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.

Kevin

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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.

Start them at the end of January or during February.

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.

This year was not very good. The Jalapino on my windowsill in the study
(pruned-back one from last year) only has nine chillis on it now. I have
had a few off it earlier, mind.

The ones in the frame were late sown, but have a fair few on.

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.

What do you feed them on? Do you keep them well watered?

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.

Short answer - no.

However, if you are going outside the EC for your holidays, you might be
breaking the law by bringing seeds into the country.

--
Rusty
horrid dot squeak snailything zetnet point co full-stop uk
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/

wrote:

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.

Probably not warm enough for them and/or build up of diseases in the
soil. Do you use growbags or plant them directly into soil?

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.

Could be too high nitrogen feed and not enough potash. Try tomato feed
or Phostrogen. Never had too much trouble with chillis. Sweet pepper and
aubergine tend to be more tricky to get a decent crop on.

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.

Only if you drop the Xray machine onto the seeds.

Regards,
Martin Brown

Mine is still flowering in the greenhouse. Is it likely to be perennial?
(3inch long chillis)

The message
from "Trevor" contains these words:

Mine is still flowering in the greenhouse. Is it likely to be perennial?
(3inch long chillis)

Yes - up to a point. They last several years, anyway. However, better
cropping results are usually obtained from first year plants.

--
Rusty
horrid dot squeak snailything zetnet point co full-stop uk
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/

In article .com,
writes
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 could be (probably am) completely wrong - but might they be a variety
that isn't self fertile? (I don't know if such a thing exists). If so,
there might not be enough insect life in the greenhouse? Do you use any
bug sprays, etc? Beside that, are you growing in soil or growbags/pots?
Is there enough ventilation?

--
regards andyw

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.

newsb wrote:
In article .com,
writes
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 could be (probably am) completely wrong - but might they be a variety
that isn't self fertile? (I don't know if such a thing exists). If so,
there might not be enough insect life in the greenhouse? Do you use any
bug sprays, etc? Beside that, are you growing in soil or growbags/pots?
Is there enough ventilation?

--
regards andyw

I don't think it can be the pollination as one or two plants are ok and
the other just don't have flowers on them. They are grown in two
greenhouses in differnt locations so very diffrent soil types. One has
a high compost content, from the compost heap and the other just garden
soil but does get a lot of bonfire ash after Nov 5th.

Kevin

In article .com,
writes:
|
| I don't think it can be the pollination as one or two plants are ok and
| the other just don't have flowers on them. They are grown in two
| greenhouses in differnt locations so very diffrent soil types. One has
| a high compost content, from the compost heap and the other just garden
| soil but does get a lot of bonfire ash after Nov 5th.

This happened to me, too. It is quite possibly cross-pollination
in the seed plants - in my case, the shy plant was much taller
than the others.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

The message
from (Nick Maclaren) contains these words:
In article .com,
writes:
|
| I don't think it can be the pollination as one or two plants are ok and
| the other just don't have flowers on them. They are grown in two
| greenhouses in differnt locations so very diffrent soil types. One has
| a high compost content, from the compost heap and the other just garden
| soil but does get a lot of bonfire ash after Nov 5th.

This happened to me, too. It is quite possibly cross-pollination
in the seed plants - in my case, the shy plant was much taller
than the others.

I wonder whether it would flower the following year(s)?

--
Rusty
horrid dot squeak snailything zetnet point co full-stop uk
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/

Jaques d'Alltrades wrote:
The message
from (Nick Maclaren) contains these words:
In article .com,
writes:
|
| I don't think it can be the pollination as one or two plants are ok and
| the other just don't have flowers on them. They are grown in two
| greenhouses in differnt locations so very diffrent soil types. One has
| a high compost content, from the compost heap and the other just garden
| soil but does get a lot of bonfire ash after Nov 5th.

This happened to me, too. It is quite possibly cross-pollination
in the seed plants - in my case, the shy plant was much taller
than the others.

I wonder whether it would flower the following year(s)?

--
Rusty
horrid dot squeak snailything zetnet point co full-stop uk
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/

They always get badly hit by frost as the greenhouses are unheated but
it might worth experimenting by taking one plant inside the house to
overwinter.
Kevin

The message . com
from contains these words:

They always get badly hit by frost as the greenhouses are unheated but
it might worth experimenting by taking one plant inside the house to
overwinter.

Treat all of them as decorative...

My ones taken inside are shedding leaves, but the chillis on them are
ripening more quickly, despite being on an east-facing windowsill.

--
Rusty
horrid dot squeak snailything zetnet point co full-stop uk
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/