Growing Chilies In Scotland

Or: some notes that may help people plant and grow Chili in Edinburgh, Scotland

Objective

I thought I'd try to grow some Chillies.

Location

• Edinburgh, Scotland
• South Facing, 13 meter garden with convsevatory[C].

2^nd Year: 2007

This year I made some preparitory arrangement to help grow the chillies. I converted one of the temperature controlled brewing chambers into a chiilie germination cell. Just adding a strip light and a couple of bricks to lift the seed trays off the floor did the trick.
I also purchased two eletrically heated enclosed seed trays for the conservatory. Ordinarily the conservatory would be too cold in Jan/Feb to start growing chillies, but it's a very illuminated space so it's a pitty I've not been able to use it before. Now however I've got 120 chillie seeds in it.
The brewiing chamber is kept at 20-25^oC and a max/min thermometer shows the heated propergator keeps the internal temp up around 20^oC.

For Xmas my partner gave me loads of mixed chilli seeds purchased from Orkney (way up north from Edinburgh).
I planted approx 70 seeds in the brewing chamber (27^th Jan) and the rest (approx 140 seeds) in the heated propagators a week later. Already (as of 4^th Feb) 10 seeds in the brewing chamber have poked their heads above the soil. I've uncovered them and moved them closer to the strip light.

Feb 25, 2007

Some chillies are starting to put out their first real leaves. Some are still trying to get out of their seed pods. I think they'll be fine though.
Of the seeds planted roughly 39 didn't produce anything and 105 have at least primary leaves. This is much better than last year (roughly 72% success rate). All plants are now in the C.

Apr 22, 2007

Yesterday I finished repotting that last of the chillies into their final pots. Mostly 7 inch, a pair to each. Some of the Chillies have grown substantially, some pics would be worth a thousand words:
 
Chillies in Apr

First Year: 2006

I thought I'd try to grow some Chillies. These are my notes for the first year.

• Hot Tepin didn't grow very well.
• Tabasco, 'Pinicchioss Nose' and 'Jalapeno Summer Heat F1 Hybrid' seems to do ok.
• Started in late April, too late according to instructions on seed packet.
• It's possible that many seeds didn't gernimate in hot humid C.
• On hot days C reached 45^oC
• Approx 50 seeds planted two per 2 or 3 inch pot.
• 10 plants survived to July
• Many were lost due to being in too small a pot in too hot a condition, they were kept in small covered containers with no air flow in direct sunlight in an already hot C.
• Potted out into 8 inch and 5 inch pots filled with Vermiculite and compost
• Plants moved outside to sheltered position in front of C, mid/late May
• Watered from a 2 gallon watering can in the mornings daily on dry days
• Fed once a week
• Unwatered on days with any rain in last 24hrs.
• 5 inch pots became unstable and prone to tipping
• More growth seen on plants in 8 inch pots
• By mid July plants started to produce flowers, bees seen investigating
• Some damage due to wind on days with Gales, stems ok but many leaves snapped.
• Some damage from pests, treatment with pesticide was effective.
• Plants requred support (cane) early on, stem tied on loosely with twine.
• By mid August chillies had started to appear and by the beginning of September when the temperature had become to cold to keep them outside some has grown to over 8 inches in length.

Next year's plans

• Sow all types in early March, use smaller pots for germination and more seeds.
• Only plant out into 8 inch pots
• Only use one seed per pot
• Remove from C at first sign of high temp
• I'll plant half the seeds in only compost, other half in compost with vermiculite. See which performs best during germination stage.
• Plant out into 8 inch half of plants which survive germination when secondary leaes first start to appear, other half once tertiary start to appear, observe what's best.