Newbie: Growing chillies indoors
 

Sorry if this has been aksed before - I have searched google for similar
posts but nothing has come up - sorry for missing anything that should have.

I recently bought a mixed variety pack of chilli seeds from Mr Fothergills
online. The seeds have germinated in a cheapo propogator and are now about
2-3 inches tall. I have thinned off some of the weeker looking ones and now
have about 6 seedlings sitting next to a big set of bays doors in my
third-floor flat.

My question is this: where do I go from here !! I plan to repot them into 6"
pots - will they be OK left to grow on the windowsil ?? Also, do I need to
do any assisted polination once the flowers appear - I dont plan on letting
too many bees into the flat so will I have to do this myself in order to get
fruit ?? If so, how ?!

Any answers to these questions, and/or general tips for growing these
beauties will be much appreciated !

Cheers.

Newbie: Growing chillies indoors
 

"sprocket" wrote in message
...
Sorry if this has been aksed before - I have searched google for similar
posts but nothing has come up - sorry for missing anything that should
have.

I recently bought a mixed variety pack of chilli seeds from Mr Fothergills
online. The seeds have germinated in a cheapo propogator and are now about
Any answers to these questions, and/or general tips for growing these
beauties will be much appreciated !

I think I grew something similar last year so some simple pointers:

When they have a few more leaves ( 4 pairs ) pinch the tips out so that the
plant bushes up. If it gets too tall in a pot it'll just fall over later
especially if some of the chilli varieties are the larger ones for
roasting/stuffing. They like lots of heat and light so the windowsill is
good if it gets good sun. Turn the plants regularly. Feed with tomato feed
once the chillis/peppers have started to form. If they're anything like
mine, they seemed to set fruit without any intervention. Keep them watered
well to get larger fruits. Finally, you can harvest them when green to get
more peppers. If you wait until they go red they aren't hotter but they'll
inhibit the production of more flowers and fruit.

Martin

Newbie: Growing chillies indoors
 

Thanks for the tips. What do people mean, exactly, when they say pinch the
tips for better bushyness ?? I've seen this said a few times but was never
quite sure exactly what was meant...


"Martin Sykes" wrote in message
...
"sprocket" wrote in message
...
Sorry if this has been aksed before - I have searched google for similar
posts but nothing has come up - sorry for missing anything that should
have.

I recently bought a mixed variety pack of chilli seeds from Mr
Fothergills
online. The seeds have germinated in a cheapo propogator and are now
about
Any answers to these questions, and/or general tips for growing these
beauties will be much appreciated !

I think I grew something similar last year so some simple pointers:

When they have a few more leaves ( 4 pairs ) pinch the tips out so that
the
plant bushes up. If it gets too tall in a pot it'll just fall over later
especially if some of the chilli varieties are the larger ones for
roasting/stuffing. They like lots of heat and light so the windowsill is
good if it gets good sun. Turn the plants regularly. Feed with tomato feed
once the chillis/peppers have started to form. If they're anything like
mine, they seemed to set fruit without any intervention. Keep them watered
well to get larger fruits. Finally, you can harvest them when green to get
more peppers. If you wait until they go red they aren't hotter but they'll
inhibit the production of more flowers and fruit.

Martin

Newbie: Growing chillies indoors
 

"sprocket" wrote in message
...
Thanks for the tips. What do people mean, exactly, when they say pinch the
tips for better bushyness ?? I've seen this said a few times but was never
quite sure exactly what was meant...

The tip of the plant ( where you can see the small new leaves forming ) is
where the growth is concentrated. By pinching the tip you can cut this bit
off. The plant then redirects its efforts to grow branches. If you look at
the base of each of the lower leaves where they join the main stem you can
sometimes see the pair of small leaves ready to start growing. They will
naturally start anyway when the main shoot is too tall and it is hard for
the plant to pump the fluids up that high but by pinching out the tip sooner
you start the branches sooner and you get a bushy plant. You can keep doing
this by pinching out the tips of the branches when they are 4 pairs of
leaves long as well but I wouldn't do this here because each time you do it
you also pinch off potential flowers/chillies. It then takes longer before
new flowers form and if they form too late then they won't have time to form
ripe chillies before the end of the summer.

