Can you grow chillie plants from the seeds of chillies bought from the supermarket?
 

Is it possible to grow chillie plants from the seeds of chillies
bought from the supermarket?

Do I just take them out of the pod & plant them in seed compost?

Do then need to germinate in the dark or light?
Do you need to do anything with the seeds before planting them?

Are they ok in normal seed compost?

I have read a bit about putting them in the freezer but dont know if
it applies to normal chillies or special ones?

How long should they take to germinate? (i guess they should be
covered with plastic until they do show)

Thanks for all your help.

In article ,
tom wrote:
Is it possible to grow chillie plants from the seeds of chillies
bought from the supermarket?

In general, yes.

Do I just take them out of the pod & plant them in seed compost?

Yes.

Do then need to germinate in the dark or light?

No.

Do you need to do anything with the seeds before planting them?

No.

Are they ok in normal seed compost?

Yes.

I have read a bit about putting them in the freezer but dont know if
it applies to normal chillies or special ones?

Neither. It applies to some seeds of plants that are adapted to cold
climates; chillis are sub-tropical. They may survive it; they don't
need it, and may dislike it.

How long should they take to germinate? (i guess they should be
covered with plastic until they do show)

A few days to a week or two, if kept warm. Treat them exactly like
tomatoes (to which they are related), except that they are less
hassle. Do NOT overwater them in cold weather.


Make sure that the chillis you get are ripe. You also may find that
they do better as house plants, on a sunny but not overheated
windowsill, than as outdoor plants. They are decorative and easy
to grow. You can also buy specialist seed - I like Thai chillis.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

On 27 Feb 2005 13:22:01 GMT, (Nick Maclaren) wrote:

Thanks Nick

Nick Maclaren wrote:
:: In article ,
:: tom wrote:
::: Is it possible to grow chillie plants from the seeds of chillies
::: bought from the supermarket?
::
:: In general, yes.
::
::: Do I just take them out of the pod & plant them in seed compost?
::
:: Yes.
::
::: Do then need to germinate in the dark or light?
::
:: No.
::
::: Do you need to do anything with the seeds before planting them?
::
:: No.
::
::: Are they ok in normal seed compost?
::
:: Yes.
::
::: I have read a bit about putting them in the freezer but dont know
::: if it applies to normal chillies or special ones?
::
:: Neither. It applies to some seeds of plants that are adapted to
:: cold climates; chillis are sub-tropical. They may survive it;
:: they don't need it, and may dislike it.
::
::: How long should they take to germinate? (i guess they should be
::: covered with plastic until they do show)
::
:: A few days to a week or two, if kept warm. Treat them exactly like
:: tomatoes (to which they are related), except that they are less
:: hassle. Do NOT overwater them in cold weather.
::
::
:: Make sure that the chillis you get are ripe. You also may find
:: that they do better as house plants, on a sunny but not overheated
:: windowsill, than as outdoor plants. They are decorative and easy
:: to grow. You can also buy specialist seed - I like Thai chillis.

I grew some chillis from dried seeds which I got from Spain a few years ago.
They grew to about a foot high in the greenhouse last summer but the
whitefly almost killed them so I moved them outdoors...they didn't really
get any taller or anything else, they just seemed stunted, none of them
flowered or fruited.
I brought them into the house about September and now they are just brown
stalks, but I'm sure I read on here that they will regrow this Spring?
There is no greenery at all but they have good root systems and the woody
stems seem to be strong, is there any hope for them? - they are about ten
inches tall and I have kept them on a windowledge above a radiator, keeping
the compost slightly moist but not wet.
Or would it be wise to just start some from seed as the OP suggested?



--

http://www.blueyonder256k.myby.co.uk/

In article ,
Phil L wrote:

I grew some chillis from dried seeds which I got from Spain a few years ago.
They grew to about a foot high in the greenhouse last summer but the
whitefly almost killed them so I moved them outdoors...they didn't really
get any taller or anything else, they just seemed stunted, none of them
flowered or fruited.

They are pretty marginal outdoors, but most varieties are OK in
the south. If they are infested with bugs, it can stop them flowering
(like many other plants).

I brought them into the house about September and now they are just brown
stalks, but I'm sure I read on here that they will regrow this Spring?

It's a bit misleading. While they are perennials, they are tropical
ones and don't naturally go dormant.

There is no greenery at all but they have good root systems and the woody
stems seem to be strong, is there any hope for them? - they are about ten
inches tall and I have kept them on a windowledge above a radiator, keeping
the compost slightly moist but not wet.

