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Old 23-02-2003, 11:16 PM
Dave Chalton
 
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Default Newbie: Growing chillies indoors

Heya, good to know there are other chilli-heads here in the UK - tend
to keep a low profile. I started growing chillis from seed last year,
from dried fruit in parrot feed! Simplicity itself, as has been said -
got something like 99% germination, and 100% of those survived to
flowering. I was quite pleased with that, as the climate we get here
in Scotland doesn't really suit capsicum breeds. Anyhow, I planted in
March last year, they started flowering mid September, and I was still
getting fruit through to December - I remember since I was forced into
throwing them out to make room for the Christmas tree!

I decided that wasn't ideal, so I planted this years batch at the
beginning of this month, and actually potted them on today, on their
first set of true leaves. I don't have a greenhouse or anything like
that, so theyre all sitting in 8in pots in a sunny window. Hopefully
they'll be fruiting during the very short period that can be classed
as summer, and so have some decent heat!

One breed I got seeds from on holiday got planted last June, and got
pinched out at about 2ft high about christmas time, is now covered in
flower buds, and plants that fruited last ear which I cut back are
actually in flower today! If fruit actually sets on them or not, I
have no idea, but I guess you have to play around to find what dates
and techniques suit your climate and growing season.

Re polination: the paint brush certainly works, with care, but they
also seem to manage by themselves quite well, seemingly with no insect
intervention either - strange I know, but there you go. I would say
that if going round the flowers with the brush, try to do a different
plant each time - some plants won't pollinate from other flowers on
the same plant. Having said that, the very first chilli to set last
year did so with no other flowers at all, on that plant or any other!

Have fun, and if anyone has any other tips/advice, I'm sure we all
would benefit.