Martin

Newbie: Growing chillies indoors
 

thanks again !

"Martin Sykes" wrote in message
...
"sprocket" wrote in message
...
Thanks for the tips. What do people mean, exactly, when they say pinch
the
tips for better bushyness ?? I've seen this said a few times but was
never
quite sure exactly what was meant...

The tip of the plant ( where you can see the small new leaves forming ) is
where the growth is concentrated. By pinching the tip you can cut this bit
off. The plant then redirects its efforts to grow branches. If you look at
the base of each of the lower leaves where they join the main stem you can
sometimes see the pair of small leaves ready to start growing. They will
naturally start anyway when the main shoot is too tall and it is hard for
the plant to pump the fluids up that high but by pinching out the tip
sooner
you start the branches sooner and you get a bushy plant. You can keep
doing
this by pinching out the tips of the branches when they are 4 pairs of
leaves long as well but I wouldn't do this here because each time you do
it
you also pinch off potential flowers/chillies. It then takes longer before
new flowers form and if they form too late then they won't have time to
form
ripe chillies before the end of the summer.

Martin

Newbie: Growing chillies indoors
 

On Wed, 19 Feb 2003 15:46:02 +0000, sprocket wrote:

I recently bought a mixed variety pack of chilli seeds from Mr Fothergills

do any assisted polination once the flowers appear - I dont plan on letting
too many bees into the flat so will I have to do this myself in order to get

Hi Sprocket,

Either you're early with your chillies or I'm late...

Anyhow - pollination, as your plants will be indoors, you will have to
pollinate the flowers yourself to get fruit. Worked for me last year!

You need a small soft paintbrush and a steady hand. When some flowers have
opened up fully, dip *dry* paintbrush fully into flower, wiggle round on
the bit in the middle of the flower, remove paintbrush, repeat action on
all reamining flowers, and return to the first flower and do it again.
Repeat at intervals as you get more flowers maturing. Be careful, I found
the flowers fell off quite easily! Pick the fruit when it has grwon to
size to encourage further flowers. You should be able to crop through to
September indoors.

HTH,

Sarah

Newbie: Growing chillies indoors
 

I'm sure polinating the plant yourself won't hurt but I just left my chilli
to itself last year and I'm still eating the fruit !

It was the first edible plant I'd ever attempted to grow and it couldn't
have been easier. Great for the beginner

HTH

Jim

"Sarah Dale" wrote in message
.uk...
On Wed, 19 Feb 2003 15:46:02 +0000, sprocket wrote:

I recently bought a mixed variety pack of chilli seeds from Mr
Fothergills

do any assisted polination once the flowers appear - I dont plan on
letting
too many bees into the flat so will I have to do this myself in order to
get

Hi Sprocket,

Either you're early with your chillies or I'm late...

Anyhow - pollination, as your plants will be indoors, you will have to
pollinate the flowers yourself to get fruit. Worked for me last year!

You need a small soft paintbrush and a steady hand. When some flowers have
opened up fully, dip *dry* paintbrush fully into flower, wiggle round on
the bit in the middle of the flower, remove paintbrush, repeat action on
all reamining flowers, and return to the first flower and do it again.
Repeat at intervals as you get more flowers maturing. Be careful, I found
the flowers fell off quite easily! Pick the fruit when it has grwon to
size to encourage further flowers. You should be able to crop through to
September indoors.

HTH,

Sarah

Newbie: Growing chillies indoors
 

Thanks for the tips - I've always wanted to be a bumble bee - they always
seem so happy, and get to wear a cool jumper all their lives ! :)

"JimM" wrote in message
...
I'm sure polinating the plant yourself won't hurt but I just left my
chilli
to itself last year and I'm still eating the fruit !

