As a retired electrical engineer with too much time on my hands, decided to try and grow some chillies as I'm a curry fan and love a couple of green chillies on a side plate. A while ago a waiter from my local curry house promised to bring me a Naga chilli to try. After much badgering his mother gave him one and he bought it into the restaurant for me and my mates to try. Well my god was it hot!!!!! He kept saying 'now be careful with that thing cos it's hot'. Anyway, cut it with a knife and tried just tasting the juice which flowed from the fruit. That was as far as we got cos it was just so incredibly hot.
Re growing: bought from SDCF - heated propagator - coir blocks - Focus fertilizer - red habanero seeds - twilight seeds and ring of fire seeds. Planted 4 of each type late february and was a bit concerned about the house temperature which I keep at about 18C day/eve time. However in the propagator 11 have grown and in early April I potted them on and placed in my North facing unheated lean to greenhouse. Have been using the fertilizer and followed in general the video on this website. The plants are now between 4 to 7" tall and this week 4 are starting to show flower pods. Still don't know which one failed to grow. Have been worried about the recent frosts but they seem ok. Have ventilated Ghouse when temp risen to 30C. So what do I do from now on? When can I expect to be able to use crop from each variety (assuming they mature ok)? At end of season I assume i can if I can keep them alive get fruit from them next year? What is the lowest inside house temp they can withstand and how large will they get? Can I use leftover seeds next year? Do I need to fertilize overwinter?
Look forward to any helpful replies. KS
PS I make a mean curry!!

Welcome! Hope the plants go well this year. I've copied this entry to the growing topic. I'm sure you'll get plenty of good advice.

Kind Regards, Steve
SDCF www.twitter.sdcf.co.uk

hello and welcome

when the growing season ends you can keep the plants for next year, I keep mine inside the kitchen window which seems to keep pests to a minimun.I cut them down to about half size around december , and they regrow from about february ahead of any new seedlings planted,saving time, especially for the hot chinese variety (harabanero's). inside my temps drop to about 12 degrees or so, but the plants naturally go dormant during the cold so thats ok.they will grow as large as they are supposed too! dry seeds and use next year ok, i do and the hot wax plants are doing well , from the previous years chilli pods. just fold up some paper and place them inside to dry for a few months. overwintering i just water less than normal, as advised from numerous sites. just keep soil moist, could be 2 or 3 mild waterings a week.

Hi. Thanks for your very concise reply Juice. Thats excellent, now i can confidently proceed with growing these chillies way thro' into the next season. Just hope all goes well with the current plants. Have been a bit worried about recent colds nites but they seem ok in the Ghouse unheated. KS
PS Thanks again. Will post pictures soon.

Hi. Here they are. Am really pleased at my first attempt!





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Hi, don't know wot happened above when tried to edit. But these are the three piccys. Maybe the moderator can tidy for me? KS