Another month is steaming by and my chilli plants are really beginning to take off now. In just the last couple of days all 37 chilli plants are showing surges of growth, with lush green leaves and taller stems.
I’ve had to re-pot two of the plants, two weeks ago (one Aji and one Cayenne), each into 1 litre pots which is much earlier than expected. The rest will need to be potted up in the next week or so.
The other good news is that I’ve still got my one and only heritage chilli plant – Mushroom yellow, that while still pretty tiny in size is finally producing it’s second set of leaves.
After I’ve potted each plant up into 1 liter pots they’ll be ready for their next move.
At the beginning of May I’ll start adding the chilli plants to the outside grow houses to get the used to the new temperatures. They are never allowed to stay in the house all year. I think they would look just fine all growing over the dinning table but the Boss has other ideas about that one 😉
So they will eventually be housed outside only this year I’ll be sure to keep the front of the grow houses shut at night, something I wasn’t able to do last yr and forgot at other times which caused the chilli plants to slow their growth down completely which in turn made the flowers and then the fruit even later than normal.
Review of growing season so far…
- The coir did as good as compost for sowing the seeds. Where I may have sown seeds a little too deep on my first set, in coir, it was rectified in the compost at the second set of sowing.
- I didn’t even buy proper (finer) potting compost I just used rather more bulky compost when sowing the second set which didn’t seem to cause too many issues either, however there is still the low percentage germination rates which was disappointing so I think the compost may well have had influence on this.
- Next year I would definitely hold off sowing the seeds until end of February beginning of March. I appreciate the plants needs as much growing time as possible but my second sowing (March) was far more successful than the first and I believe this was because I was able to regulate the night time temperatures better with the heated propagator along side the house heating.
37 plants is actually rather manageable, compared to previous years where I’ve had hundreds, but still too many for my sized grow houses so I’ll use as much space as possible and give the rest of the plants away. If you want one (and live in Grimsby), let me know 🙂
The Forget-me-Not Cultivation Blog 
I am quite intrigued by all these chilli plants I do like them, but 37 plants? That’s a lot of chillies. You are the Chilli Queen.
I am a bit boring, I just grow Jalepeno and Apache.
I do have rather a chilli fetish I’m afraid. I grew over 200 one year but managed to sell quite a few of them too 😉
I just love the challenge of growing them, especially in our wet Springs/summers. I have a hard time growing jalapeno’s so that is definitely not boring by my standards! 🙂
I love chilli plants. I have 12 plants ready for my 10X10 space. It will be a tight fit but everything should work out. I love this time of year and look forward to following your blog and chilli progress. 🙂
Is that 10x10ft?
Yes I shall keep as many as I possibly can. Hopefully when I finally get my greenhouse I’ll be able to grow even more!
Will look forward to reading about your plants too. What varieties are your favs? I certainly find the smaller, more compact (patio) varieties easier to grow.
Yes its a 10ftX10ft greenhouse. I love all varieties, I think for the sweets I would have to go with the banana pepper, for hot peppers I am a fan of the regular old chili pepper, as far as the supper hots go I am currently a fan of the Trinidad scorpion, however, I am going to be growing the Carolina reaper this year and I can not wait to try that one, it just may edge out the scorpion.
Awesome Sophie I have a few seeding’s growing from my seedy penpal plus some I have sown myself waiting for 3rd and fourth leaves before potting on
Gosh, something to be said for growing chillies indoors! Mine take forever 🙂
Your plants are putting mine to shame. All my chillies are in the Intensive care unit and not looking too good. Glad to see someone’s doing a better job
Oh no, sorry to hear that. What happened to them?
I think I over-watered them, or the temperature has been dropping too low for them overnight.
Yes I’ve overwatered, it’s a fine art! I tend to just let them dry out between each watering now. Hope to see your plants recover,
They look fantastic! Ive not had a lot of luck with Chilli’s – I live in a cool-to-temperate climate, and they just dont seem to respond to the area!
37 is a huge amount still 🙂
I’ve got about 20 chilli plants growing but they’re not quite as big & healthy as yours yet. All my windowsills are full 🙂
20, that’s a good number!
What varieties are you growing?
Thanks for stopping by the blog 🙂
Actually it is more than that, just remembered another tray on the spare room windowsill 😉 I’m growing 3 varieties, Hotscotch, Hot Devil’s Brew and a freebie from a magazine (I think) labelled Cayenne peppers.
Sophie, I really enjoyed your chilli update. I am this year having a go at plants that I have never had much success with – and chillis are one of those. I will read your chilli blog with interest. Sally
Thanks Sally, appreciate that and pleased to have a new reader 🙂
Great post – Your chillies are looking far better than mine! I’ve only managed to get about 8 or 9 plants going. Tried about 30, but I think my seeds are a bit old. I know what you mean about getting them outside. I had about 20 plants in my conservatory at one point! I’m going to limit it to my favourite 2 or 3 this year 🙂
You seem on top of everything and will be reaping the rewards soon enough! Well Done Sophie.