My Chillis

[Trix]

I hope it's ok to do this here - I just want to keep track of my progress as I have several more chilli varieties than I'd planned (with the older chilli seeds I received from the VSP sort out). I'm far from experienced so any tips on germination and growing will be very welcome! Hopefully there'll be some seed to put back in at the end of the season.

Today I sowed a few each of

Hot Banana (VSP)
Koral Chillis (VSP)
Alberto's Locoto Rocoto
Jalapeno
Aji Limon
Kashmiri (saved from dried chillis I bought to cook with - no idea whether these will work!)

I also have

Red Habanero (VSP)
Pyramid (VSP)
Rokita (VSP)
Rocoto (VSP)
Peperoncino (VSP)

which I'll start as soon as I have space in the heated propagator - once the others are up and out!

The VSP varieties have been Googled but any tips on these (especially if they are fussy ones) would be great...

[Zelenina]

Hi Trix. What's most interesting about your list is that you haven't just got 11 different varieties but also four different species. That's useful to know when growing them, but even more important for seed saving, because varieties usually only cross if they are the same species.

Alberto's Locoto Rocoto and plain Rocoto are Capsicum pubescens, which is the rarest species. They will cross with each other (it will be interesting to see if they are actually different varieties) but not with any of your others. They have black seeds. I grew rocotos for the first time last year and they made nice plants but didn't produce very much. One plant has successfully overwintered indoors so I'm hoping for more fruit this year. They are supposed to be less heat-loving than other kinds, but in the UK that's probably not a problem.

Aji Limon appears to be another name for Lemon Drop, which is Capsicum baccatum. These grow great for me with no special treatment, and have lots of lovely tasting peppers. It won't cross with any of your others.

Red Habanero is Capsicum chinense and it also won't cross with any of your others. These are usually extremely hot. Be very careful what you touch after handling the fruit and seeds. I only tried this species once so far and found them very slow growing.

All the rest are Capsicum annuum, which is the commonest species of chillis and sweet peppers, and they are grown in the normal way for peppers. They will cross with each other and need to be isolated for seed saving by distance or bagging.

[Trix]

Thank you Zelenina - that's fantastically useful and will make seed saving a great deal easier when it comes to it!

I am also planning to grow 'Dedo de Mocha' Sweet Ají - (bottom on on this page) Vegetable Seeds : Early Sweet Pepper Seed so I guess that will cross with the Lemon Drop if I let it?

No idea what I'm going to do with the very hot chillis if they grow but I'll worry about that if/when they're successful. I also have a Scotch Bonnet (I think!) plant that was tiny last year but has survived the winter...

You obviously know your chillis - do you mind me asking which your favourites are?

[Zelenina]

I like researching all the different varieties and species, but other people here could probably give you better advice about growing them. I don't have a huge amount of experience.

Lemon Drop is one of my favourites so far. I also like Long Green Buddha (C. annuum) which is an HSL variety that actually turns red when ripe. And there's a very good strain of yellow Cayenne sold by a Czech company that I'll probably grow every year. Compact plants, very productive and decorative, and hotter than ordinary red Cayenne.

Snap with the Dedo de Mocha! I also bought some seeds to try this year, since Lemon Drop grows so well here.

[FlawlessVictory]

Chinense can cross with Annuum although it is harder to achieve. Pimenta De Neyde is an example of this. Always thought about growing pubescens but I've never got round to it. Sound advice though.

Chili's have to be my favourite plant I've been growing them since I was 16 so ten years now. The variety of plants, colours, heats and shapes is excellent!

[sparrow100]

I grew Alberto's last year and I couldn't get them to overwinter. On reading chilli blogs since then the trick for that appears to be sowing them late (ie April/May) so they don't fruit and keep growing through. Then in the second year you get a bonanza crop. I got 4 chillies from 2 plants and the others didn't mature enough. But the chillies are well worth it, hot and fruity!

My Lemon Drop is on Yr 3 and about to start flowering by the looks of things.

[veggiechicken]

The Alberto's that Trix is growing are yours, sparrow.
If I remember rightly, the Locoto seeds are the one that you couldn't get to germinate - and are probably Alberto's too.

[sparrow100]

Well in that case, Trix if you get the VSP ones to germinate a) you've better skills than I and b) please can you tell me your secret! The ones I sent in were grown from RealSeeds seeds and I am crossing all fingers & toes that they pop up speedily for you.

