Talkback: Sowing seeds - chillies and sweet peppers - Page 2 - Talkback

13/06/2008 at 12:34

I have sown my free seeds of chilli's and Peppers and they have come up. They are about 1.5 inches high now, but my tomatoes are still only about 2 inches high but leggy. Am I doing something wrong? and do they need to go outside?

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18/06/2008 at 16:01

I got myself a green house earlier this year and started gardening only 3 months ago, so it's all new to me. Can anybody tell me why my tomato plant leaves have all gone brown and why I don't have many flowers on them yet. Each plant is now about four foot tall.

Gardeners' World Web User

19/06/2008 at 16:01

Hi Simon, you may have tomato leaf mould on your plants.Keep your greenhouse well-ventilated and remove all borwn leaves and burn them. You could also give the plants a feed with an organic fertiliser such as seaweed or comfrey, which will boost nutrient levels and increase flower numbers. Good luck, Kate

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19/06/2008 at 16:08

Thanks for that. I will give it a shot and see how it goes.

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27/06/2008 at 20:26

I'm new to this vegetable growing but I'm doing very well growing and harvesting salad leaves, lettuce and radishes in large garden troughs. Can't wait for the spring onions! However, after buying a half price sweet pepper kit I have about 7 plants in 7 very big pots which are up to 18 inches high and have started to flower. Is this normal? The plants are still on the windowsill - I'm scared they'll hate it outside!

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30/06/2008 at 16:27

I currently have 15 pepper plants in my allotment, they were looking very healthy until last week, I noticed that the stem on one of them had started turning black.

As I have not grown peppers before I'm not sure what to do, will this affect the rest of the plants and is there anything I should do?

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02/07/2008 at 15:13

I caught the gardening bug this year and have tomatoes, peppers, squashes to name but a few. However, one of my pepper plants has 3 very short squat fruits near the bottom of the plant with brown "stretch marks" on it that have done nothing for about a month now. Is this normal? It is also producing rather longer "normal" looking peppers near the top. Can anyone please help?

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13/07/2008 at 19:24

Grapes how do u get them to grow please had them for about 3 years only small grapes and then pop anyone help thanks

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15/07/2008 at 20:54

Should I remove side-shoots from chillies like I do from tomato plants?

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19/07/2008 at 13:07

I grew spaanse pepper/chilies already for 3 summers in my balcony in Rotterdam. I sowed them on Feb/March in the small glass container and put it in the windowsill in my living room to keep them warmed.

Kept them moist all the time and end of April/beginning of May, I planted them in the big pots and placed them in the sunny spot in my balcony. I pinched the tips of the plants to encourage the growth after I planted them.

Now in July, my pepper plants are big, bushy and healthy. Bunches of white flowers are starting to open and giving such delight view from my kitchen. I am confident they will give me again good harvest this year.

Last year, in my small balcony, I harvested almost 3 kilos of beautiful red chilies.I kept them in the refrigerator and it last me for over 6 months.

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21/07/2008 at 20:16

Could someone please explain why my peppers have turned black? and are they edible.

Gardeners' World Web User

23/07/2008 at 07:46

No, leave the side shoots on your peppers. These will carry flowers and fruits, too. Remember to stake and support your plants as if they're in pots they can get very top-heavy as fruits ripen.

Gardeners' World Web User

25/07/2008 at 08:49

Hi, can any one tell me how to preserve sweet peppers we have eaten them abroad slightly cooked but not done in vinegar and the only recipe,s i can find are preserved in vinegar. thanks

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26/07/2008 at 21:49

Please can i ask ...what feed is best for peppers mine have loads of flowers, but seem to need a light boost.

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28/07/2008 at 15:28

My chilli pepper plants are growing really well and I have lots of green chillies (which are now quite big for chilli peppers) when do they go red please, how patient do I need to be?

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29/07/2008 at 19:17

I have the same question as Molly. My Chillies are about 3 inches long but green - will they turn red? Worried if I leave them too long that they might turn bad?

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31/07/2008 at 21:17

I also have chilli peppers that i am waiting to turn red. i fear that if i pick them when green they might not be hot enough. I also noticed that some of the flowers fall off.

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02/08/2008 at 11:37

My 2 Chilli plants are both about 2.5 - 3ft tall and although they have had flowers on them for weeks now they do not seem to be developing into fruits. Same with my red pepper plant. They are in one of those walk in plastic greenhouses at the moment. Would I be better off planting them outside?

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05/08/2008 at 10:18

Chillies!!! Im addicted! I love growing this plant..in fact i have a greenhouse crammed full of different types!!! the free seeds are now romping away producing some weird and wonderful shaped chillies!! Used my first of the green chillis in a thai green curry last night!! (have to go easy was a bit too hot for some!!) Red Chillis are fantasic dried i still have about a quarter left of last years crop.

Gardeners' World Web User

05/08/2008 at 12:08

Yes, I'm a novice veg gardener too. My pepper plants are all doing well (in about 8/9" pots). They've grown to about 10" high and have masses of flowers and small peppers now but I'm concerned that the peppers wont have enough room to grow as they seem somewhat crowded. Should I take out some of the shoots to give the fruits room, should I have potted them into bigger pots as they haven't grown as tall as I would have expected or do I just leave them and hope for the best?