Chilli Plants
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hedgewizard
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- Location: dorset, UK
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The Chili Monster
- A selfsufficientish Regular
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- Joined: Sun Feb 05, 2006 10:51 am
- Location: East Sussex
Hedgewizard wrote:
I had plenty of volunteers to act as tasters! I shall be updating as soon as I have made a batch. Then, assuming I don't kill off members of the forum, I shall post the recipe.
Anyway, if you want to see this thread:
http://selfsufficientish.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1283
Funnily enough, I plan to have a go at making chilli chocolate this year, and even fished for recipes on this site! I'm going to attempt to make some unguided once I have some dried chillies.Speaking of chocolate, dark choc and chilli go great together in cooking. Also I had a try of the Cadbury version of chocolatl when I was there some years ago, and was blown away by it. I don't suppose you've got a recipe, CM?
I had plenty of volunteers to act as tasters! I shall be updating as soon as I have made a batch. Then, assuming I don't kill off members of the forum, I shall post the recipe.
Anyway, if you want to see this thread:
http://selfsufficientish.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1283
"Rich, fatty foods are like destiny: they too, shape our ends." ~Author Unknown
Support Team "Trim Taut & Terrific"
Support Team "Trim Taut & Terrific"
Wow,
My Cherry Bomb is the only one of 6 different varieties of chilli plants to produce more than one chilli (3 in total), but it now has more flowers! Is this usual?
Just harvested the only chilli from the Hot Caribbean plant - what's the best use for it (given that it's small & hot)?
Sorry if this is all bit disjointed - I've had a migraine & am still a bit 'washed out' feeling.
My Cherry Bomb is the only one of 6 different varieties of chilli plants to produce more than one chilli (3 in total), but it now has more flowers! Is this usual?
Just harvested the only chilli from the Hot Caribbean plant - what's the best use for it (given that it's small & hot)?
Sorry if this is all bit disjointed - I've had a migraine & am still a bit 'washed out' feeling.
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The Chili Monster
- A selfsufficientish Regular
- Posts: 1087
- Joined: Sun Feb 05, 2006 10:51 am
- Location: East Sussex
Hi
There are a number of reasons as to why your chilli plant is flowering so late. The most obvious is that this type simply takes longer to flower than other varieties. Other, less obvious reasons include not enough or the wrong type of plant food; not only are chilli plants are greedy feeders, they are naturally bushy plants. If you feed them a nitrogen-rich feed then the plant will use this to produce more leaves and to grow taller, which is all fine and dandy in their native South America, but just pants here. Once your chilli plant is flowering, feed it an organic tomato or potassium rich food since this is required for fruiting.
As a last ditch measure, you could try pinching out the tips at the end of the branches. I don't advocate this method early in the year, since it prevents the plant from bushing out, thus restricting the number of flower nodes. However, at this time of the year it's an acceptable method of directing the plant's energy into fruit production.
WARNING: do not pinch out branch tips if you plan to overwinter (otherwise it'll cancel out the benefits.)
Tips for next year
1. Start growing early
2. Feed your pepper plant seedling a decent nitrogen-rich food to promote growth and bushing out
3. Pinch out growing tip to encourage bushing (leave until at least 30 cm/ 1 ft in height; preferably taller)
4. At sign of flowering, switch to a potassium-based feed to encourage fruit to set
5.Pinch out branch tips to concentrate plant growth to fruit
6. Overwinter to get an early crop from an existing plant
The best thing to do with your hot carribean pepper (or other chinenses such as scotch bonnets or habaneros) is to either add it to a curry or a mexican dish; but my guess is that you are looking to get the most out of it over a longer period of time? The chinenses are brilliant for making or adding to jam, pickle or chutney. I will post a recipe for jam at a later date, since I am experimenting with it.
Oh yes, don't forget to save the seeds (could swap them with other ishers, see my article on the main SSIsh site or the original Wiki.)
I will also be updating the wiki article soon with tips on drying, pickling and freezing.
Hope this helps!
There are a number of reasons as to why your chilli plant is flowering so late. The most obvious is that this type simply takes longer to flower than other varieties. Other, less obvious reasons include not enough or the wrong type of plant food; not only are chilli plants are greedy feeders, they are naturally bushy plants. If you feed them a nitrogen-rich feed then the plant will use this to produce more leaves and to grow taller, which is all fine and dandy in their native South America, but just pants here. Once your chilli plant is flowering, feed it an organic tomato or potassium rich food since this is required for fruiting.
As a last ditch measure, you could try pinching out the tips at the end of the branches. I don't advocate this method early in the year, since it prevents the plant from bushing out, thus restricting the number of flower nodes. However, at this time of the year it's an acceptable method of directing the plant's energy into fruit production.
WARNING: do not pinch out branch tips if you plan to overwinter (otherwise it'll cancel out the benefits.)
Tips for next year
1. Start growing early
2. Feed your pepper plant seedling a decent nitrogen-rich food to promote growth and bushing out
3. Pinch out growing tip to encourage bushing (leave until at least 30 cm/ 1 ft in height; preferably taller)
4. At sign of flowering, switch to a potassium-based feed to encourage fruit to set
5.Pinch out branch tips to concentrate plant growth to fruit
6. Overwinter to get an early crop from an existing plant
The best thing to do with your hot carribean pepper (or other chinenses such as scotch bonnets or habaneros) is to either add it to a curry or a mexican dish; but my guess is that you are looking to get the most out of it over a longer period of time? The chinenses are brilliant for making or adding to jam, pickle or chutney. I will post a recipe for jam at a later date, since I am experimenting with it.
Oh yes, don't forget to save the seeds (could swap them with other ishers, see my article on the main SSIsh site or the original Wiki.)
I will also be updating the wiki article soon with tips on drying, pickling and freezing.
Hope this helps!
"Rich, fatty foods are like destiny: they too, shape our ends." ~Author Unknown
Support Team "Trim Taut & Terrific"
Support Team "Trim Taut & Terrific"
As always ChilliMonster, you've been a great help.
I am planning on over-wintering these plants now that we're getting a greenhouse on the allottment. Will save the seeds from this year's fruit, as that's how I have plants of 6 different varieties: a chilli-loving friend saved them from chillies she bought.
I am planning on over-wintering these plants now that we're getting a greenhouse on the allottment. Will save the seeds from this year's fruit, as that's how I have plants of 6 different varieties: a chilli-loving friend saved them from chillies she bought.