Cheap Chilli Seeds - Ardleigh Bootfair

[GrimChili]

Hello all,

Havent posted in a while but thought I'd give a heads up:

I was at the Ardleigh Bootfair (Essex) last weekend and I got 5 packs of chilli seeds (£3.99 ones) for £2 - so £20ish for 2 quid I thought was quite good - I got 3 packs of Bhut Jolokia, 1 Demon Red and 1 Fairy Lights.

I'm not expecting great things as they have probably sat out a few weekends but there all in date with sow-by dates of 2017 so...

Cheers

[GrimChili]

Speaking of which... Does anyone start Super hots super early for their next year? I'm tempted to try and germinate a 2nd bunch of super hots nowish which I can nurture, over winter and then hopefully have some nice specimens next year.

[Scarlet]

I alway try to over winter my chillies as they give a much better harvest in their second year. ive got two lemon drops and a scotch bonnet from last year that has made it through. Though I'm trying black naga, a couple of Habs (red and orange both have over wintered well for me in the past) and a few others, their names escape me.

[Bacchus]

My overwintered Apache has 14 pods at the moment - it was a great plant last year too.

[GrimChili]

I think I'll start a bunch more more super hots then, with no intention of getting much fruit, simply to prepare for next year! Gonna start Trinidad Scorpion, Fatali, Dorset Naga, Bhut Jolokia, 7 Pot, and some other bits in my Super 7...

Scarlett - Black Naga?! That sounds very interesting... Where from? Any pictures??

Bacchus - Apache can do no wrong as far as I'm concerned - one of the easiest to grow, impressive getting it to over winter though, it's an annum right? I've never managed to over winter those - I've only had luck with frutescens and chinense (excuse spelling)...

Cheers!

[Philthy]

Fatalii and Trinidad Scorpian both overwinter very well ie. they're almost guaranteed to survive with minimal die-back. I've three and two year old Fatalii plants going in to this year.
I've found Bhut Jolokia to be a bit hit and miss overwintering.

You're right about the Annums - it's usually not worth the bother trying to save them as they almost always won't survive. Doesn't matter to much, as they grow quickly and a one year old still gives a decent crop.
That said, I managed to overwinter such a plant this year - Navaho chilli - for the first time. There's only about 3" of the original stem left after successive trimming off of the dead bits, but that stump has now sprouted new shoots. I'm quite chuffed