It was the first edible plant I'd ever attempted to grow and it couldn't
have been easier. Great for the beginner

HTH

Jim

"Sarah Dale" wrote in message
.uk...
On Wed, 19 Feb 2003 15:46:02 +0000, sprocket wrote:

I recently bought a mixed variety pack of chilli seeds from Mr
Fothergills

do any assisted polination once the flowers appear - I dont plan on
letting
too many bees into the flat so will I have to do this myself in order
to
get

Hi Sprocket,

Either you're early with your chillies or I'm late...

Anyhow - pollination, as your plants will be indoors, you will have to
pollinate the flowers yourself to get fruit. Worked for me last year!

You need a small soft paintbrush and a steady hand. When some flowers
have
opened up fully, dip *dry* paintbrush fully into flower, wiggle round on
the bit in the middle of the flower, remove paintbrush, repeat action on
all reamining flowers, and return to the first flower and do it again.
Repeat at intervals as you get more flowers maturing. Be careful, I
found
the flowers fell off quite easily! Pick the fruit when it has grwon to
size to encourage further flowers. You should be able to crop through to
September indoors.

HTH,

Sarah

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.

Newbie: Growing chillies indoors
 

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

Well, I managed to overwinter a fairly large Apache Chilli plant this year.
Today, I've moved it to the plant-house and am now kicking it back to full
life after it's long sleep. It'll be interesting to see if / when it starts
producing chillies....

Best,
- h

Newbie: Growing chillies indoors
 

Thanks for the info...
I thinned another few off last night and now have about 5 plants each with
at least 1 set of true leaves - the strongest has about 3. I'll be potting
them on very very soon into 8cm pots.
Fingers crossed I get some nice fruit !

"Dave Chalton" wrote in message
om...
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.

Newbie: Growing chillies indoors
 

Hey all,
The plants that I overwintered, and were flowering as of the last post
have now set fruit, and this is only half-way through March! Fresh,
homegrown chillis for Easter, fingers crossed.
For anyone who's interested, I would recomend trying this, even if
only for a few of your plants growing this year - the extra effort
required to keep the plants going over the winter (essentially just
remeber to water them!) is more than balanced by having fruit setting
at the point where this years plants are still only 2-3 inches tall!
Plus, if you cut back the plants (I took them down to about 2feet, but
this will vary with the overall height of the plant), you will get the
plant forming secondary shoots from the leaf-bases, so you get better
spreading of the plant, at a lower height, resulting in greater
numbers of flowers with less plant to look after, or find space for.
Best of all worlds :)

Good luck with this years seedlings everyone.

Dave


"sprocket" wrote in message ...
Thanks for the info...
I thinned another few off last night and now have about 5 plants each with
at least 1 set of true leaves - the strongest has about 3. I'll be potting
them on very very soon into 8cm pots.
Fingers crossed I get some nice fruit !

Newbie: Growing chillies indoors
 

In article ,
(Dave Chalton) writes:
| Hey all,
| The plants that I overwintered, and were flowering as of the last post
| have now set fruit, and this is only half-way through March! Fresh,
| homegrown chillis for Easter, fingers crossed.
| For anyone who's interested, I would recomend trying this, even if
| only for a few of your plants growing this year - the extra effort
| required to keep the plants going over the winter (essentially just
| remeber to water them!) is more than balanced by having fruit setting
| at the point where this years plants are still only 2-3 inches tall!
| Plus, if you cut back the plants (I took them down to about 2feet, but
| this will vary with the overall height of the plant), you will get the
| plant forming secondary shoots from the leaf-bases, so you get better
| spreading of the plant, at a lower height, resulting in greater
| numbers of flowers with less plant to look after, or find space for.
| Best of all worlds :)

Now, that's interesting. When did you cut them back? My experience
is that chillis that are left to bear fruit heavily and ripen them
start dropping leaves. I am not sure how well they would respond
if cut back late in the year after cropping, so I assume that you
need to pick and prune earlier.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren,
University of Cambridge Computing Service,
New Museums Site, Pembroke Street, Cambridge CB2 3QH, England.
Email:
Tel.: +44 1223 334761 Fax: +44 1223 334679

