[Oaklea Nurseries]

Hello,

Has anyone had an experience going Chillis?
Anyone care to share some useful information? We are having a good at growing some this year and any hints and tips would be useful.

Thank you
Hannah

[DavidandCollette]

Keep them nice and warm and keep them fairly dry. Oh and be careful where you put your hands after handling them

[Oaklea Nurseries]

Thanks,
Can you over water them?

[DavidandCollette]

They seem to like to keep their feet dry so don,t overwater

[Fleecewife]

I get them started early, on heat, as they have a long growing season.  As the plants grow, don't pot them on into too big a pot each time.  They don't like their roots to be surrounded by cold wet soil.  If you're keeping them in pots, 8" is plenty big enough for the final size. One year we planted ours out in the tunnel but the hen and chicks we also had in there demolished every fruit as it turned red!)
They can take more heat then tomatoes, and as said above, don't need quite so much watering.  As with tomatoes, start giving them a potassium rich tomato feed once the first flower buds appear.
We spray the flowers with water, partly to aid pollination but also to keep the red mites at bay.
Pick the chilies as they ripen, to make way for more.


We haven't managed to grow the Scotch Bonnet types which need a really long growing season, but have tried all sorts of other varieties, and from cool to very very very hot.


Depending on where you live, and whether you can keep them warm, you can over winter the plants.  Prune them well, then they will get going early in Spring.


 

[Oaklea Nurseries]

Thanks for the response.
We are a bit late starting them, we have had them raised for us so they have gone straight into soil in a green house.
Ok we have been watering them less, a few plants have yellow bits on the leaves. Unsure if this is from over watering them or something else?
We have got 7 different varieties in. We have got some Scotch Bonnets in so we will see how we get on with them!!

Thanks for your help

[Fleecewife]

Could be they were a bit starved before they went out, or it could have been because they've got cold at night.  I don't know where you are ON, but certainly the nights have been too cold for chilis to be out here.  It's not just frost that tender plants are damaged by, but general cold.  I'm not sure of the exact ideal temps, as I'm more of a feeling the soil with my hands type gardener.  I doubt they've been overwatered while they're in the ground, rather than pots, but if the soil is cold too, then they might not be happy.


Here's hoping you have a great crop - chilis are very satisfying to grow 

[DavidandCollette]

If you want to od on chilli facts there is a fb page called chilli heads and keen growers

[Oaklea Nurseries]

Great thanks,  I will have a look at them

[Oaklea Nurseries]

Could be they were a bit starved before they went out, or it could have been because they've got cold at night.  I don't know where you are ON, but certainly the nights have been too cold for chilis to be out here.  It's not just frost that tender plants are damaged by, but general cold.  I'm not sure of the exact ideal temps, as I'm more of a feeling the soil with my hands type gardener.  I doubt they've been overwatered while they're in the ground, rather than pots, but if the soil is cold too, then they might not be happy.


Here's hoping you have a great crop - chilis are very satisfying to grow 

Thanks for the reply, some helpful information.
I will keep an eye out and hopefully it will all be ok. We are in Yorkshire. So it hasn't got the best weather!!