Tips for growing chillies

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Stephen Shirley on May 20, 2011 at 16:55

My monthly article in More From Your Garden  magazine was meant to be about growing Chillies - but I ran out of time; luckily the Editor understands I have a day job so knows I can be erratic !

 

But anyway I'm planning to do a video clip in the next week or so (quicker that typing) so when I do I'll post it.

 

(as it happens have just spent the afternoon spacing out all our Chillies as well as selecting the plants we'll be using for seed production - so they'll be going in their tents soon!)

 

 

Permalink Reply by Zoe on May 20, 2011 at 17:14

Una, this site is terrifying.  I just put seeds in a pot of compost & hope they will grow.  Now I'll have to get specialist lighting, vintage bat guano & potash feed;-)

 

 

Permalink Reply by Una Bee on May 20, 2011 at 17:26

Zoe - That's what I did and ended up buying some as plants because some of the seeds didn't germinate. Next year I'll try my luck with a cheap heated propagator, I'm hoping that bat guano won't be needed. :) 

Permalink Reply by Zoe on May 20, 2011 at 18:00

The best tips I have gathered for growing chilli's (although I haven't used them as yet) are:

 

1. Pinch out the growing tip once the plant reaches 30cm - this makes it more bushy.

2. As soon as the first chilli appears pinch it off as soon as possible - this is named the 'king chilli' and if you leave it the plant won't produce as many flowers.

3. Don't put chillies in too big a pot - apparently they benefit from restricted root space.

4. Feed the plant occasionally with tomato food - but not until the first fruits have set.  If you feed the plant too early then you just get loads of lush green growth & the flowers take ages longer to appear.

5. Don't over water - Chilli's are used to dry conditions.  Give a good soak once a week when necessary.  The drier the conditions the hotter the chilli.

 

These are the tips I'm going to be following this year, as I said I haven't tested them yet.  Hope they help.

Permalink Reply by Una Bee on May 20, 2011 at 18:17

I hadn't heard about pinching off the 'king chilli', I knew I was missing a trick.

Permalink Reply by Stephen Shirley on May 20, 2011 at 19:50

I'm sorry but I have to disagree on quite a few points...

 

1 because a central leader is more helpful and increases overall yield as flower / fruit is formed from the side shoots.

 

Similarly from my own experience of growing chillies (25 years +) nipping the first makes no difference at all.

 

As to moisture - I agree that over wet will cause low heat - just as over wet tomatoes have no flavour (without getting too complicated its all to do with sugar or capsicum (depending on which crop) development due to moisture levels - but if I left my Chillies for  more than two days before watering they would be dead! Perhaps watering technique comes in as well.

 

As to 3 / 4 its more  a case of balance, pot size makes no difference if the compost is low in nutrient.  As to tomato food, this is supposed to encourage flower (and thus fruit) so using before first fruit should make no difference whatsoever (but personally I wouldn't waste my money on gimmick fertilisers be it for tomatoes or chillies or whatever!)

 

Zoe said:

The best tips I have gathered for growing chilli's (although I haven't used them as yet) are:

 

1. Pinch out the growing tip once the plant reaches 30cm - this makes it more bushy.

2. As soon as the first chilli appears pinch it off as soon as possible - this is named the 'king chilli' and if you leave it the plant won't produce as many flowers.

3. Don't put chillies in too big a pot - apparently they benefit from restricted root space.

4. Feed the plant occasionally with tomato food - but not until the first fruits have set.  If you feed the plant too early then you just get loads of lush green growth & the flowers take ages longer to appear.

5. Don't over water - Chilli's are used to dry conditions.  Give a good soak once a week when necessary.  The drier the conditions the hotter the chilli.

 

These are the tips I'm going to be following this year, as I said I haven't tested them yet.  Hope they help.

Permalink Reply by Rob Duffin on May 21, 2011 at 8:32

Come on then, don't leave us hanging like that - what's the best watering technique and what are you feeding yours with? ;>)

Stephen Shirley said:

I'm sorry but I have to disagree on quite a few points...

 

As to moisture - I agree that over wet will cause low heat - just as over wet tomatoes have no flavour (without getting too complicated its all to do with sugar or capsicum (depending on which crop) development due to moisture levels - but if I left my Chillies for  more than two days before watering they would be dead! Perhaps watering technique comes in as well.

 

As to 3 / 4 its more  a case of balance, pot size makes no difference if the compost is low in nutrient.  As to tomato food, this is supposed to encourage flower (and thus fruit) so using before first fruit should make no difference whatsoever (but personally I wouldn't waste my money on gimmick fertilisers be it for tomatoes or chillies or whatever!)

 

Permalink Reply by Una Bee on May 21, 2011 at 8:48

Well that makes my job easy then, basically just ignore the buggers. :) There's lots of advice available (I've read about the things Zoe listed) but it's nice to hear if they actually work. Last year I left my chilli pretty much to its own devices and still managed to grow a lovely and healthy plant with plenty of fruit. Looks like I don't need to do much differently this year.

 

Permalink Reply by Una Bee on May 21, 2011 at 8:51

Rob - I hope all will be revealed in the video clip next week. :)

Permalink Reply by Stephen Shirley on May 21, 2011 at 9:08

Watering wise, never early in the morning or late in the afternoon - I check mine and our tomatoes at around 1.30 every day. If the compost is moist (dark) on either toms or chillies I just leave. If the compost is obviously dry (light in colour) the pot get filled to the brim with water. (I grow in a 12 litre pot and leave a 4" gap at the top for flooding). So its more a case of letting them all but dry out before starting again - and making sure the roots don't get a cold hit early or late in the day.

 

Feed wise, just good old Vitax Q4 - nothing special - just nice and balanced. I don't liquid feed at all and with tomatoes will simply make a strong top up compost mix to fill the pots a bit more - with the chillies - nothing as they are not such gross feeders. They get what goes in at the beginning and that's it.

Rob Duffin said:

Come on then, don't leave us hanging like that - what's the best watering technique and what are you feeding yours with? ;>)

Stephen Shirley said:

I'm sorry but I have to disagree on quite a few points...

 

As to moisture - I agree that over wet will cause low heat - just as over wet tomatoes have no flavour (without getting too complicated its all to do with sugar or capsicum (depending on which crop) development due to moisture levels - but if I left my Chillies for  more than two days before watering they would be dead! Perhaps watering technique comes in as well.

 

As to 3 / 4 its more  a case of balance, pot size makes no difference if the compost is low in nutrient.  As to tomato food, this is supposed to encourage flower (and thus fruit) so using before first fruit should make no difference whatsoever (but personally I wouldn't waste my money on gimmick fertilisers be it for tomatoes or chillies or whatever!)

 

Permalink Reply by Rob Duffin on May 21, 2011 at 9:17

Thanks!

Permalink Reply by Zoe on May 21, 2011 at 13:45

I'll just ignore all the 'tips' I found then.

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