Newbie: Growing chillies indoors
 

Ahh, I should have been more explicit - the plants that are currently
producing in my window-sill, due to a combination of factors, did not
flower last year. In one case, this was due to planing the seeds far
too late for the Scottish growing season, since I only got them in
July of last year. That particlur plant I cut back in late October.
The other plants currently fruiting were planted in plenty of time,
but the flower-buds, when formed, dropped before opening. These plants
were cut back in the second week of November, and overwintered in a
coolish room with no direct sunlight. They were moved into a warmer,
sunnier environment mid-Feb, and promptly took off for the roof!

My appologies if this has mislead anyone, I should have put in more
detail. However I can report that one of the plants I greww last year
only produced one fruit off the first flower, subsequent buds dropping
off. I cut this plant back to just above this single fruit (which was
at the first node), and the plant regrew to the point that buds were
forming again soon after the first chile had ripened. I then got about
ten fruit off it before the weather turned too cold to let fruit set.
This one was NOT overwintered.

Currently with 46 plants, catch you all later.

Dave

(Nick Maclaren) wrote in message ...

Now, that's interesting. When did you cut them back? My experience
is that chillis that are left to bear fruit heavily and ripen them
start dropping leaves. I am not sure how well they would respond
if cut back late in the year after cropping, so I assume that you
need to pick and prune earlier.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren,
University of Cambridge Computing Service,
New Museums Site, Pembroke Street, Cambridge CB2 3QH, England.
Email:
Tel.: +44 1223 334761 Fax: +44 1223 334679

Newbie: Growing chillies indoors
 

Dave Chalton wrote:

Good luck with this years seedlings everyone.

Dave

My seeds have just germinated. When should I start planting them out? Or
should I plant them out at all? Keep 'em in pots? Keep 'em indoors?

The plant that the seeds came from was grown outside in Co. Cork which
has a more temperate climate than Dublin. Can't remember if it was
potted or in the ground.

Thanks for advice...

G

Dublin, Ireland.
--

Newbie: Growing chillies indoors
 

I really don't know what is the best bet, to be honest - some plants
would grow ok outside, some certainly won't. Lets face it, when some
varieties will grow outdoors in Russia, yet others won't contemplate
even a hothouse in the UK, it really leaves a lot of in-between
varieties.

To answer your question once and for all, if you have sufficient
seedlings, time and the inclination, would be to try groups of the
plants in a variety of conditions, ie some planted out, some outside
in pots, some in pots inside, some in greenhouse etc. If the plant the
seeds came from grew ok outside before in Co.Cork, I would guess there
wouldn't be too much of a problem - the critical times, from my
experience, are germination and flowering. Again, this is probably
breed specific, but the general thinking is that a
soil/compost/potting medium temp of 15 C at flowering/pollination is
required to avoid the flowers just dropping off.

I must point out that I'm still learning, and likely always will be,
but I can talk with certainty about what I've found to work, with my
plants, in my climate. This is not something anyone else is likely to
know, who hasn't attempted the same thing under the same conditions. I
know for sure that if I put my plants outside, whatever the
acclimatisation period, they would either die or go dormant within a
few days...

So, my best advice is to experiment - if something works, great, if
not, don't try it again!

Sorry I cant be more help

Dave


My seeds have just germinated. When should I start planting them out? Or
should I plant them out at all? Keep 'em in pots? Keep 'em indoors?

The plant that the seeds came from was grown outside in Co. Cork which
has a more temperate climate than Dublin. Can't remember if it was
potted or in the ground.

Thanks for advice...

G

Dublin, Ireland.
--

Newbie: Growing chillies indoors
 

Dave Chalton wrote:

So, my best advice is to experiment - if something works, great, if
not, don't try it again!

Sorry I cant be more help

Thanks for the excellent advice. I have probably 25-30 seedlings from
this plant, so I'll experiment. I still have a bunch of seeds left over
for next year.

