Chillies - growing and overwintering 2017

[jackarmy]

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

Your a star

Yo have 6 or so left ? how many seeds did Deano give out arent they f1?

[Deano's "Diggin It"]

Jack! The F1 debate still exists in my mind, but a lot of others say they are not!

But if you want some, honest I have a load of spare self saved seed and will happily send em on if you forward your address!

Scarlet! A couple of days off awarded to revise b4 the final exam, have already written out the envelope with your forwarding address, so will forward the original seed as well as the "self saved" over the next few days for you, so you have a backup for the VSP!

[Deano's "Diggin It"]

Opp's! Sorry! Surely this should be on the "Tomato Thread"

[the big lebowski]

hi all a few more pics to show you

this is the taller of the two plants (yes it was on the other side last photo )and the plant next to it is a potted on version sowed at the same time to compare it to (dam it i edited it out lol)

this is the roots of the plant above ,really pleased with the amount of growth in the 3 weeks since the last picture

this is the 2nd plant and the tap root of it

and here is a pic of some of the others I have planted in pots ,cheers

[Scarlet]

Jack! The F1 debate still exists in my mind, but a lot of others say they are not!

But if you want some, honest I have a load of spare self saved seed and will happily send em on if you forward your address!

Scarlet! A couple of days off awarded to revise b4 the final exam, have already written out the envelope with your forwarding address, so will forward the original seed as well as the "self saved" over the next few days for you, so you have a backup for the VSP!

Thank you Deano! Jack, I've sent the seeds...I don't think they are F1, several grapes searched and decided they weren't,( inc me) I really looked and there isn't any firm evidence that they are F1. Remember seed companies would love us to buy new every year...

Fingers crossed for you Deano! Get off the Internet and do some revising!

[JusPotterinTim]

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.

For a cost effective light to give your seedlings a head start, you could consider a Sunblaster kit: https://spacehydro.co.uk/index.php?r...product_id=565 I use them, and got a cheap Homebase shoe rack to hang them from.

For about £35 a single 4ft Sunblaster T5 which comes with its own reflector would be enough to keep any plants under it going until they're 10-15cm tall I think. If you ran it for 16 hours a day to give decent growth speed, then it would cost ~£3/month in electricity to run. The bulbs should last a few years too if you run them for a few months a year, even then they're only about £5 to replace. I think you'd fit at least twenty plants going under a 4ft bulb, and it would mean they're much more well developed when it's time to go outside.

I wouldn't be without my Sunblaster's now, I've got three 4ft bulbs keeping four small-ish plants pumping out chillies over winter, and I can just chuck any new seeds I've sown under them as well in the spaces between the chillies.

My plants are going outdoors from tomorrow though, I've got some well insulated mini greenhouses and tube heaters to keep them warm, and wireless thermometer's so I can keep an eye on how warm or cold they are and rescue them if a very cold night comes.

[Sappidis]

I've been growing recently in 2L soda bottles as a way of potting on from cells.... I've taken the cellophane off and you really can see the roots grow, it's amazing!

I might have to start taking some pictures and post them progressing.......

[jackarmy]

Thanks Deano and Scarlet, prices do seem to vary,as does the mention of f1 so who knows.
Ive no doubt that lights help and work out fairly cheap its just that as they will still need to be overwintered is there much of a point.

Having said that its our hobby and we all do what is best for us personally, for instance all that heating the greenhouse to 15 degrees in march , i can barely raise the courage to face the weather myself let alone send my babies out there .

Wont be doing anything this year but will certainly do more research, tbh though, i think my minds made up and i will continue with my south east facing cills, having said that...............you never know

[Scarlet]

I've been growing recently in 2L soda bottles as a way of potting on from cells.... I've taken the cellophane off and you really can see the roots grow, it's amazing!

I might have to start taking some pictures and post them progressing.......

You may want to cover those pots with black card? The only plants that like light on their roots is orchids.

[Mitzi]

I've been growing recently in 2L soda bottles as a way of potting on from cells.... I've taken the cellophane off and you really can see the roots grow, it's amazing!

Me too (except mine are pop bottles – I’m not American!)

You can see mine here:
http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...ml#post1515156

Been pondering investing in a set of lights and i can see by the photos (earlier) that they get a head start but.............., is it enough of a head start to justify the expense ?
I mean the main use is for the "scary" hots which will need to be overwintered anyway , is there really any point?

Interested to see how much bigger non light and light bred babies differ at the end of the season.

The main reason I’ve bought lights is in the hope of getting a crop of my chinenses within one season. Last year, on the windowsill, pods only started to form at the end of August and September, and they didn’t start to ripen until October and some not until December. They were supposed to be relatively early varieties (Paper Lantern and Scotch Bonnet/habanero.) This year I’m hoping that by getting an early start under lights, the plants might flower in June/ July and fruit will ripen in August/September. Also that the plants will grow bigger so I’ll get more fruits. That’s the theory, anyway, though whether it works in practice remains to be seen.

I’m not sure what you mean about the overwintering. By using the lights, I’m hoping to get a crop in one season and therefore not need to overwinter. I might try to overwinter a few plants but I’m still at the stage of trying out as many varieties as I can, to decide which I like, so I’ll mostly be starting again with new (to me) varieties next year.

The other reason I got the lights is that I was just too impatient and couldn't wait to get growing, and there just isn't enough light on the windowsill in December to grow healthy seedlings. If I could have been patient enough to wait until February before sowing, I might not have bothered. I'm so childish at times!

[jackarmy]

Yes i understand the reasoning Mizi but reguarding overwinteringtake for instance my black naga last year.
I had a small crop on her ( sown on w/s in jan) about 8 pods if i remember correctly ( very hot but there is that fruity tang ) but that crop would have been a lot bigger had i managed to overwinter her succesfully ( sadly she gave up the ghost) the next season.
Like i said, never say never but i will be watching with interest yours/deanos/tims crops and all others who use lights from the hotter chillis

[maverick451]

Growth seems to be picking up slightly now

Have fed them last week with seaweed foliar and also growmore liquid fertiliser.

[the big lebowski]

looking good maverick ,those trays look good where did you get them ?

[maverick451]

They are growbag trays, you can get them most places

[jackarmy]

Looking v good Mav.
Thanks Scarlet, arrived this morning and thanks for the xtra goody , mucho appreciated .