Chillies - what are you growing/overwintering?

[Bacchus]

This is a close up of my Rocota chilies. They are a pubescens type, (hairy leaves and black seeds) and are quite fleshy. They tend to spread all over the place so they need a good bit of room each. They were one of my best producing chili types last year in what I consider to be a pretty dismal year. This year has been twice as good so far I think.

[Ms-T]

wow looking great .they are on my list for next year.

[Philthy]

Looking good, Bacchus. Some of those leaves are huge! Are you feeding them? Or is your light rig chiefly responsible for that luxuriant display?

I started my seeds this year a bit later than usual - March rather than February - so the young plants will need to put a spurt on once the weather warms up, as my growing bench is natural light only. So long as we don't get a repeat of last year i.e. a stop start season (warm April, cold May, warm July, cold August) they should be fine to get sufficiently established ahead of winter.
So far growing on two each of Hot Lemon / Inferno / Espelette / Calico / Hot Fish.

Also cheated slightly in that I ordered plugs of Carolina Reaper (to replace my two biggun's that perished in January), Chinese Space Chilli (looks interesting), Bishop's Crown (liked the writeup), and Aji Amarillo - thanks to TrixC's feedback in the chilli review thread.

And I put x3 overwintered specimens out in the GH today; Serrano Tampiqueno (well established), Black Pearl (grown solely as an ornamental), and an Orange Thai from self-saved seed. It's still a bit nippy outside and not ideal to take plants out now, but I need more space for the remaining overwintered plants that definitely need to stay inside awhile longer, chiefly the habaneros, Moruga, and Fatalii.

[Bacchus]

Looking good, Bacchus. Some of those leaves are huge! Are you feeding them? Or is your light rig chiefly responsible for that luxuriant display?

Hi - I think it's the light rig. I've only give them the merest sniff of "chili focus" a couple of times so far. I have increased the light time though - they now get 22 hours on and only 2 hours off each day.

I couldn't agree more about last year - not the greatest of years for chilies at all.

Space is always an issue...

[jackarmy]

Forgive my ignorance here especially as they look so good Bacchus but isnt 22 hours a day a bit excessive?, i mean theres nowhere on earth appart from the north and south pole areas where theyd get anywhere near 22 hours a day, i mean even at the equator theres a max of 12 hours.
Not trying to have a go, just guessing that 22 hours work a day may be too much ?, or will the reduced daylight hours in the G/H mean they can slow down then.
Im guessing the 22 hours is purely to put on as much growth untill they go out?, again, just trying to learn so please dont think in trying to pick holes.

[Philthy]

More of the chilli thread regulars are using lights than not I think - off the top of my head there's yourself, Trip, Bario, Big Lebowski, pretty sure chilli_grower does.

I'm thinking I might take the plunge and trial one myself for next year. A delayed spring and/or mediocre summer would be much less of an issue for younger plants to get established. And a decent crop in the first year would be an added bonus.

Bacchus, what did your setup cost? What spec of lights are you using and do you remember where you got them from? Running cost?

[Small pumpkin]

I'm also considering grow lights for the future.

[jackarmy]

Oh yea, growlights are deffinatley worth it especially for the super hots, was just wondering about 22 hours a day worth of light .

[jackarmy]

Couple of my babies.:

from the right, Red Habanero( scarlet thanks), Satans Kiss, Lemmon Drop ( thanks Scarlet), Jalapeno and Scotch Bonnet, sorry pics so dark.

[Small pumpkin]

Holly cr@p jack! They are 3 times the size of mine! When did you start them?
I thought my little chilli's were doing really well, with poor light on a window cill. Going out to the tunnel on nice days. Jealous me...........you bet

[Small pumpkin]

I keep meaning to ask. When it comes to final planting, would 1/3 filling the big containers/buckets with well rotted manure be a good plan or not?

[jackarmy]

They were all started in January and grown on an east facing window cill
My black Naga on the left and my biggest red manzano the Manzano went in in March , thanks to scarlet again for those.

I'm a touch more south than you mind sp 

Also like Scarlet ive never used manure, just normal mcp and feed, only fed the satanskiss so far tho as they went a bit yellow.

[Scarlet]

I never use manure in pots so I'm not sure? I think it may be too much...someone else may be able to answer.
Jack, they look fab! That's welsh sun for you mine are half the size

[Bacchus]

Forgive my ignorance here especially as they look so good Bacchus but isnt 22 hours a day a bit excessive?, i mean theres nowhere on earth appart from the north and south pole areas where theyd get anywhere near 22 hours a day, i mean even at the equator theres a max of 12 hours.
Not trying to have a go, just guessing that 22 hours work a day may be too much ?, or will the reduced daylight hours in the G/H mean they can slow down then.
Im guessing the 22 hours is purely to put on as much growth untill they go out?, again, just trying to learn so please dont think in trying to pick holes.

Last year - when I got the lights - I ran them 18 hours on and 6 hours off, so this year was a bit of an experiment and it seems to have worked. I don't think the plants are that fussy about how long the exposure time is - just the amount of "light" they get, be that over 18 hours or 22 hours.

I think that real sun is much stronger than these lights (the big one is a T5 four bar one) so a shorter time in the tunnel eventually shouldn't be an issue - I'm really more concerned about the heat at this stage which I suspect is half the issue too. I close the door to my study at night and it keeps quite warm with the lights running and I think that was part of this years success too.

I can't remember how much exactly everything was but the T5 lights were about £70 and the other smaller one with the ballast was about £35 second hand. The frames I'll put down to nothing as I just made them from bits of lathes that were lying around. As to running costs I'm not really sure there either. I've solar panels on the house so during daylight I pretty much get free electric - I'll have to try and work it out.

Hope that helps a bit...

[jackarmy]

My poorly padron .sown on the 20th of feb, any hope do you think?, it does seem to have picked up but still looks sorry for itself. I'm

Hmm, not the best of pics