little elf dwarf chilli peppers advice wanted please

[mrbiffo]

Hi to all on the grapevine. I would welcome some sound advice on when and how to grow little elf dwarf chilli peppers multi coloured i am told , i was given the seeds but have no instructions so i would like to know can i grow them indoors this time of year or what ever, as i am a novice i don't know what to do with them so some of the wealth of knowledge on this site someone is bound to know.
many thanks in advance for your advice and your time

kind regards
mrbiffo

[Bren In Pots]

MrBiffo first it depends where you live, so can you add you location to your profile please, because if we've got a rough idea where you live that will make answering much easier.

For general chilli advice have a read here at the vines own growing guide :-

http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/how...owing-chillies

[Scarlet]

Hello Mr Biffo, I've never heard of those chillies but g@@gle came up trumps. It's a dwarf chilli plant suitable for growing indoors on a window ledge. Grows around 30cm

Hot & Ornamental Chilli Seed Varieties

To grow from seed it's best to wait until some time in February at the earliest. They need warmth and plenty of light. Sow the seeds individually in small modules or in small pot and be prepared to prick them out individually once germinated. Chillies tend to take a while to germinate and like the warmth, an airing cupboard or a propagator are ideal, or cover the pot over with a little cling film. Be patient, chillies often take a while to raise their heads.

[Philthy]

I suppose you could sow them now and grow them indoors.
Given that it'll soon be winter, you'll struggle to get the seeds to germinate if you don't use a propagator (with a temperature setting in the range of approx. 19 - 26 degrees celsius), or some other heat source such as on top of a boiler.
And a means of maintaining light and heat for the developing plants - obviously in short supply at this time of year - will be crucial if they are to grow properly. So that'd mean investing in grow lights of some sort.
I don't use them myself so can't offer much insight beyond that I'm afraid.

January to early March is considered the optimum time to get things underway in the UK. I'd wait until then, myself. Seed germination is often sporadic, and can take several weeks. The time when your young plants will need more light will coincide with the naturally lengthening days as we move towards spring. So although grow lights would give you an advantage, they're no longer essential to the process.

[FlawlessVictory]

I grew Little Elf this year along with Super Chilli, Basket of Fire, Numex Twilight, Variegata for their ornamental value. I always start my seeds in February to get them on there way early.

As Philthy has said it is hard without a germinator, for my chillis I put them in a plastic seed bag with a little wet tissue, seal them and put them near my boiler for heat. Once they have popped up I transfer them to my propagator. Also unless you have artificial light or good light coming in to your windowsill they tend to get leggy quite quickly so you may need to pot up to there first growing leaf. Also mine were helped by the radiator just beneath them.

The chilli itself is a lovely looking plant and I would recommend it if you are looking for something that looks really nice.