chillies

Hi all
just been given 2 chillie plants from my dad
iv got them in small pots at the
mo
are they ok outside?
What sizetpots will they need?

Thanks

 

Hi Davers200
I grow mine in 10" pots, inside and out, however they need a long season, I am already harvesting my indoor chillis as sown in January. I am way north of you so have only just put outdoor ones in final position after hardening off. you should be OK down in Gillingham, still time to get a good crop. regds Alex

 

Thanks for that
gonna transfer to larger pots soon
also got 2 tomato plants in
he tells me my potatoes are nearly ready too

 

I prefer to pot-on, rather than to "plant" straight from small pots into large ones.

The theory is that each time you pot-on the roots form in the newly added compost, and by the time you get to a large pot there is a really dense mat of roots in the pot, which makes the platn function better.

other issue is that in a large pot a lot of water can be "stored" in the soil / compost which can "drown" the plant, whereas by potting-on the roots are more right-sized for the pot, and the amount of water it can hold.

I would pot-on to 3.5" / 9cm then 1L / 5" then 2L - roughly 1.5" to 2" more diameter each time, as you get to larger pots you can increase by more each time.

As your plants are small at the moment I would keep them indoors - they are a bit "behind" relatively to when folks would normally sow them, so they need a bit of a hurry-up to give you a crop before the season starts to end! But they do need good light ...

One option would be out during the day, in a sheltered spot in full sun, and then in at night so they are not subjected to cooler night temperatures - but of course we are getting to the season where night temperatures will not fall below 10C

 

Sorry to interupt @davers200

Would a hot south facing conservatory be ok Kristen?

I too have been given some, and they look in dire need of potting up, in fact 1 only has leaves at the growing tip, and the 'compost' they are in looks devoid of all nutes. (will try and grab a pic later, out of batteries for the camera at the mo).

 

I'm sure they would appreciate some ventilation but what I was really trying to articulate was that a "Dinning table in the middle of a North Facing room" wouldn't cut it Even a South facing windowsill does not have the brightness of a greenhouse (or a conservatory with glazed roof)

Just so long as it does not cook it will appreciate direct sunlight

 

Thanks,
I just read again what I put and, it was rather urm urm, condescending, it was not meant to be, sorry.

I was trying to ask, would the heat etc be too much, in the said position, they would get plenty of ventilation with the windows open, only the top vents though to let the heat out, inward airflow provided by up stairs windows, proven method for airflow in my house.

 

Yes, important that they don't get too much heat as a side effect from "good light". A closed south facing window can be like an oven, in that regard, with heat generated by the sun trapped near the window. So that's the thing to avoid. But "hot" and "sunny" is fine, just need to avoid them being "cooked" - the distinction is a bit hard to describe.

If you have a hand-sprayer and can mist them down (as many times a day as you can be bothered) then that will help (the evaporation of the water mist, from the leaves, will cool them). Alternatively (if you are out to work, for example) a gravel tray, with an inch-ish of gravel in it, and pots stood on the gravel, and then water added to the gravel so it is nearly up to the level of the bottom of the pots - but so that the pots are not actually sitting in water - will help. That water will evaporate and increase the humidity around the leaves as it rises.

A howling gale (over exaggeration ) is not good either. Strong draught, over the leaves, increases their transpiration, and the plant has to suck up more water to compensate - which stresses the plant (compared to it not having to do that job / as much). Convection air current, without a forced breeze, is ideal. However, once we get into the hot months there comes a time when you just have to throw everything open, but usually plants are a lot bigger / more mature by then, and more able to cope with that having already done a decent amount of growing. Given that yours are a bit behind, sizewise, it would be best to try to help them along if at all possible by reducing forced-draught, as much as possible, but without them getting "cooked".