A few photos

So by way of catching up, here are a few more up-to-date photos.

Here are the last of the plants being potted on to 13cm pots (I'd said 11cm in earlier posts, but they're definitely 13cm, so this has now been corrected). A few of the plants are a little small for 13cm, but I didn't really want to leave a couple in smaller pots, especially when I had all the potting on stuff to hand. 

A few of the plants were not growing particularly upright, so these have temporary stakes on them - this usually sorts them out once the stems thicken up a bit.

Last batch in 13cm pots

Down in the greenhouse all is well, but a few of these need potting on. I've managed to do a few, but I need to have a clear out of other things first. 

This year's most advanced plants

And finally, the larger plants and a few potted on examples. Hopefully I can get another dozen or so one during the week. 

The larger plants in their final pots

The grow list

So I've just potted on a few plants, everything is now in 13cm pots or larger and the plants in the greenhouse are showing no ill effects of the cooler nights of late. To date I've only lost a couple of seedlings, both CGN22871's, both of which seemed to get to the seed leaves and then stop dead. Thankfully one has survived and is doing fine, so it's not a complete disaster.

So the final grow list for this year, figures in brackets denote quantity:

CAP 253-C (2) 

CAP 267 (3)

CGN 16944 (2)

CGN 21500 (2)

CGN 22163 (2)

CGN 22871 (1)

CGN 23251 (3)

CGN 23258 (2)

PI 260504 (2)

PI 260560 (2)

PI 281353 (3)

Habernero Cristina (3)

Habernero Hot Lemon (3)

Mini Rocoto (1)

Praetermissum (2)

Peruvian Purple (2)

Pimenta De Neyde (1)

M2 - Mystery chilli plant

M6- Mystery chilli plant

??? - Lost label, might be a missing CGN22163

Overwintered (1 of each):

White Habernero

Naga Morich

Fatalii Red

Fatalii

Mustard Habenero

7 Pod (Jonah)

Tepin

Marouga Yellow

I'm aiming to keep about 40 plants from this list, where I have more than 2 then the third will be found a good home to go to. 

More info on the varieties and a few photos to follow in due course.

Down the greenhouse

I moved my overwintered plants (or at least the surviving ones) down to the greenhouse a few weeks ago. We were having a spell of unusually good weather, so heating requirements were minimal, plus it made space for this years plants to get under the CFL. There was a little scorching of the Fatalii and Tepin, but all in all this was a good move. 

In the mean time, the two trays of plants in the 13cm pots were making daily trips outside to enjoy the sun. I tend to acclimatize the plants to the sun by ensuring they are in partial shade when I first start this process. I've found a spot on the decking where they get indirect/partial sun for most of the day and I find this reduces scorching dramatically. Although the plants are used to the CFL, clearly it's not the same as real sunlight. I find at this time that it is often necessary to stake the plants with bamboo canes, this encourages straight growth and reduces wind damage, although not ideal, according to some growers, it works for me. I did suffer one minor problem here though, a bout of hail damaged a few leaves, nothing serious, but I was just not fast enough to realize what was happening and move them back indoors - however, no real damage done.

Last weekend I took the plunge and repotted three of last-years plants on to their final pots. The Tepin, Marouga Yellow and Fatalii were really established up-top, so moving them on was a good move. Here I use my usual potting on mix but add about 8 chicken manure pellets per plant. I've found these give a real boost to the plants, but you need to ensure that they are not in direct contact with the roots, over time this slowly breakdown, by which time the root issue disappears, but care should be taken at this point. Some of this year's plants are not that far behind (size wise) so I can see some more major potting on coming soon. 

This weekend just gone (Easter) I've given the greenhouse a good once over - cleaned down the glass on the side where the sun shines, reorganized the other plants in there and had a general tidy up. Then it was a case of adding some temporary shading (a little membrane held up with string) and taking the first two batches of 12 plants down to the greenhouse. Two days in and all is well, I shall remove the shading in a week or two, but again I find easing in the strong sun to be beneficial. 

The plants seemed a little anemic to me, so have had a light spray with Epsom Salts, this should encourage a little greening up.

So a few quick photos:

Some of this year's plants under the CFL

Plants in the greenhouse - note the shading

Overwintered plants - note the giant Tepin in the big pot

Frost protection - set at 8 degrees C

Gone, but not forgotten

It's been a little while since I posted... let's just say life's been a little complicated of late and leave it at that. However the chilli growing has carried on as before. 

So a catch-up post or two are on the way.

18th Feb 2012

This was the first major pot-on for the most advanced plants and the time when I got the CFL bulb up and working. About 20 plants were ready to move on from 8cm pots to 13cm pots (approx a litre). This uses my standard potting mix - 5 parts B&Q multipurpose compost to 1 part vermiculite and one part perlite. This give a mix with good drainage and nutrient retention, and generally gives me the results I want. 

As the most advanced plants were potted on to 13cm, some of the later germinated plants were moved on as well from rootriot cubes to 8cm. And hence the production line of plants moves on. 

A few photos from 18th Feb 2012:

The root growth in the 8cm pots

Potted on into 13cm pots