Growing Chillies From Seed.: Selecting Varieties To Grow
Growing Chillies From Seed.: Selecting Varieties To Grow
Growing Chillies From Seed.: Selecting Varieties To Grow
Germination
Q: What is the best time of year to start sowing in the UK?
A: March usually works out best for sowing. You can sow earlier, but you may
need a heated propagator.
Here are some guides on our web page to get you off to a great start:
https://www.southdevonchillifarm.co.uk/how-to.../growing-chilli-plants/
https://www.southdevonchillifarm.co.uk/how-to.../our-blog/
Q: I have followed your tips, but my seeds have not germinated. What went
wrong?
A: The links above to the tips on growing from seed may help. Chilli seeds need
a steady temperature of 25c to 28c (30c being ideal) to germinate and they also
need a good quality seed compost - fine material, good drainage and not too
high in nitrogen. The seeds should also be kept moist (if they are allowed to dry
out, germination can be erratic), but not too wet. If the growing conditions are
not ideal, they may take a long time to germinate – they can still germinate up
to a month after sowing. At the farm, we sow into Vermiculite
(https://www.southdevonchillifarm.co.uk/online-shop/chilli-growing-
equipment/vermiculite-small-10ltrs/) with the seeds about 3mm-5mm below
the surface. We water well from the base until the moisture appears on the
surface, then move the seed pot/tray to a heated propagator. From sowing, we
surface water with a dilute solution of Chilli Focus in a fine spray
(https://www.southdevonchillifarm.co.uk/online-shop/chilli-growing-
equipment/chill-focus-plant-food/). In these conditions, we expect most of the
seed to germinate within two weeks, but a few varieties take longer.
Seedling problems
Q: My seedlings are leggy; what should I do?
A: If you can move them to a brighter spot, that will help. You can also move the
seedlings apart from each other to provide more all-round light. If you still have
leggy plants when you decide to pot-on, chilli plants are quite happy to be
replanted to a new soil level, so you can bury part of the stem to stabilise the
plant then. This should be less of a problem if they start to get better light and
are not too crowded. Chilli plants that want to be big (like Padron peppers)
will need better light than small plants (like Prairie Fire), so if you only have a
small area with good light, use that area for your larger plants.
Q: When using your plugs, how should I sow them and pot them on?
A: At the farm, when we sow into plugs, we usually sow two seeds per plug and
pick-out the weaker seedlings to leave just one per plug. Once the seedling in
the plug has three or four true sets of leaves, we pot-on into a 1ltr (about 6”)
pot.
Q: My chilli plants are not growing well, what could be wrong?
A: The three main causes are: Temperature – Chilli plants will grow very slowly
or not at all in cold conditions. Try to keep the soil around 20c as an optimal.
Watering – too much water or compost that is too airless will retard growth.
Pests: Aphids and other pests can be a problem. Inspect plants regularly and
remove any pests. Poor Compost – Chilli plants like a free draining, rich compost
with a pH of 6 to 6.5. Over or under feeding – follow the manufacturer’s
directions for dilution and frequency of feeding.
Q: I am having problems with fruit yield; how do I improve the flower set and
cropping?
A: The steps below will help to encourage the production of flowers and the set
of fruits on chilli plants. If you have flowers on the plant, but they are falling off;
or you have very few flowers; one of these tips should fix the problem:
- Warm night-time temperature (comfortably over 15c)
- Avoiding periods of extreme heat in the day. Over 40c will cause flowers to
abort and drop. 25c is ideal
- Too much nitrogen can cause the plant for forget to flower
- Too little potash can cause set flowers to abort and drop (try our Chilli
Focus feed).
- Soil too wet or too high winds
Picking
Q: When should I pick the fruit on my plant?
A: To keep a plant busy, pick the fruits as soon as they are the size and colour
you want.
We pick a lot of fully-grown green chillies such as Ring of Fire, Jalapeno, Poblano
and Hungarian Hot Wax. These varieties are traditionally used green/unripe.
Once the fruits are picked, the plant will form new flowers and mature smaller
fruits.
If you are looking to cook with fresh or dried brightly coloured chillies, pick the
fruits as soon as they reach the ripe colour to maximise crop weight.
Over-wintering
Q: I would like to keep my plant over winter, what should I do?
A: Chilli plants tend to stop growing and flowering during the winter months in
the UK. If the plant is coming in from a greenhouse or patio, you may need to
prune it to fit the available space. You can lightly prune to re-shape the plant or
heavily prune to just leave the main stem. If the plant grew to an ideal size, then
a hard pruning will allow it to re-grow with the same fruit cover and size the
following season. Keep the compost just off dry while the plant is dormant and
keep it somewhere light, but not with extremes of temperature. In the UK,
overwintered plants usually start to become active in March or April, depending
on where they are being kept. Fresh compost in the Spring will help to get them
going.
Preserving Chillies
Q: How do I dry the chillies I have grown?
A: Drying chillies is more about air circulation than heat, so place them in a well-
aired basket and put them somewhere warm – such as over a radiator. Spread
the chillies in a thin layer and leave the stalk attached. They should dry out in a
few days. Chillies with thick flesh (like Jalapenos) are not a good choice for
drying. A thin-fleshed chilli, like Ring-of-Fire is an easy chilli to dry. Once dry,
store in an airtight container, and keep out of direct sunlight to preserve the
colour and flavour.
Saving Seed
Q: I would like to collect and save seed for next season, do you have any tips?
A: The ideal time to pick a chilli to be used for seed stock is just as it reaches its
ripe colour. Cut the fruit open and with a blunt instrument, scrape the seeds out
onto paper. Place the seeds in a warm spot out of direct sunlight until they dry a
little – this will prevent them developing mould. Store wrapped in foil and place
the foil wrapper in a tin or glass jar and lid. Store the jar/tin in a cool place (eg.
in a cupboard). The fridge is good if you want to keep the seed for several years,
but they should be fine for a couple of years if they are dried a little before
storing.