This Forum will close on Wednesday 27 March, 2024. Please refer to the announcement on the Discussions page for further detail.
Growing chilli plants
LeadFarmer
Posts: 1,500
in Fruit & veg
Just wanting some advice for the best way to grow my chilli plants please.
I'm growing chilli plants for the first time in years, two varieties Aji Benito & Spike, both sowed at same time in a thermostatic controlled Vitapod propagator in my greenhouse and they seem to be growing well, but with Spike being much shorter plants. The Vitapod is currently set at 18 degrees, but was at 22 degrees when the plants were tiny.
The Aji Benito are almost outgrowing the Vitapod, and are about ready to replant into bigger pots. I just hope the temperature in the greenhouse will be warm enough when they leave the Vitapod.
I've read that less water is best, and I intend to feed with Chilli Focus each week when I see signs of fruit growing.
Does the above seem the right way to grow them? Do I need to do anything different?
Aji Benito at far left, Spike next to them, and more Aji Benito far right..
Aji Benito & Spike..
Aji Benito far right..
I'm growing chilli plants for the first time in years, two varieties Aji Benito & Spike, both sowed at same time in a thermostatic controlled Vitapod propagator in my greenhouse and they seem to be growing well, but with Spike being much shorter plants. The Vitapod is currently set at 18 degrees, but was at 22 degrees when the plants were tiny.
The Aji Benito are almost outgrowing the Vitapod, and are about ready to replant into bigger pots. I just hope the temperature in the greenhouse will be warm enough when they leave the Vitapod.
I've read that less water is best, and I intend to feed with Chilli Focus each week when I see signs of fruit growing.
Does the above seem the right way to grow them? Do I need to do anything different?
Aji Benito at far left, Spike next to them, and more Aji Benito far right..
Aji Benito & Spike..
Aji Benito far right..
1
Posts
Some grow big - up to about 4ft others barely get to more than 1ft.
So you seem to have a big variety and a smaller one.
Pot them on as needed - don't put a small chili in a pot bigger than they need while they're still growing fast.
Treat them the same as tomatoes.
I feed mine weekly with Tomorite at the same time I feed my tomatoes.
I start feeding my chillies when the first flowers open - so not quite the same as tomatoes.
Big plants end up in a 5L or 7L pot - smaller ones will be happy in a 2L pot
My chili are also in my Vitapod - about the same size as yours.
I'm growing Jalapeno and Yellow Wax this year.
About 10 days ago-
Billericay - Essex
Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
Do you leave it till their leaves are drooping before watering, and do you water/feed from the top or bottom please?
They don't like wet roots for a long period of time, that's why it's best to keep moving them on into slightly bigger pots so that the pot gets filled with roots before you put them into a bigger pot.
I don't wait until the leaves start to droop. Drooping leaves cause a degree of stress to the plant, so I try to avoid that.
I feel the weight of the pot and then decide if it needs water.
If you put a layer of sand in your Vitapod this will help keep the temperature even (sand acts a bit like a storage radiator). It will also store heat when the sun is on it and reduce the amount of electricity needed overnight.
I put about 25Kg of sand in mine.
Billericay - Essex
Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
I rest mine on top of the lip of one of the plant pots so it reads the temperature from the area around the base of the plant. I've seen others push them into the compost in the pot, or rest on the floor of the Vitapod.
If you don't want to use sand I'd suggest the probe sits under one of the pots.
Billericay - Essex
Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
I've potted on my Aji Benito plants into larger pots. Made up a mix of compost, perlite, vermiculite, chicken manure, blood fish bone and epsom salts..