[Trix]

Oh, yes - I should have mentioned that they were labelled with your name Sparrow - I requested a swap as soon as VC got them! Really looking forward to these.

The other Rocotos are just labelled 'from Real Seeds' (so I guess Alberto's) - these are old ones - not planted yet.

Thanks for the tip about sowing times - I'll hold some back and sow them later for overwintering.

[Trix]

Aji Limon and Jalapenos are up and looking for light. Two kashmiris also up and two Alberto's Locoto are sticking their bums in the air. No sign of the old VSP seeds (Hot Banana and Koral) yet...

I'll move a few of the bigger ones into pots today before as they are getting leggy - just hope I can handle them without damaging! Question - should I bury them further down in the new pot? The are quite fragile so I'm nervous about breaking them!

[sparrow100]

My lemon drops were all up quickly too (good news as the parent chilli died suddenly). I bury mine up to their necks in little pots - I use a long-tined sweetcorn fork to prick them out as I'm a bit fumble-fingered.

[Trix]

Today I finally freed up some space in my propagator and sowed one last batch of chillis. Of the old VSP tester ones I have only one 'Hot Banana' seedling up so far. The rest of the Koral, Red Habanero, Rokita, and Pyramid are now all in. Peperoncino went in about a week ago - no sign yet.

My 'saved' Kashmiri seeds stuck their heads up and promptly keeled over so I'm trying again with some more of those!

Two Alberto's Locoto seedlings are looking healthy but tiny - they haven't grown much at all yet but maybe they're just slow to start? Jalapenos, Lemon Drops and Sweet Ajis are all looking good

Just updating here so I have a record of this

[Trix]

Update - still no sign of any more of the VSP viability seeds. I don't know whether the seed was just too old or whether it was partly my compost (I've had quite a lot of mould forming in the propagators this year). I will leave the remaining seeds in but it's not looking good...

On the plus side, my Sweet and Lemon Ajis are looking fantastic, as are my Jalapenos, Alberto's, 'Kashmiris' and one Hot Banana. They've all have been spening these sunny afternoons in the polytunnel and are growing like mad. I also have some overwintered Pyramind Rainbows that are coming on nicely so at least I will have some seeds for the VSP - even if they are not the ones I'd planned on!

[Trix]

Nothing exciting to report - my lemon drops and jalapenos are loking so nice that some greenfly have decided to have a nibble so I've been removing them for the past few days.

Of the VSP seeds I have one hot banana looking ok and two Alberto's Locoto looking very nice - but they seem to be shorter/slower growing than the rest. I'm starting to get excited about my sweet peppers as I have never grown them before.

My overwintered Raonbow chillis have leaves all over but don't seems to be doing any growing - I think I might have trimmed them too aggressively - all the main stems are looking dead at the tips and there are no new ones coming. They are also covered with tiny white flies so have been removed from the rest. I'm not sure they're going to be any good this year.

[Airhead]

Chillies

Good to read of other peoples experiences with chillies, & to get the knowledgeable comments about different species & potential crosses etc.

Just thought I'd throw in my tuppence worth.
I have about 8 or 10 different types of chilli & pepper in small pots, started under lights with some heat in February. This after some disappointing years when plants did not thrive starting on the window sill, perhaps not getting potted-on soon enough & maybe going into a cool greenhouse too early? What has surprised me is the variation in growth rates between varieties; Nigel's Outdoor Chilli from Real Seeds is 3 x the size of an African type collected in Swaziland & an Ornamental variety; Serrano, Early Jalapeño, Georgia Flame & Cayenne are in the middle.
Sweet peppers have not done well for me in the past either, so again I got them off to an early start & am trying different varieties; Antohi Romanian, & 2 pointy red ones germinated from peppers bought at Tesco; Corno de Toro Rosso & Romera.
I also notice that there are always some better plants & some weaklings, & the odd loss to damping off. So, think it prudent to sow more than needed so you can select the very best for prime spots in the greenhouse in summer.
The one plant I bought from a grower this year was Purple Haze, & it must have brought a greenfly with it, because a week after it arrived I noticed a few around the new leaves. Luckily spotted early & squirted with soapy water, but it pays to be vigilant!
Hoping for a good crop, if I can get everything through this cold snap alright. Old rusty paraffin heater is keeping plastic enclosure inside greenhouse pretty cosy so far.