Come to think of it, I must try growing from a few different fruits.


G


--

Newbie: Growing chillies indoors
 

Come to think of it, I must try growing from a few different fruits.

Yup, I got my fith variety to come through from a super-market fruit
just lately, so you could say I'm a proponent of having plenty of
choice!

Good luck with your plants G,
Let me know how they get on eh?

Dave

Newbie: Growing chillies indoors
 

Vaguely off-topic, since I'm now going down the greenhouse route,so
not really indoor, but what the hey!

Got the first flower open on this years plants today, so thats roughly
two months from planting I think. I'm interested to know how this
compares to other areas of the UK and elsewhere, as I'm trying to find
the optimum sowing date for a long fruiting season - my part of
South-West Scotland does not favour greenhouse growing beyond about
October, unless the plants are parafin/kerosene addicts! Indoors last
year had chiles ripening through to Christmas.

No doubt in a "normal" year, they wouldn't be doing so well, but for
the last two months or so we've had unseasonably warm weather - 23C
today, and sunny - apart from the smoke of burning forestry, the
downside to many many weeks of no rain.

Another query - obviously different breeds behave differently in terms
of the number of fruit they carry, and the amount of flowers etc, but
I wondered what is an average for small-fruited varieties which grow
very tall plants? Yes, its vague I know, but the plant grew from a
bought chile, so i've no idea what sort it is. The fruit are about 2cm
long by 5 or 6mm diameter, orangy red whilst dry, and currently a very
pale green on the plant. They are held upwards, and the flowers are in
clusters of around ten per node. The plant is currently about 4.5 feet
tall, but I've cut out the tips to stop it taking over even more. It
has 80ish fruit currently growing, and a further 150-odd flowers/buds.

Any ideas gratfully recieved.

Cheers

Dave

Newbie: Growing chillies indoors
 

"Dave wrote in message

Got the first flower open on this years plants today, so thats roughly
two months from planting I think.

Sounds about right, never actually timed them, and we grow ours outside
after germination etc in our little greenhouse. (bit further S. than you)
:-)
By Sept. we are normally expecting frost so we pull ours up then and pull
off the fruit which are mainly green. Freeze very well and without
blanching. We normally have enough from half a dozen plants to freeze for
ourselves for the year ahead, a supply to our neighbours, and a carrier bag
full left over for our favourite Indian Restaurant.

One thing you have to be very careful of, growing in a greenhouse, is that
the amount of water given to the plants affects the heat of the fruit. They
must have plenty of water especially in the fortnight leading up to picking
or they will be mild tasting no matter what the variety.

--
Bob

www.pooleygreengrowers.org.uk/ about an Allotment site in
Runnymede fighting for it's existence.
..

Newbie: Growing chillies indoors
 

"Sue & Bob Hobden" wrote in message news:b7nb5h$2nvnn$1@ID-

.. They
must have plenty of water especially in the fortnight leading up to picking
or they will be mild tasting no matter what the variety.


Now thats something I didn't know - thanks for the tip. The generally
known stuff about watering suggests that holding back on the water now
and then will increase the heat, along with temperature increases etc.
Obviously up here can't compare to most other places in terms of
temperature (bar the last few weeks :) ), but my last-years plants
didn't start flowering till mid september, never mind harvesting them!

The greenhouse was full of ash this morning, and I've been out
fighting the biggest fire in Ayrshire today, near Darvel, so I'm tired
and going to bed.

Later

Dave

Newbie: Growing chillies indoors
 

"Dave wrote in message
. They
must have plenty of water especially in the fortnight leading up to
picking
or they will be mild tasting no matter what the variety.


Now thats something I didn't know - thanks for the tip. The generally
known stuff about watering suggests that holding back on the water now
and then will increase the heat, along with temperature increases etc.
Obviously up here can't compare to most other places in terms of
temperature (bar the last few weeks :) ), but my last-years plants
didn't start flowering till mid september, never mind harvesting them!

