Lots to report this month. 🙂
The chillies are finally located outside in the garden, away from the dinning room which as you can imagine the Boss was joyous about but I started to get slightly fidgety when the temperatures once again started to dip in the evenings.
Chilli Staging
Using the staging from an old 4 tier mini grow house I have then re-used the first cover from my walk-in grow house (the one that ripped after only three months!), to make a nice little outside area for my chillies, on a west facing fence which at the moment is in full sun between 11am and 7pm each day. The cover is way to large for the structure but this is good because it’s allowing enough air to circulate around while holding in enough heat. So it’s in no way pretty to look at but if it’s helping to grow my chilli plants then I’m not complaining. Plus I have recycled an old cover and stopped it being put in the rubbish – which is very nearly ended up in.
Selling
All the excess chillies were sold off. I ended up selling about 20 of the plants and giving the rest away to family. I hate selling anything but I have to keep telling myself that if I don’t get something back on all this compost I’m ‘forking’ out on I’ll not have any funds for next yr.
Having said that though there is definitely a market for selling the plants. No doubt about that. I was pleasantly surprised by how many people wanted to buy my plants.
It’s just when you can’t drive selling is rather limiting and with lack of space in my garden I’m not going to open a chilli house any time soon.
That then left me with 12 plants I shall be concentrating on for the rest of the season:
- Aji Umba
- Loco F1
- Rocoto Orange
- Basket of Fire x 2
- 7 Pot Brainstrain x2
- 7 Pot Jonah x2
- 7 Pot Burgundy
- 7 Pot Red (large)
- 7 Pot Yellow
All plants are currently in individual 1ltr pots. I’ve learnt loads again from the chilli community. I had no idea I needed to pot on before potting to final positions and if I had known well then I still didn’t know what size pot I needed. 1ltr is apparently the key, after which they can then be potted onto what I always use – 7.5ltr.
At the moment feeding is continuing at a weekly basis. Nothing significant to report on that score. The seaweed smells but hey, it could always be worse!
Quite a few of the smaller varieties are starting to really flower now.
Next Steps
In the past I have planted three plants per 7.5ltr container but I’m hearing this may not be the best way to do it. Chillies like a lot of root room. However I’m torn because looking at my chilli posts from last year (and in particular this picture), I don’t remember there being any issue having three in one pot. I grew the large Aji Crystals as well.
So not sure what to do on that score – if anyone can offer guidance then I’m all ears!
In the mean time I shall continue to keep a watchful eye on the plants for green fly whom have appeared on other plants in the garden and do a little sun dance to make sure we get more warm weather.
The Forget-me-Not Cultivation Blog 
Nice one Sophie,for me it’s one pot…one plant. I use 10 – 14 litre pots, there is always the chance of root congestion if you put multiple plants in the same pot, in my opinion. More room = better root system = stronger plants = more pods. However, if you’ve had good results in the past then ???? 🙂
That’s two ppl who have said about having one plant per pot so I think I’m going to try that. Thank you for the advice 🙂
Excellent growing list, by the way 😉
We are doing the mild, “Hungarian hot wax”. It is coming along nicely in the greenhouse.
Oh yes, they are great. Grew those a couple of yrs ago and very pleased with the results!
You are much braver than mild-mannered me (mild when it comes to chillies). I remember the mild ones my mother used to grow — waist high plants covered in sweet peppers, tasting SO much better than the grocery store variety.
Mild ones are good too, especially the sweet varieties. I do have a very hot palate though for most things chilli related. The hotter the better 😉
Oh my, I remembered the dammage to chillies. They became beautiful and I have never saw their flowers. I’ll try next year !
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