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#1
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Can you grow chillie plants from the seeds of chillies bought from the supermarket?
Is it possible to grow chillie plants from the seeds of chillies
bought from the supermarket? Do I just take them out of the pod & plant them in seed compost? Do then need to germinate in the dark or light? Do you need to do anything with the seeds before planting them? Are they ok in normal seed compost? I have read a bit about putting them in the freezer but dont know if it applies to normal chillies or special ones? How long should they take to germinate? (i guess they should be covered with plastic until they do show) Thanks for all your help. |
#2
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In article ,
tom wrote: Is it possible to grow chillie plants from the seeds of chillies bought from the supermarket? In general, yes. Do I just take them out of the pod & plant them in seed compost? Yes. Do then need to germinate in the dark or light? No. Do you need to do anything with the seeds before planting them? No. Are they ok in normal seed compost? Yes. I have read a bit about putting them in the freezer but dont know if it applies to normal chillies or special ones? Neither. It applies to some seeds of plants that are adapted to cold climates; chillis are sub-tropical. They may survive it; they don't need it, and may dislike it. How long should they take to germinate? (i guess they should be covered with plastic until they do show) A few days to a week or two, if kept warm. Treat them exactly like tomatoes (to which they are related), except that they are less hassle. Do NOT overwater them in cold weather. Make sure that the chillis you get are ripe. You also may find that they do better as house plants, on a sunny but not overheated windowsill, than as outdoor plants. They are decorative and easy to grow. You can also buy specialist seed - I like Thai chillis. Regards, Nick Maclaren. |
#3
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On 27 Feb 2005 13:22:01 GMT, (Nick Maclaren) wrote:
Thanks Nick |
#4
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Nick Maclaren wrote:
:: In article , :: tom wrote: ::: Is it possible to grow chillie plants from the seeds of chillies ::: bought from the supermarket? :: :: In general, yes. :: ::: Do I just take them out of the pod & plant them in seed compost? :: :: Yes. :: ::: Do then need to germinate in the dark or light? :: :: No. :: ::: Do you need to do anything with the seeds before planting them? :: :: No. :: ::: Are they ok in normal seed compost? :: :: Yes. :: ::: I have read a bit about putting them in the freezer but dont know ::: if it applies to normal chillies or special ones? :: :: Neither. It applies to some seeds of plants that are adapted to :: cold climates; chillis are sub-tropical. They may survive it; :: they don't need it, and may dislike it. :: ::: How long should they take to germinate? (i guess they should be ::: covered with plastic until they do show) :: :: A few days to a week or two, if kept warm. Treat them exactly like :: tomatoes (to which they are related), except that they are less :: hassle. Do NOT overwater them in cold weather. :: :: :: Make sure that the chillis you get are ripe. You also may find :: that they do better as house plants, on a sunny but not overheated :: windowsill, than as outdoor plants. They are decorative and easy :: to grow. You can also buy specialist seed - I like Thai chillis. I grew some chillis from dried seeds which I got from Spain a few years ago. They grew to about a foot high in the greenhouse last summer but the whitefly almost killed them so I moved them outdoors...they didn't really get any taller or anything else, they just seemed stunted, none of them flowered or fruited. I brought them into the house about September and now they are just brown stalks, but I'm sure I read on here that they will regrow this Spring? There is no greenery at all but they have good root systems and the woody stems seem to be strong, is there any hope for them? - they are about ten inches tall and I have kept them on a windowledge above a radiator, keeping the compost slightly moist but not wet. Or would it be wise to just start some from seed as the OP suggested? -- http://www.blueyonder256k.myby.co.uk/ |
#5
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In article ,
