I’ve left it a little late this year but I’ve finally got round to setting up my grow lights. The term CFL grow light can intimidate some chilli growers but in this post I will explain that lighting setups need not be complicated. Likewise they can be cheap while being of massive benefit to the…
I recently tasted these while on holiday in Spain. Sometimes it is the simple recipes that are best and this fried padron recipe is no exception. Method Wash the peppers and set aside to dry. Meanwhile fill a small pan with about 2cm of olive oil and heat. Carefully fry the peppers for 1-2 minutes….
As I mentioned a in a previous post one tray of my pepper seedlings got scorched last week after i left the propagator lid on while they were on a sunny windowsill one hot day. As you can see in the photo below all but two of the seedlings got completely frazzled. Anyway i never…
Potting on is simply the process of moving a chilli plant into a progressively larger pot as it grows. It is one of the most important things you can do to maximise your chilli harvest. Get the timing right and your plants grow steadily and healthily throughout the season. Pot on too late and you…
I was checking out my over wintered scotch bonnet plant at the weekend. Since sprouting new shoots back at the start of March my one surviving plant from last year has been putting on some good growth. I’ve got plans to try and take some cuttings from this plant once the plant has put out…
When buying regular potting compost the first decision you’ll face is whether to opt for peat free or not. Peat free has traditionally been the best kind however it is particularly bad for the environment as it is harvested from the natural environment, usually from areas with fragile and diverse eco-systems. While there are some…
Disaster has struck. Yesterday morning i forgot to take the propagator lid off one tray of chillies that were on the conservatory window sill. I got home and discovered that the seedlings that had germinated had been frazzled by the heat. The conservatory itself got up over 35 degrees so it must have been even…
One of the most important things you need to do to maximize the growth of your chilli plants, particularly in early spring when the days are short, is to maximize the amount of light they are getting. Without large amounts of light growth rates slow down and the number of ripe chillies you can harvest…
Now that some of my chilli seeds have germinated my main aim is to get as much light to them as possible. While we’ve had a few glorious Spring sunny days the weather is still a bit unpredictable and the days not too long. As a result it is crucial to get as much light…