wrote in message
oups.com...
Can anybody tell me where I am going wrong growing chillis. I have been
growing bird seed chillis, the small very hot ones from Thailand, and
for the first few years the results were good. I grow them in an
unheated greenhouse starting them in a heated propergator about March
although the last couple of years I have started later in April as I
have been on holiday in March.
Each year I have had fewer and fewer plants with chillis on them. This
year just one plant out of about 24 in my own greenhouse and two plants
out of a slightly higher figure grown in my parents greenhouse.
So why am I getting about 90% of the plants with no chillis and only
10% with chilles. The seeds come out of the same packet, propergated at
the same time but the majority just don't have flowers and fruit.
The ones without are much more vigourous growers and make the plants
with chillis look stunted.
I was going to hold back some of the chillis to use for seed and not
rely on seeds from a packet. I have been buying the seeds whilst on
holiday and I was wondering if an airport X-ray machine can affect
them.

Usually I grow Habanero, but this season I grew Jalapeno out of curiosity
and the size of crop was truly fantastic. Seeds came from B&Q own brand,
set in April and I gave away all seedlings except two which I grew on to
eventually plant up into 10" dia pots and kept on the cold greenhouse bench.
These were treated exactly like the tomatoes, same tom fertiliser, daily
watering etc....no difference.
Finally had to place them on the floor because they grew to be over four
foot tall and far too top-heavy to be stable. The two plants produced a
whole bucket full of fruit,.........enough to string up for Xmas decorations
for the high street.......unless they offend somebody.