Chillies - growing and overwintering 2017

[Tripmeup]

Was going to post a pic showing my babies but I can't post pics for some reason.. All going well so very tho..
Will post a list soon

[JusPotterinTim]

I've used the gel for flower tubs and hanging baskets previously and I did actually use gel mats in my tomato pots last year but I'm not sure whether they helped or not. I'm sure I've read somewhere that it's not recommended for chillies but have no personal experience.

I've just bought some Stewart balconniere self-watering pots at £3.99 each from my local garden centre. They are the 30cm size which has a capacity of 12 litres. I hope they'll be OK for my outdoor chillies.

Balconniere Square Planter - Stewart Garden

Each pot's reservoir is only small so they wouldn't last for a fortnight's holiday but maybe a weekend away would be OK. And they have an overflow so the plants shouldn't get waterlogged.

They look handy for the price.

I know chillies like to have relatively dry compost/soil so perhaps this is why you read that water gel is not recommended, the gel might keep the substrate just a bit too moist for them. I'm tempted to give it a try though when I next grow a new type. This is because I want to try and keep the small-ish pots I use that go under the grow lights in winter, and then go outside in spring, and not have to water so often. I've always got another chilli plant or two bearing pods, so an experiment using the gel with one plant that goes wrong is not the end of the world.

[Chris11]

Nooooo..........cat has knocked all my chilli seedlings on the floor.

And a lot of work has gone into planning and growing them. I've nurtured them from seed and they're my babies and most will now be lost.

I've only got one room with a sunny windowsill that's big enough, and that's the room the cats like daytime snoozing too, because of the sun. Don't want to stop them going in that room but might have to consider it.

Love the cats and growing things, 2 of the things that keep me going when times are bad. So can't be angry with the cat, but it's really upsetting because of all the time and effort I've invested.

I could cry.

[Ms-T]

Oh no Chris11 ...Here a big (((((((HUG))))))..naughty cats.

my chillis and peppers are going mad ,i have had to pot up already.



can you see old Cayenne at the back there.

[jackarmy]

ouch chris, two years ago my cat ate my cukes just as they were about to go out, hurts.

[the big lebowski]

tough break chris ,youve still got time to grow another lot if you have some seeds ,whats cukes jack ? looking good ms-t

[burnie]

Just potted on 4 Cayenne and a couple of sweet peppers, these were un soaked seeds, no show from the Lemon Drop, will try soaking some and trying again.

[hop-a-long]

I've got my first fruit of the season already!

Unfortunately it's not a chilli, it's some mushrooms popping up! Don't think they're edible either
funny to see though! Guess they liked the shower treatment.

Aside from that, the plants are holding their own and greenfly numbers are a bit more under control. The seedlings are looking nice and strong, thinking about taking the lights off now and leaving them in the window sill but is it still a bit too early?

The big leafy chilli is a turtle claw from sea spring seeds, got literally hundreds of nice little white chillis from it. I've also got a grafted scotch bonnet chilli that I picked up at a garden centre last year, it did well and I intend to give it a massive pot this year- the stem below the graft union is huge, so will probably take over the greenhouse on its own!

Sorry to hear about the cat attack Chris! They are too curious. Any chance of rescuing some of the damaged seedlings or were they totally smashed? Have another crack at planting some seeds anyway, I didn't plant any til late March last year cos of moving house, and still ended up with great crops by the end of the year.

[Deano's "Diggin It"]

Hi All!

Had my head "Buried in Books" yet again, be glad to to see the week out wether pass or fail, but having a flick around!

Sure was a bit of a "Bummer" regarding the cat Chris, but TBL's right, still time yet!

Here's where I am at, now in the stage of growing true leaves, a few failures regarding the early Jalapino's, but sown a few more!



But well happy with the rest, just about keeping em damp, lights lifted for photographic issues, but actually keep em within a few cm's!



Jack! Would I invest? Too right I would

Made a Major effect to mine this year!

[jackarmy]

Think they were Bella and and an f1, this was last year tho BL

Looking good Deano, lost my first lot of early sown black naga, luckilly last sowing worked out , lost my lemmons though .

OT, off to wyevale tomorrow, apparently they have Rosella tom seeds

jurys still out on the lights, pondering weather the cost is worth it.

[Scarlet]

OT, off to wyevale tomorrow, apparently they have Rosella tom

I can split mine that I swapped with Deano? How many did you need, got about 5 or 6 spare?

[jackarmy]

oooh , just enough for a taster . we gonna be swapping stamps again ?

[Scarlet]

oooh , just enough for a taster . we gonna be swapping stamps again ?

Nah! I've got your address...I'll try to get them in the post tomorrow

[Mitzi]

Nooooo..........cat has knocked all my chilli seedlings on the floor.

And a lot of work has gone into planning and growing them. I've nurtured them from seed and they're my babies and most will now be lost.

I've only got one room with a sunny windowsill that's big enough, and that's the room the cats like daytime snoozing too, because of the sun. Don't want to stop them going in that room but might have to consider it.

Love the cats and growing things, 2 of the things that keep me going when times are bad. So can't be angry with the cat, but it's really upsetting because of all the time and effort I've invested.

I could cry.

I bet you were angry with the cat at the time you discovered it. Aargh! I would be devastated (I'm way over-invested in my plants.). My cats have only knocked two off and both have survived with some broken and bruised leaves. They've also chewed a few leaves. I have started shutting them out of the grow room.

Have you managed to save many? Seedlings can be surprisingly resilient. Have you the heart to start over?

[Mitzi]

thinking about taking the lights off now and leaving them in the window sill but is it still a bit too early?

Mine have a daily migration onto the windowsills then back under the lights when it comes dark. I like them to have as much natural light as possible but days are still very short here and some days we don't see the sun at all.

My seedlings certainly seem to have grown a lot better than the ones I grew last year without them but it's always possible that ones sown later and in natural light would catch up later in the season.