Topic: Chilli growing time!

[fishy]

Im growing some dorset naga's and having problems with flower drop, it seems that after watering I get flowers falling off everywhere also the buds, now I thought this was due to over watering so adjusted watering to a point they where getting to little and wilting, I have also aided pollination by rubbing flowers, no signs of chillis yet just dropping.

These were grown from seed but late season, plants look healthy, any ideas guy?

Thanks

Fishy

[Naga]

I get flower drop too, but just occasionally - not in any serious way inasmuchas my plants are still healthy. blooming and fruiting.

I'm not an expert and can't offer any personal insight, but maybe this info will give you some pointers. Good luck!

[fishy]

Thanks Naga thats usefull info.

How long does it usally take for fruit to start to form after flowering has begun

Cheers

Fishy

[Salvador Dhali]

Well, my nagas, ripe Kashmiris, jalapenos, various finger chillies and larger, milder varieties have all been cropped and either frozen, consumed, or turned into pickles/sauces long ago, but here's the last of the summer crop, picked from the greenhouse this afternoon.

It never ceases to amaze me how long they go on for, but I don't think I've cropped them this late in the year before.

The green ones are the Kashmiris that didn't ripen to red, and the rest are various types of habanero (oh, and a rogue tomato!):

[Naga]

Lovely looking chillies, SD! Very healthy and delicious-looking fruits! I'd never have spotted that tomato if you hadn't mentioned it!

I still have loads in the freezer, but I'm working my way through them, especially since I started making my chilli jam - brilliant with cheese and oatcakes, and ideal for pepping up a chasni or Ceylon curry late in the cooking process.

Mine cropped late too, and, although the last harvest was in late November, I haven't yet cut the plants back and the leaves are still on the healthy side of green despite the lack of heat and light.

Roll on February 2013 so the next crop can get started!

PS: BTW, can I ask where you got your Kashmiri chilli seeds? I can't find any for sale online and I was thinking of buying some dried Kashmiri chillies to see if I could harvest the seeds and try growing them on.

[Stephen Lindsay]

SD - do you save your seeds or do you buy from stock and if so where's a good supplier online?

[Salvador Dhali]

SD - do you save your seeds or do you buy from stock and if so where's a good supplier online?

I mainly save my seeds, but I also use seeds from chillies (fresh and dried) that I've bought - or occasionally 'borrowed'. (The wee orange habaneros came from a plant I came across at the Eden Project down in Cornwall.)

I know that using seeds from fresh/dried chillies rather than commercial seed stock is supposed to be a hit and miss way of doing it, but I must have been lucky as I've only had a few that haven't fruited over the last 30-odd years of growing.

PS: BTW, can I ask where you got your Kashmiri chilli seeds? I can't find any for sale online and I was thinking of buying some dried Kashmiri chillies to see if I could harvest the seeds and try growing them on.

The seeds came from a packet of dried Kashmiri chillies I bought from my local Asian store, Naga. I didn't hold out much hope for them as I started them late (end of May), and they took a few weeks to germinate, but I ended up with two beautiful plants that grew to a good 4ft. 

They didn't produce a particularly high yield though. I only got 15-20 chillies from each plant, but they're pretty large, and what fantastic tasting fruits they are. When fully ripened they turn a really deep, dark red (hence the gorgeous colour of the chilli powder that comes from them), and have a deliciously sweet flavour.

I'll definitely be growing them again next year, but will try growing a few from commercial seed stock (if I can find any) and a few from dried chillies and see how they stack up against each other.

[Naga]

...The seeds came from a packet of dried Kashmiri chillies I bought from my local Asian store...

Thanks, SD, I suspected as much as I've had no luck sourcing genuine fresh seeds. At least now you have your own supply of fresh seeds from the plants and, hopefully, you'll be able to grow new plants from seed next year. It'll be interesting to hear of your progress if that's what you're going to do.

In the meantime, I'll be a year behind you and I'll try to grow Kashmiri chillies from the dried fruits too.

[Sainty62]

I'm just starting out in the Chilli growing from seeds but have grown plants before, when's the best time to plant seeds? I'll be growing them indoors

[h4ppy-chris]

I'm just starting out in the Chilli growing from seeds but have grown plants before, when's the best time to plant seeds? I'll be growing them indoors

Welcome to the forum Sainty62 have a read of this, it should help you.
http://www.sarahraven.com/how-to/growing-food/3/growing-chillies-seed