellent germination results and lots of healthy plants..I'm a convert to the heated method!

[Llamas]

Oh no. I grow lemongrass, lemon pips, garlic and cantalope bought from the shop, but till now the cheap-chilli-seed connection had not been made.

Oh my.

[jimfin]

When to start growing Chill

I invested in a heated propogater this year (didn't have much luck with the germination rate of seeds sowed indoors last year). Had excellent germination results and lots of healthy plants..I'm a convert to the heated method!

When is the best time to start growing chilli from seed? I have a heated propagator and a cold GH.