I would junk them.

Or would it be wise to just start some from seed as the OP suggested?

Most people do that.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

Nick Maclaren wrote:
In article ,
Phil L wrote:

I grew some chillis from dried seeds which I got from Spain a few
years ago. They grew to about a foot high in the greenhouse last
summer but the whitefly almost killed them so I moved them
outdoors...they didn't really get any taller or anything else,
they
just seemed stunted, none of them flowered or fruited.

They are pretty marginal outdoors, but most varieties are OK in
the south. If they are infested with bugs, it can stop them
flowering
(like many other plants).

Another thing is that the varieties you buy or bring home from abroad
won't necessarily be ones which do well in the British climate. The
ones you get in packets of seed bought here are more likely to be
reliable.

Also, dried chillies may be quite old, so it's best to sow many more
of the seeds than you think you'll need in case they've died of
boredom.

I brought them into the house about September and now they are
just
brown stalks, but I'm sure I read on here that they will regrow
this
Spring?

It's a bit misleading. While they are perennials, they are
tropical
ones and don't naturally go dormant.

There is no greenery at all but they have good root systems and
the
woody stems seem to be strong, is there any hope for them? - they
are about ten inches tall and I have kept them on a windowledge
above a radiator, keeping the compost slightly moist but not wet.

I would junk them.

Me too, as you say the stems are brown: they should still be green.
I've kept them going for another year by cutting them down to under
6", and supplying only enough water to stop them actually dying over
the winter; they shot from the base, and I got crops from the new
shoots, but nothing like as good as from fresh plants. It was worth
it only for interest.
[...]
Mike.

On 27 Feb 2005 13:22:01 GMT, (Nick Maclaren) wrote:
Can anyone tell me how many seds per pot to use & how large the plants
grow.

Thanks

tom wrote:
On 27 Feb 2005 13:22:01 GMT, (Nick Maclaren)
wrote:
Can anyone tell me how many seds per pot to use & how large the
plants
grow.

I use 2" peat pots, usually with two seeds in each; I pull out the
weaker of the two seedlings. As you're going to use untrustworthy
seed, I'd suggest four or five seeds in each pot. The plants vary,
but will probably get to about three feet.

Mike.

In article ,
Mike Lyle wrote:
tom wrote:
On 27 Feb 2005 13:22:01 GMT, (Nick Maclaren)
wrote:
Can anyone tell me how many seds per pot to use & how large the
plants
grow.

I use 2" peat pots, usually with two seeds in each; I pull out the
weaker of the two seedlings. As you're going to use untrustworthy
seed, I'd suggest four or five seeds in each pot. The plants vary,
but will probably get to about three feet.

As far as growing, I agree. As far as size, er, no. Depending on
the variety and how suitable the growing conditions (e.g. how sunny),
anywhere from 1'-3' is likely. A final pot size of 6"-9" is what
I use. You need a well-drained compost.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

tom wrote:
Is it possible to grow chillie plants from the seeds of chillies
bought from the supermarket?

It is not impossible that the varieties are "owned" by some seedsman in
such a way that growing them on would infringe a patent or similar
mechansim. This is intended to stop commercial piracy, of course, and
I would expect the packaging to be labelled if this were the case,
although I don't think that is obligatory for the end product food
rather than the growing plants.

And, of course, they might not come 'true'. Many commercial varieties
are F1 hybrids, and the generation you grow will revert to the parents
in some ratio based on good old Mendelian mathematics and the number of
genes involved in any particular characteristic.

And then, it is not impossible that polination has been simulated with
hormones, and the seed will not be viable.

But in the end, vast numbers of seeds in supermarket foods are viable
and worth growing. Wonderful thing, Biology

In article .com,
writes:
| tom wrote:
| Is it possible to grow chillie plants from the seeds of chillies
| bought from the supermarket?
|
| It is not impossible that the varieties are "owned" by some seedsman in
| such a way that growing them on would infringe a patent or similar
| mechansim. This is intended to stop commercial piracy, of course, and
| I would expect the packaging to be labelled if this were the case,
| although I don't think that is obligatory for the end product food
| rather than the growing plants.

Oh, no, it IS impossible! Plant breeders' right apply to the
growing FOR SALE (and possibly commercial production) - and do
NOT apply to private gardeners growing for themselves and gifts.
And the UK does not recognise the patenting of plant varieties.

We haven't been taken over completely by USA megacorporations,
not yet, anyway.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.