On Fri, 2 Aug 2019 19:34:29 +0100, "Dan S. MacAbre" wrote:

Nick Maclaren wrote:
In article , Dan S. MacAbre wrote:

Okay, thanks. Since I get through a lot of these, I suppose it's time
to get more familiar with them.

Sow them early, indoors, if you can. I germinate them on damp kitchen
roll in ramekins covered with cling film, and then pot them into 2"
pots, but you can sow directly. Then pot them up as you need them,
and put them out when it warms up properly. As Bob Hobden says, they
need good light and warmth - and good drainage, but they aren't fussy
about soil. If you use liquid fertiliser, use a tomato one.


Thanks. Since they germinated in about a day, I think I'll just put
them directly next time. They didn't need much persuasion.


I'll chip in and say that chillies tend to be short-lived perennials. If you
cut down on the water as the evenings draw in, but don't let them go bone dry
and keep them at 5°C or above, they will often survive over winter. I recon on
loosing a third or so of the plants I do this with.

The following year prune lightly just as the very first signs of sprouting
occur, the survivors have got a four month lead over January sown seed and
will romp away.

Mark Rand
--

Rugby
Warwickshire