Month: January 2022

Speeding up germination

As with many things in growing Chillies, you will find different schools of thought on various subjects.  The soaking of seeds to improve germination is no exception. There are views on how long the seeds need to be soaked for, what liquid they should be soaked in, and a whole lot more. To try and figure out what the real truth is, I thought I would do some research.

The first question I wanted to be answered is, is soaking seed necessary at all? According to much of my research, probably not. Seeds can be started successfully, without pre-soaking them. However, pre-soaking definitely improves Chilli growing. It speeds up sprouting and germination rates. And this is not just for any old reason. Soaking seeds emulates what happens in the wild.

In the first place, Chillies have a built-in inhibitor that prevents them from germinating inside ripe fruit. They will not germinate unless nature comes to their aid. When it rains, the inhibitors are washed away. Soaking seeds helps do that.  After that, other factors come into play before the seed will germinate.

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To freeze or to chill?

My last post was about starting Chilli seeds. In it, I mentioned that before starting seeds, you should use a fridge to refrigerate them, for three days.  This is something I recently started doing. It is something recommended by no less than the creator of the Carolina reaper in his seed starting guide. The idea behind placing the seeds in the fridge is to trick them into thinking it’s winter. Some schools of thought even recommend placing the seeds in the deep freeze to achieve this reaction.  I thought I would do some research on the subject. What is best; to cool or to freeze?

While it is likely that some seeds will germinate faster if placed in the deep freeze, particularly plants that grow naturally in cold weather climates.  But does this apply to Chillies?  They originated in the Amazon basin (in Peru and Bolivia), after all, and certainly don’t like the cold!

My understanding is that the Amazon basin is a part of the world that doesn’t get very cold. If that’s the case, why should I need to put my seeds in a deep freeze? I am sure the Amazon basin never gets to – 20 degrees Celsius as our deep freeze does?

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Completely new to growing Chillies?

Okay, so you’ve never planted anything in my life. You received a packet of Chilli seeds from a friend, and you want to sow the seeds without doing a lot of research. You also don’t want to go to too much expense. All you need is a little solid advice on how to grow your Chilli seeds. Sound familiar? Relax, we have you covered. Follow this no frills guide to starting Chilli seeds, and you will be on your way in no time at all.

So what do you need? Some stuff is definitely required, but there is no need to spend a lot at your garden centre or online. Stick to the basics, at first. In time, you can get fancier if you like

At the very least, I would recommend a closed dome propagator, some eggs, a cardboard egg tray or two, a small bag of general-purpose seed starting compost, a plastic spray bottle, some wooden ice-cream sticks or similar, a marker pen, a teabag (camomile if possible, but normal will do), a spoon and separate seed tray). A heat mat, small bag of vermiculite, and some capillary matting are optional. You also need the seeds, of course. If you have all these things together, you will be on the path to success.

So what will all this cost? A quick search online revealed it would cost about £7.00 for a propagator, £15 for a heat mat (optional), 50p for a spray bottle, £ 6 for a bag of vermiculite (optional), a 10-litre bag of seed starting mix £5.50, £2 for capillary matting (see below) and a gravel tray £2.30. I would assume you already have a spoon, ice cream sticks, a marker pen, eggs and egg trays at home. So the total setup cost for the bells and whistles version is about £40.  Without the heat mat and vermiculite, it will cost about £18.00 (£16 without the capillary matting)

This may seem a lot to plant, just a few seeds, but the assumption here is that this will not just be a once off. The equipment and materials can be used to start many batches of seeds. Call it an investment in infrastructure.

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Preparing for 2022

In a previous post, I mentioned that I would separate the healthy from the unhealthy in the seedlings I started last year. What I forgot to mention is that I also overwintered some plants. Some of these plants have done worse  than the others. I have had a couple die on me. This is something that always happens with overwintering. It’s a delicate balance. Some plants make it through the winter, and others seem to start withering  . Before you know it, they are suddenly gone. It’s just the way it is

It is always best to look at the bright side, though. I will still have some overwintered plants that will make it through, and in the main, my seedlings that I started last year are doing well. So the season is off to a good start. All I now need to do is prepare for the seed starting. I begin in a week. Chilli season for the Chilli Workshop starts on the fifteenth of January this year.

To grow Chillies successfully requires a strategy.  This strategy should be in place not only at the beginning of the season, but even before.  Which  varieties  to plant needs to be considered, when to plant them, and many other things thought through before a hand is even laid on the seeds.  Preparation for growing Chillies is essential.

Last year, I spent a lot of time developing my knowledge of growing Chillies by doing research and trialling new ways of doing things. This year, I want to use all my newly acquired knowledge to get excellent results. Part of this will be trying things I have never done before, and other elements I have tried and already had success with.  Some of this will already be put to work in my preparation for the 2022 growing season.

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Some background

The 2022 Chilli season for me officially begins in about ten days. This is when I will start seeds for the last remaining varieties I will grow this season. Once again, I probably have gone over the top. I always do. In total, I will be growing about twenty-five varieties. In addition to the seeds I will be starting, I already have seedlings for some superhots and few other types.   I started these last year. These seedlings are in various stages of development. They are currently in a controlled, heated environment under grow lights indoors

All in all, most of my seedlings are doing well. There are, however, exceptions. For example, my Carolina Reapers, Moruga Scorpions and Nagas seem to be struggling. Even though they were planted three months ago, they are only about an inch tall. I have always been aware that some superhots have long seed to maturation growth periods. That is why I started these varieties far sooner than I might ordinarily have, but their growth still appears relatively pedestrian.

In addition, I also have a few plants that don’t seem as healthy as they should. Some have yellowing leaves, and others just don’t seem vigorous. You can tell if a seedling is doing well. These seedlings (six in total)  don’t appear to be making the grade. I really don’t know why. It’s not like they haven’t received the same care and attention as my  other seedlings, which are thriving

With this in mind, the time has come for me  to go back to conventional wisdom. As part of my detailed look into growing Chillies, I decided to dig deeper into this side of growing Chillies.  Some of the following is what I found while doing research and the rest is based on my own experience.

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