First chillis are up

[rhyswales]

Really good info on starting chillies off under different circumstances here, much appreciated!

I'm grow light and heated propagator free (tho my unheated propagator on the windowsill gets the radiator heat when it's on) so I have only sown a couple of chilli seeds for curiosity really.

I guess I need to start thinking about sowing the ones that will eventually go into my greenhouse in 3-4 weeks time.

Be way too early to go into a unheated greenhouse. Earliest I would suggest is late April for chillies.

[TrysHard]

I am sowing some early (Now) then another batch mid to late Feb - then see what happens.

Biggest issue is leggy plants Toms catch up but Chillies and Peppers seem to need the long season.

[chilli_grower]

Mine go in the unheated g/h beginning of April. Unless it is abnormally cold for that time of year.

However, I will have a paraffin heater lit at night time, usually until 3rd or 4th week in April.

If outdoor daytime temps are 10-15 degrees and sunny, then it will be double that in the g/h easily.

[the big lebowski]

hi all,I started 10 cayenne and 10 patio sizzle in my un heated prop on jan the 1st and all but 1 germinated the trouble is they are now touching the lid as mentioned earlier in this post should I take the lid off and just leave them to do there thing that way ? the set up im using is an un heated prop ,lighting provided by a 125 cfl on 10 hrs off 14hrs on a timer in a home made grow room with an av temp of 10 dgrs ,any advice welcome ,cheers

[the big lebowski]

sorry av temp of 19 dgrs

[rhyswales]

hi all,I started 10 cayenne and 10 patio sizzle in my un heated prop on jan the 1st and all but 1 germinated the trouble is they are now touching the lid as mentioned earlier in this post should I take the lid off and just leave them to do there thing that way ? the set up im using is an un heated prop ,lighting provided by a 125 cfl on 10 hrs off 14hrs on a timer in a home made grow room with an av temp of 10 dgrs ,any advice welcome ,cheers

19 degrees is fine, take the lid off give them some space. In fact I purposely let the temperature drop to around 14 so when potting outside they are used to the temps.

[TrysHard]

My F1 Cheyenne and Hungarian Hot wax are up so are a couple of peppers - I hope I am not too early and they don't get to leggy before the greenhouse is warm enough.

[Bacchus]

I've a few more up as well - and also a bit concerned about them getting leggy. The Apache is up which is good, and the pointed palmero and red rocotto. None of the super hots up yet, but these are only trials. Main planting will be mid Feb.

[Lamboluke]

What actually defines a leggy plant? I cant tell if my jalapeño plants are leggy or doing well and growing nicely. Not at home at the minute so I can't take a photo but I'll try later. They have two sets of leaves at the top of the stem.

[Scarlet]

Possibly best to put a photo up but a leggy seedling has a tall, weak stem that eventually cannot hold itself up. How tall is the stem before you get your first true leaves?

[rhyswales]

Mine are a little leggy, I would'nt worry about them though. See if you can put a small desk fan on them for a few hours and keep the temps cooler. If they are really bad, re-pot up to their first true leaves, should keep them steady.

[the big lebowski]

thanks ryswales, ive got a few other trays germinating in there at the mo so ill keep the temp up till they are good then ill put i little computer fan in ive modified and see what i can come up with ,cheers

[Scarlet]

Really good info on starting chillies off under different circumstances here, much appreciated!

I'm grow light and heated propagator free (tho my unheated propagator on the windowsill gets the radiator heat when it's on) so I have only sown a couple of chilli seeds for curiosity really.

I guess I need to start thinking about sowing the ones that will eventually go into my greenhouse in 3-4 weeks time.

Have you got an airing cupboard? Or a warm spot like the top of the fridge? They don't need light to get them started...My chillies don't venture out to the GH full time till the end of May as anything below 10 stops them in their tracks.

[Lamboluke]

Possibly best to put a photo up but a leggy seedling has a tall, weak stem that eventually cannot hold itself up. How tall is the stem before you get your first true leaves?

Here's a quick photo of my medusa and jalapeño plants. Excuse the cat....I know the medusa isn't a huge plant so I.just wondered if the jalapeño is too leggy? If so do I just keep it on the sunny window or earth it up/repot higher with them all?

[Scarlet]

That's what I would call leggy. You can pot on the seedling up to its first leaves and they should be ok.
Are these the ones you kept in the prop? They have had too much heat heat and not enough light. Both of those are capsicum annums - they germinate quickly unlike the duper hots that can takes a couple of weeks or more. Seeds sown late feb/ early March will usually catch up and can be much stronger plants as they haven't been put through the stress.