Phil L wrote: I grew some chillis from dried seeds which I got from Spain a few years ago. They grew to about a foot high in the greenhouse last summer but the whitefly almost killed them so I moved them outdoors...they didn't really get any taller or anything else, they just seemed stunted, none of them flowered or fruited. They are pretty marginal outdoors, but most varieties are OK in the south. If they are infested with bugs, it can stop them flowering (like many other plants). I brought them into the house about September and now they are just brown stalks, but I'm sure I read on here that they will regrow this Spring? It's a bit misleading. While they are perennials, they are tropical ones and don't naturally go dormant. There is no greenery at all but they have good root systems and the woody stems seem to be strong, is there any hope for them? - they are about ten inches tall and I have kept them on a windowledge above a radiator, keeping the compost slightly moist but not wet. I would junk them. Or would it be wise to just start some from seed as the OP suggested? Most people do that. Regards, Nick Maclaren. |
#6
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Nick Maclaren wrote:
In article , Phil L wrote: I grew some chillis from dried seeds which I got from Spain a few years ago. They grew to about a foot high in the greenhouse last summer but the whitefly almost killed them so I moved them outdoors...they didn't really get any taller or anything else, they just seemed stunted, none of them flowered or fruited. They are pretty marginal outdoors, but most varieties are OK in the south. If they are infested with bugs, it can stop them flowering (like many other plants). Another thing is that the varieties you buy or bring home from abroad won't necessarily be ones which do well in the British climate. The ones you get in packets of seed bought here are more likely to be reliable. Also, dried chillies may be quite old, so it's best to sow many more of the seeds than you think you'll need in case they've died of boredom. I brought them into the house about September and now they are just brown stalks, but I'm sure I read on here that they will regrow this Spring? It's a bit misleading. While they are perennials, they are tropical ones and don't naturally go dormant. There is no greenery at all but they have good root systems and the woody stems seem to be strong, is there any hope for them? - they are about ten inches tall and I have kept them on a windowledge above a radiator, keeping the compost slightly moist but not wet. I would junk them. Me too, as you say the stems are brown: they should still be green. I've kept them going for another year by cutting them down to under 6", and supplying only enough water to stop them actually dying over the winter; they shot from the base, and I got crops from the new shoots, but nothing like as good as from fresh plants. It was worth it only for interest. [...] Mike. |
#7
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On 27 Feb 2005 13:22:01 GMT, (Nick Maclaren) wrote:
Can anyone tell me how many seds per pot to use & how large the plants grow. Thanks |
#8
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tom wrote:
On 27 Feb 2005 13:22:01 GMT, (Nick Maclaren) wrote: Can anyone tell me how many seds per pot to use & how large the plants grow. I use 2" peat pots, usually with two seeds in each; I pull out the weaker of the two seedlings. As you're going to use untrustworthy seed, I'd suggest four or five seeds in each pot. The plants vary, but will probably get to about three feet. Mike. |
#9
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In article ,
Mike Lyle wrote: tom wrote: On 27 Feb 2005 13:22:01 GMT, (Nick Maclaren) wrote: Can anyone tell me how many seds per pot to use & how large the plants grow. I use 2" peat pots, usually with two seeds in each; I pull out the weaker of the two seedlings. As you're going to use untrustworthy seed, I'd suggest four or five seeds in each pot. The plants vary, but will probably get to about three feet. As far as growing, I agree. As far as size, er, no. Depending on the variety and how suitable the growing conditions (e.g. how sunny), anywhere from 1'-3' is likely. A final pot size of 6"-9" is what I use. You need a well-drained compost. Regards, Nick Maclaren. |
#10
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tom wrote:
Is it possible to grow chillie plants from the seeds of chillies bought from the supermarket? It is not impossible that the varieties are "owned" by some seedsman in such a way that growing them on would infringe a patent or similar mechansim. This is intended to stop commercial piracy, of course, and I would expect the packaging to be labelled if this were the case, although I don't think that is obligatory for the end product food rather than the growing plants. And, of course, they might not come 'true'. Many commercial varieties are F1 hybrids, and the generation you grow will revert to the parents in some ratio based on good old Mendelian mathematics and the number of genes involved in any particular characteristic. And then, it is not impossible that polination has been simulated with hormones, and the seed will not be viable. But in the end, vast numbers of seeds in supermarket foods are viable and worth growing. Wonderful thing, Biology |
#11
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