Chillies 2024

Mine aren't looking the healthiest. Still variable in size, greenfly attack and some rather mishapen leaves. They need potting on plus there's some aubergine there that are getting shaded

 

Hello all,

I was hoping I could ask some advice on a possible chilli problem.

Over the last 10 days or so one of my chilli plants has developed blackish curly tips.


All were under grow lights - could this simply be burn ? Or something more sinister ?

The odd thing is that all other chillis under the same lights are fine - and this particular plant hasn’t been under the lights (now on windowsill - only direct sun in the am) for over a week.
This new black bits appeared today.

Thank you !

 

Looks like sunburn to me. Was the tip of this leaf touching or close to the window glass? Or could it possibly have got wet? In either case it’ll probably be fine and recover itself - the rest of the plant looks healthy enough. Just keep an eye.

 

Hi Oswald.

Thank you for the response. This is what I was hoping.
The top leaves were fairly close - but not as close as the other plants. This leaf is also one of the lower ones.
Hopefully it will be ok. Will be away from direct sun for the next few days.

 

Admission I keep meaning to ask what is that gadget you are growing your chilli seedlings in. It looks amazing.

 

I sowed my chillies, tomatoes and curcubits on the 2nd of April with bottom heat.

The tomatoes and curcubits started popping on the 6th altho only 2 of the 4 cucumber seeds and they've since been eaten by a slimey snail. All he rest are doing well and producing true leaves so I'll be pricking them out over the next few days.

Not one chilli has popped. Yesterday I checked the wee pots and they're not too wet and not too dry. i've moved them to their own tray with a heat mat and cover.

Do i need to be patient or to start again?

 

What chilli varieties have you sown? If your curcubits have popped the soil should also have been warm enough for your chillis. For milder, faster maturing chillis I’d have expected some action within a week, or definitely within two. For hotter, it could be longer - I’ve had habaneros take more than a month (although this was before I had proper heat). You can be assured that as soon as you decide to give up on them they’ll suddenly pop!

 

Thanks for your prompt response @Oswald Bastable . I sowed Jalapeno, Kamanaki, Joe E Parker, Pumpkin Spice and Tasmanian Black

 

Waterbut,

I grow my chillies hydroponically (i.e. no soil). My process is as follows........

1. I germinate the seeds on paper towel in Ziploc bags at room temperature 22C.

2. When they are about 1 inch long, I transfer them into small rockwool cubes and move them into the growtent under grow lights (200w Viparspectra set to 60percent). I use 2inch netpots with the rockwool just touching the surface of the water. The growtent is temperature controlled at 25C and the light is on for about 14 - 16 hours each day. I use Canna Coco hydroponic nutrient at the makers recommended dilution. The peppers grow very quickly in these conditions. The water is airated by an air pump and air stones to prevent the water from becoming stagnant and the container is black to prevent light from turning the water green.

3. When the seedlings get to 6 inches or so, they are transferred to the greenhouse into Wilma systems (8 x 11 litre or 18 litre pots over a 110litre tank). The growing medium here is clay beads and the water is pumped into the top of the pots for 15 minutes every hour, less at night. The greenhouse is heated at the moment if the temperature drops below 15C. I continue using Canna Coco as the nutrient. It's critical to keep the dilution low-ish as a stronger solution always seems to cause outbreaks of aphids. I treat the plants with Neem Oil at the slightest hint of aphids.

If you have other questions then don't hesitate to ask.

Best Regards

Ademission

 

That sounds like a lot of kit @Ademission . Assuming I can get them to germinate Ijust plant mine in the border in the polytunnel and water with a seep hose. Simples.

 

Thank you for the info Admission but it is a bit to complicated for me but it sounds like fun for you.

 

I always sow my chillies on January 25, and they start getting first flower buds mid April.
They stay all the time in the living room on the south facing window edge. They will be moved soon to the greenhouse.

Picture taken on Tuesday. I'm not a hot chilli person, I just used one of the slightly hot supermarket chillies in October and dried them.

 

Looking good @simone_in_wiltshire

I now have 4 teeny Jalapeno chillies but the rest are still no shows, a month after sowing. I've bought a chilli plant form LIDL - no idea which one - and have managed to revive one that OH pulled up when he was clearing the polytunnel in late March. He'd already taken up the labels before he spotted a couple of green shoots so no idea what it will be.

 

Are these in their final pots @simone_in_wiltshire?

I've never grown chillies before and had been picking off the flowers up to now thinking that it was too early for them to develop into fruit.

Maybe I should leave them alone now?

None are in their final pots yet though. Aiming to do that within the next couple of weeks depending on the weather,

 

I had 2 Scotch bonnets at true leaf stage. Both stems have keeled over just above the seed leaves. Grrrr.
I have various others from last year's saved seeds. These are hanging in clear polythene bags from S hooks in the greenhouse. If slugs get up there, I'd be gobsmacked!
I have succumbed to buying another bonnet, a habernero and another, I forget which.