Chilli Plants

[Wormella]

We've got a fairly impressive crop of chilli plants, Out of the 3 flopwers so far only one has progrssed into a beautiful looking chilli. the other two have withered and fallen off at the stem.

Now more of the plants are comming into flower I was wondering if there's any tips for keeping them healthly. So far we've only been feeding them gerenal houseplant food - would tomato feed help?

[kevin m.]

Chillies fruiting in May-lucky you!
I'd certainly feed them with Tomato feed from the flowering stage-Chillies are greedy feeders.

[Wombat]

Depends on whether you want to be organic or not, perhaps some wood as for potash to promote fruit production. Maybe you have a shortage of bees if our flowers are not producing fruit..........

Nev

[The Chili Monster]

Hi Wormella

Chilli plants require insect pollination. You can achieve an excellent pollination rate if you do it by hand. When the pollen is ripe, between midday and three pm each day, lightly moisten a fine paintbrush (I've used watercolour or make-up brushes), collect the pollen and distribute across other flower centres.

Not that I'm trying to make anyone sick, but my first cayenne appeared Easter weekend and I've an average so far of 9 pods per jalepeno plant. Both types are still producing flowers


(Click to enlarge & view dodgy centering)



(Click to enlarge)

Had a bit of a set back and had to bring in the chilli plants to protect them from the recent gales. Lost a couple of Gardener's Delight plants, though ... but that's a different thread.

On the subject of feeding them, tomato plant feed is fine but a side-dressing of well-rotted manure or fresh seaweed will give 'em a real boost. Comfrey-based food would go down a real treat, too.

[Ranter]

My chillis were probably set a bit late, I don't know when, as a friend gave me the seedlings set into 4" pots. They're all growing well, on windowsills, & are showing roots through the bottom of the pots.

Into what size pot should I move them & into what sort of compost?

Also, should I keep them indoors or would they manage outside (I have an East facing yard that is pretty sheltered)?

Apologies for all the questions, this is the first time I've tried growing chillis.

[Shirley]

Ranter... keep asking the questions.. you've just saved me the job. It's my first time too.

Haven't had a lot of success to be honest... but have got a few - no flowers yet though but we are 'up north'!!

[Wormella]

Thanks Cm and others. We have various bugs and flies aound the place anyway, we assume thats how the first one grew. but I'll definatly give that a try.

As for tomato feed, I know Westland do some organic foodstuffs and some other compaines so I'll have a look around the place

[The Chili Monster]

Hi all

I've added a Chilli pepper section to the Grower's Guide of the SSish Wiki site:
http://selfsufficientish.org/wikka.php?wakka=chili
It covers all of the basic points (including potting on) plus a section on diseases and pests. Please note, however, that some of it relates to growing here in the SE of England (eg growing outside).

Happy Reading!!!

P.S. My pepper plants are especially fond of Maxicrop Seaweed Extract (approved by the Soil Association). Also the stems of the chilli plant are more delicate than they look and so keep them in a sheltered position. Always harden-off, do not leave outside overnight until nighttime temperatures have settled to above 10 deg centigrade. It's acceptable to stake the plants but do exercise care if you tie them to stakes (i.e. not too tightly as to allow for the plant stem to thicken and use wool or other non-abrasive cord).

[Wormella]

ours live on windowsills, one of the only options of a 3rd floor flat.

I've been following your advice!

[Ranter]

I have mine on windowsills too, but in terraced house facing East/ West & in a very built up area I don't have many sunny windowsills. For this reason I've been putting the plants outside in the sun during the day & bringing them in at night. Just noticed flowers beginning to form on one.

Will follow your advice on potting-on Chilli Monster. Thanks for the growing guide, it's mucho useful.

[The Chili Monster]

It's still blowing a gale here and so the chilli's are stuck indoors much to my annoyance. That's the beauty of living on a damned clifftop, I suppose.
Damned wind has destroyed my broad and french beans, most of my tomato plants, my garlic ... in fact the only plants that are braving the weather are the sunflowers and the lettuce.

[Andy Hamilton]

My pepper plants are comming on too, some of them are still pretty small I guess this is what happens with chilli plants. very impressed with my bell pepper plant it is about three foot tall and just starting to flower.

[The Chili Monster]

Partly thanks to my natural lack of dexterity, coupled with the dreadful weather of late, my once respectable crop of bell peppers has been reduced to the dismal and embarrassing figure of ONE
To add insult to injury that solitary bell pepper plant hates me with a passion and refuses to grow at an optimal rate. Thus I am resigned to overwintering it in the hope of getting a crop next year.
I don't know why but I never enjoy the same success with bell peppers as I do with their pungent cousins, even though the majority of chilli cultivates I grow is the same £"!*&^ species.

[hedgewizard]

I don't have any of these problems owing to the cool weather and a late sowing. My seedlings are one and a half inches high!

[ina]

My seedlings are one and a half inches high!

Mine never even made it that far - they are about an inch high now, and I sowed them in late February. No idea what went wrong, as I had a good crop of peppers in a previous year!