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chilli peppers

Anyone have any hints or tips on growing hot chillies? We have a greenhouse, poly tunnel and a south - facing patio but have so far failed to get fruit. We are in the north east so our growing season is a bit shorter than most but I think we should be able to get something. All advice gratefully received.
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  • Hi Barbara... I am a bit of a chilli head!! Firstly which variety are you growing or have you tried to grow in the past? A lot of the hotter chillies have a higher germination temperature and will require a heated propogator to germinate. They also have a longer growing period some 90+ days which as you will appreciate is not conducive to the uk...... Pm me if you like 

  • ClaringtonClarington Posts: 4,949

    Barbara I heartily recommend you quiz Stacey til you're blue in the face - she's an extra amazing lady when it comes to chillies! 

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    Aahhhhhh clari such praise u will make me blush

  • Jim MacdJim Macd Posts: 750

    I'm in the north east too but had good fruit every year except when I tried to grow with just one plant. I had to buy an Apache to act as pollinator and hand pollinate. I always hand pollinate as I grow in the porch. Maybe that's your problem.

  • I always grow mine outside him so don't have to hand pollinate but when I bring some in over winter I use the flick method!!!!  Chillis like to be treated rough as well... Always let them wilt a little before watering and don't feed until they flower ( chilli focus is the best)

  • Jim MacdJim Macd Posts: 750
    Stacey Docherty wrote (see)

    I always grow mine outside him so don't have to hand pollinate but when I bring some in over winter I use the flick method!!!!  Chillis like to be treated rough as well... Always let them wilt a little before watering and don't feed until they flower ( chilli focus is the best)

    ~When you say the 'flick method' what do you mean?

  • I flick the flowers gently this helps distribute pollen I don't want fruits in the winter as in my experience this slows production in the summer. This method is obviously hit and miss works better with flowers higher up the plant.... If you want to self pollinate during the winter then a q-tip or paint brush is the best method ( or black biro lid so you can see the pollen)

  • Jim MacdJim Macd Posts: 750

    I didn't get a single chilli set when I had just one plant. I'd managed to keep one plant going over the winter a couple of years ago but despite having loads of flowers every single one fell off despite me going around with a paint brush. It wasn't until I bought the Apache that I then started to get fruit setting.  When I say one plant I mean one individual, I'd taken cuttings so actually had that one individual in four pots, in other words four clones. I realise they have both male and female parts in each flower but so do many self sterile plants.  Maybe there was some other reason for the plants not forming fruit. Why do you sometimes get fruit forming but not growing. You get tiny stumpy ones with no seed. See, I thought that was when it had self pollinated. It happens in tomatoes too. I go around every day shaking the tomato plants but towards the end of the season I don't bother and you get tiny sterile ones forming. I quite like them because they're incredibly sweet. 

  • Zoomer44Zoomer44 Posts: 3,267

    I start my chillies off about now sowing them in a heated propogator and as soon as they appear vent the propogator before putting them on a window ledge which gets most light. I put them further inside the room if it's cold outside so they don't get a chill through the window, then it's a case of waiting for the last frost before they go out in the GH, potting up when roots appear at the bottom of the pot.

    Apache, I've found is always a good cropper. They seem to take forever to flower though but once in flower the fruits grow fairly quickly. Mine polinate without help, would have thought there were enough good guys in a GH or poly tunnel to do the job for you.

    I'm in the NW and chillies/peppers are usually the last fruit harvested in the GH. When there's enough chillies on the plant I cut it off at the stem and dry them in the GH hung from the ceiling. They were brought in at the end of October last year to finish drying in the kitchen.

    It could be you are sowing too late. As a back up I buy one one or two seedling plants. If you are only growing a few plants it works out more economical than sowing from seed and in my case usually ahead of home sown one's.

     

  • Some great advice, thanks. I have just bought a heated propagator so that should help. I know we have grown jalape??os sort of or but I can't remember the others. Stacey, I will be getting back to you for sure. Up until now we have tried other pots and in the poly tunnel border. When we tried overwintering they died. Will keep trying.
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