i grow loads of chillies both in the greenhouse and in the house, I have managed to grow some on outside in a very sunny position (we live in the Channel Islands) but they don't produce As much fruit.
i think someone already mentioned 'Super Chilli', it's a great variety and grows really well in the house and greenhouse.
I seeded mine a week ago and they are all up, I simply warm the seed compost slight in the microwave before putting them in the propagator and it seems to do the trick.
This is my second year of growing chillis, I seeded up 8 different variety in my heated Garland propagator yesterday. I live in Essex so the sun isn't that great but the peppers I managed to grow last year were pretty good.
I grew quite a few 'Sparkler' chillis last year and have overwintered one of them successfully. Im hoping its going to turn into a nice big bush this year The only decision I have to make is to whether to put it outside later in the spring or keep it indoors (which it seemed to like late last year).
For germinating seeds you want heat at 25-30 Celsius ideally for most varieities. I use the "kitchen roll" method, as it has worked the best for me - wrap seeds in fairly wet kitchen roll inside a sealable bag (freezer bag), until they germinate in 1-2 weeks typically (keep wet), then carefully place into a pot, root down, and cover with a few mm of compost + keep moist but not soggy. I use a thermometer to find a spot that stays above 25C consistently. You can hold up the kitchen roll to the light to see which seeds have germinated, as the roots are visible poking out.
Apache is a common variety that is quite productive and tolerates cooler conditions. The pods are quite hot, and it is a dwarf variety - good for spicing up a dish, but not eating raw, unless you're tough! It will grow well in a 2 litre pot. Outside temperatures below 10 Celsius are to be avoided though to keep the plant growing, but you can bring the plants in at night in spring.
I am also growing a Jalapeno, which is fairly tolerant of cooler conditions also, and has a good fleshy pod that can be eaten raw without too much discomfort, but also used to spice up meals, so quite a good allrounder. If you go for a Jalapeno I would suggest an early variety as mine aren't the early type and they take a long time to develop and mature (about 5 weeks to full size, and another month to ripe red). They can be eaten green though. A 6 litre+ pot is best for a Jalapeno to get a reasonable sized plant and yield.
In general, the hotter the chilli the higher the temp needed to germinate. 25-30 Celsius is the ideal temp for chillies but my electric propagator (bog standard - no temp control) never goes above 23c and the seeds germinates OK, in usually around 10 days. As I have said before, even the Carolina Reaper and that is very, very hot.
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Hi Lucy,
i grow loads of chillies both in the greenhouse and in the house, I have managed to grow some on outside in a very sunny position (we live in the Channel Islands) but they don't produce As much fruit.
i think someone already mentioned 'Super Chilli', it's a great variety and grows really well in the house and greenhouse.
I seeded mine a week ago and they are all up, I simply warm the seed compost slight in the microwave before putting them in the propagator and it seems to do the trick.
Good luck
This is my second year of growing chillis, I seeded up 8 different variety in my heated Garland propagator yesterday. I live in Essex so the sun isn't that great but the peppers I managed to grow last year were pretty good.
I grew quite a few 'Sparkler' chillis last year and have overwintered one of them successfully. Im hoping its going to turn into a nice big bush this year
The only decision I have to make is to whether to put it outside later in the spring or keep it indoors (which it seemed to like late last year).
If you do put it out, make sure the nights are not cold, or it will be stunted. Also make sure it is sheltered.
For germinating seeds you want heat at 25-30 Celsius ideally for most varieities. I use the "kitchen roll" method, as it has worked the best for me - wrap seeds in fairly wet kitchen roll inside a sealable bag (freezer bag), until they germinate in 1-2 weeks typically (keep wet), then carefully place into a pot, root down, and cover with a few mm of compost + keep moist but not soggy. I use a thermometer to find a spot that stays above 25C consistently. You can hold up the kitchen roll to the light to see which seeds have germinated, as the roots are visible poking out.
Apache is a common variety that is quite productive and tolerates cooler conditions. The pods are quite hot, and it is a dwarf variety - good for spicing up a dish, but not eating raw, unless you're tough! It will grow well in a 2 litre pot. Outside temperatures below 10 Celsius are to be avoided though to keep the plant growing, but you can bring the plants in at night in spring.
I am also growing a Jalapeno, which is fairly tolerant of cooler conditions also, and has a good fleshy pod that can be eaten raw without too much discomfort, but also used to spice up meals, so quite a good allrounder. If you go for a Jalapeno I would suggest an early variety as mine aren't the early type and they take a long time to develop and mature (about 5 weeks to full size, and another month to ripe red). They can be eaten green though. A 6 litre+ pot is best for a Jalapeno to get a reasonable sized plant and yield.
In general, the hotter the chilli the higher the temp needed to germinate. 25-30 Celsius is the ideal temp for chillies but my electric propagator (bog standard - no temp control) never goes above 23c and the seeds germinates OK, in usually around 10 days. As I have said before, even the Carolina Reaper and that is very, very hot.