Chilli peppers

[daveyp1970]

This is the reason Helen why i start mine early so 100% get good ripe fruit,Habs, scotch bonnets are all C.chinense varieties and need along growing season.

Davey, it doesn't seem to matter how early I start mine.
They still seem to take the same amount of time to fruit, except for over wintered plants.
We have a very short growing season here, can't plant them out before June and can have frosts as early as September.

 

Are your planted out in greenhouse or pollytunnel,because if not and you are planting in the open you will struggle,unless you get a very hot summer,mine are shifted into the greenhouse and cheap plastic greenhouses for the summer,try and grow one in a pot on a sunny windowsill all year you will see the difference,if you want chillis to plant out choose Capsicum annuum varieties(there are hundreds,Cayenne being one of my favs) they don't need such a long grow and are hardier and super quick to fruit,i have one in flower at the moment.

[maggiepie]

Are your planted out in greenhouse or pollytunnel,because if not and you are planting in the open you will struggle,unless you get a very hot summer,mine are shifted into the greenhouse and cheap plastic greenhouses for the summer,try and grow one in a pot on a sunny windowsill all year you will see the difference,if you want chillis to plant out choose Capsicum annuum varieties(there are hundreds,Cayenne being one of my favs) they don't need such a long grow and are hardier and super quick to fruit,i have one in flower at the moment.

Davey, I start my seeds in January, grow under lights indoors until it is warm enough to move them to my little greenhouse. I don't plant them out in the garden until the soil has warmed right up, mid June or so.
2 years ago I had a great year with them. Had heaps of fruit, last two years have been very disappointing.
I might try leaving a few in pots this year and see how they go.
Unfortunately, C. annum varieties are not my favourites apart from Jalapeno ( I think those are C. annum?)
One of my favourites is Bishop's Crown. I like the flavour of it when green and red.
I find it a very useful chilli.

[daveyp1970]

Helen your system is to the letter of what i do,as you have found a bad summer does make a big difference.Bishop's Crown is not one i grow or tried but will in the future,lovely looking chilli.I am so chuffed you are a fellow chilli lover,if there's any you like the sound of off my list let me know and i will send you some seed.
I have noticed you like the hots,I do have  some spare Naga seed if you would like they are pre soaking on damp paper at the moment,you might get a crop out of the or at least a good plant for next year,they are very hot though.

[daveyp1970]

The only other thing Helen that i think is important,is i tickle all my flowers with a soft brush so as to assure fruit set,i have to do this early on but even later in the year when insects are about i still do it.

[maggiepie]

Davey, I will PM you.

[Maggi Young]

Maggi,
why are you scared of Ian growing chillies? Would he start adding them to everything he cooks?

cheers
fermi

Yes, everything!  It's bad enough when he's restricted by what he is able to find in the shop. I don't mind a little chilli, sometimes.... I'd be the first to say a nice chilli jam can be treat with meat or chesse.... but I don't want every meal to be red hot... which is what would happen.

[David Nicholson]

We have a Chilli Farm down here

http://www.southdevonchillifarm.co.uk/

Good tea shop as well but most things taste of chilli, even the cakes!

[daveyp1970]

Maggi,
why are you scared of Ian growing chillies? Would he start adding them to everything he cooks?

cheers
fermi

Yes, everything!  It's bad enough when he's restricted by what he is able to find in the shop. I don't mind a little chilli, sometimes.... I'd be the first to say a nice chilli jam can be treat with meat or chesse.... but I don't want every meal to be red hot... which is what would happen.

Maggie that fair made me chuckle,i have found chilli has made it  into most of my meals.

[daveyp1970]

We have a Chilli Farm down here

http://www.southdevonchillifarm.co.uk/

Good tea shop as well but most things taste of chilli, even the cakes!

They have a fantastic website David and a very good forum to chat about anything chilli.

[maggiepie]

Maggie that fair made me chuckle,i have found chilli has made it  into most of my meals.

It's most likely all those endorphins being released and giving your brain orgasms 

[Maggi Young]

Maggie that fair made me chuckle,i have found chilli has made it  into most of my meals.

It's most likely all those endorphins being released and giving your brain orgasms  

 Ooh!      Well, maybe I should think again.......    My brain can use all the help it can get.

[maggiepie]

Maggi, I have some chilli chocolate in the fridge, sent to me by a friend in Finland.
 
Chocolate is supposed to release endorphins too 

[Maggi Young]

I've been given chilli chocolate  in the past.... quite tasty, I admit.

[daveyp1970]

Maggi, I have some chilli chocolate in the fridge, sent to me by a friend in Finland.
 
Chocolate is supposed to release endorphins too 

win win and  win

[Darren]

I've been enjoying this thread and am most definitely a chiili head - though our attempts to grow them have been fairly hopeless!

Susan requested chilli on her pizza tonight. The pack of mixed chillis we got from our local oriental supermarket last week have been disappointingly wussy thus far, so I thought I'd double up on quantity. They seem to have matured a bit since last week. Susan immediately got hiccups and even I had to drink some milk afterwards to put the fire out...

Nice pizza though