THE 2017 CHILLI THREAD

JIC there is a total newbie reading this thread, and not knowing how to dry their chillies...

It works best with the thin-skinned cayenne types, rather than the thick fleshy jalapeño types.

-when you harvest your chillies, be they red or green, try to get about 1/2cm of stem with the chilli
-thread a needle with some cotton, , cutting a length of about 40-50 cm.
-put the two ends of cotton together, and knot, ideally a few knots over each other, to create a big bulky knot.
-take your harvested chillies, and thread the needle through the still green stem, one at a time.
-run the chillies down towards the knot, and if possible, space freshly skewered chillies a little, so they are not touching.
-hang up in a dry place, ideally out of the sun. Over a matter of a few weeks, the chillies will dry, becoming much darker, and you can group them down towards the knot.

They will keep like this for at least a year. When you need a chilli, either cut the stem of the chillies without damaging the string, or snap at the base of the stem...

 

The progress of the contingencies.



I don't know how every one else does it but this is how I impart that extra sting into the scorpions.

 

Is mine one? It's starting to go red

 

sorry @Zigs - the scorpions generally have a weird shape and what looks like a stinger on them.

My favourite shape for a hot pepper is the devil's tongue. It does look like it could be

 

I just meant is it a chilli

 

I can't tell ... try taking a bite

 

Overwintering Chillies?

A couple of links Sea Spring Seeds - How to overwinter chilli plants
Dartmoor Chilli Farm - Overwintering Chilli Plants

But neither mentions the use of growlights. Would these be useful overwintering indoors, or from early Spring, etc.?

 

I have lots of lighting meant for growing plants, and I have an HPS unit that I could add to the array. Just not sure about the space they would take up. Might be more than I'm willing to sacrifice...

 

My effort, how do you know when there ready for picking please.

 

I'm not intending to keep them at the size some hydroponic/growlight shops have demonstration plants growing undef lights over winter in tents, just pruning them back, keeping several plants ticking over through winter, then awakening in spring with more light and gest to give them a head start over seed sown plants.

 

@Scrungee How far do you prune them back? Some of my plants (scorpions, bhuts, reapers) are about 4 feet tall and once I'm finished harvesting like I normally do, I wouldn't know how much to cut them back.

many thanks for your input

 

I don't know if this is correct but I go by the ripe apple method. When wanting to know if an apple is ready to pick, you pull the bottom up - "eye to the sky" - and if the stem snaps off, it's ready. I do the same with my peppers. Although there is one pepper here that I think has been welded onto the branch ... never grown it before and I bought it without a label/i.d.

 

Thank you Lori I will give it ago.

 

I over wintered scotch bonnet last year I cut them back to about 6inches tall left about 4 leaves on each repotted in fresh compost slightly moist in warm south facing conservatory