Yes, read it in an American book on Chillies some years ago, and my
experience with my non-watering, greenhouse owning, neighbour bears it out.
:-)

--
Bob

www.pooleygreengrowers.org.uk/ about an Allotment site in
Runnymede fighting for it's existence.

Newbie: Growing chillies indoors
 

temperature (bar the last few weeks :) ), but my last-years plants
didn't start flowering till mid september, never mind harvesting them!

Yes, read it in an American book on Chillies some years ago, and my
experience with my non-watering, greenhouse owning, neighbour bears it out.
:-)

Bob


I've never had much success with Chillies. The growing season doesn't seem long
enough here to grow them (in my unheated greenhouse anyway). Perhaps they would do
better in a heated greenhouse or South facing conservatory.
--
Drakanthus.


(Spam filter: Include the word VB anywhere in the subject line or emails
will never reach me.)

Newbie: Growing chillies indoors
 

"Drakanthus" wrote in message temperature (bar the last few weeks
:) ), but my last-years plants
didn't start flowering till mid september, never mind harvesting them!

Yes, read it in an American book on Chillies some years ago, and my
experience with my non-watering, greenhouse owning, neighbour bears it
out.

I've never had much success with Chillies. The growing season doesn't seem
long
enough here to grow them (in my unheated greenhouse anyway). Perhaps they
would do
better in a heated greenhouse or South facing conservatory.
--

Depends where you are in the Country.
I'm in N.Surrey and we grow ours (Thai Dragon from T&M and others) from seed
in our tiny greenhouse and plant them out very late May early June on the
allotments in a sheltered but sunny spot. We surround them on the north
eastern side with sweetcorn usually to keep the cold winds off and keep the
temperature up. Another allotment holder surrounds hers with 2ft tall fleece
fences, a bit lower on the S. side to let the sun in.
Lots of feed, seaweed extract works very well, and water to get them up to
flowering ASAP. They don't ever get big plants, 2ft tall max, but are so
dense and dark green that it's sometimes difficult to see the fruit.
Normally have some red chillies and lots of green ones by August, and by
pulling up time in Sept there is a good crop.
Last year was a bad year though, too dull and cool I think.
They do seem much hotter grown outside BTW but that could be the watering
problem mentioned before.

--
Regards
Bob

Use a useful Screen Saver...
http://setiathome.ssl.berkeley.edu/
and find intelligent life amongst the stars, there's bugger all down here.

Newbie: Growing chillies indoors
 

"Drakanthus" wrote in message
I've never had much success with Chillies. The growing season doesn't seem long
enough here to grow them (in my unheated greenhouse anyway). Perhaps they would do
better in a heated greenhouse or South facing conservatory.

Where abouts you trying to grow them? If your greenhouse is too cool
during the early and late ends of the season, leave your plants
indoors, preferably a south facing window, and they should do well.
Scotland doesn't boast a long growing season, but previous posts will
tell you that successfull growth and fruiting can be acchieved inside
if you have the space, which beats the early frosts.

My greenhouse is not heated, and the current plants are at varying
stages from two sets of leaves through to flowering.

Good luck,

Dave

Newbie: Growing chillies indoors
 

Want to make them hotter?

You need to stress them out!

When the small fruits appear deprive them of water until the plants wilt!

Then flood them with water!

They get hotter than hell!


Badger


"Dave Chalton" wrote in message
om...
"Sue & Bob Hobden" wrote in message news:b7nb5h$2nvnn$1@ID-

. They
must have plenty of water especially in the fortnight leading up to
picking
or they will be mild tasting no matter what the variety.


Now thats something I didn't know - thanks for the tip. The generally
known stuff about watering suggests that holding back on the water now
and then will increase the heat, along with temperature increases etc.
Obviously up here can't compare to most other places in terms of
temperature (bar the last few weeks :) ), but my last-years plants
didn't start flowering till mid september, never mind harvesting them!

The greenhouse was full of ash this morning, and I've been out
fighting the biggest fire in Ayrshire today, near Darvel, so I'm tired
and going to bed.

Later

Dave