"Rick" wrote
I was watching a gardening program a while back, I think it may have
been about a "Gardening Show". One guy who was exhibiting was showing
chili's, which got me thinking about having a go at growing some so :-

Can anyone advise me on a chili that is, easy to grow, quite hot and
is versatile in use.

We have grown them out on the allotment for years. The one we prefer and
which always does well is Thai Dragon which is very hot. Seeds are available
from Thompson & Morgan in most good GCs or online and I plant ours about the
middle of April in a heated propagator and grow them on in a heated
greenhouse (min 50°F) until the end of May when we plant them out in an open
sunny spot (normally protected from any N. wind by the sweetcorn).
A few good feeds of Seaweed Extract seems to get them off to a good start,
after that they are left to themselves unless it's dry when I do water. The
plants never grow large, are always compact bushes.
Come the chance of a frost in Sept or Oct, although they are perennial
plants, we pull the plants up and strip off the fruit. Freeze well.
A lot of the other Chillies are from hot areas of the world and simply don't
like our short summers.
Keeping chilli plants over winter is difficult even with a heated
greenhouse, too dull, too damp.....they just wither away.
--
Regards
Bob Hobden
17mls W. of London.UK