Re: [CH] Intro/new subscriber:

W.A. Sawford (was1000@cus.cam.ac.uk)
Thu, 17 Jan 2002 17:25:11 +0000 (GMT) 

On Thu, 17 Jan 2002, Shaun Rimmer wrote:

> Heheh! Good luck with your venture - hope it goes great!
> 
Thanks!  Let me know if you'd like this year's growing list.

> > I would pop them outside on a nice sunny day for say a few hours to begin
> > with, and slowly increase the time outside.  After a couple of weeks or so
> > you should have plants that are hardy enough to go out.  Always bung them
> > back indoors if there is any chance of a frost however.
> 
> Right, got that. I was unsure if to just cloth and poly cover them for
> frosts (like with some other planty type thingies/wossnames).....Thanks.
> 
You could do, but in my experience chile plants just don't like cold.
They would probably survive ok, but their rate of growth could be
affected.  I've had plants that became stunted because they went down to
the greenhouse too early (March), and although it didn't actually freeze
in the greenhouse it was obviously too cold for them, being young and
tender.

>  By all means have a shot with some of
> > these seeds - if you are successful you have the pleasure twice over -
> > i.e. first you eat the chile, then you plant the seeds and (hopefully) eat
> > the babies!
> 
> Uhhhm, I usually, errrr..... eat the eehhh....seeds....... Hmmmm!

Yup, me too, but I'm afraid if you want to grow some chiles from them you
will have to sacrifice a few :-)
> 
> There are always occasions when I'm cooking for others, however, where
> removing the seeds is a necessarry evil, otherwise they complain, then go
> and drink all my beer :-(
> 
Ho yes indeedy!  

> > Hot Bananas are medium heat with a good sweet flavour.
> 
> OK, but I still ain't heard of em! Isle keep an aye oot!
> 
they are quite common in most UK seed catalogues.  Try Simpson's Seeds -
they have a very reasonable selection of chile varieties.

> > I have heard it said that you should dry out seeds to give them a
> > "resting" period.  However I've never had any problems planting the seeds
> > out of the chile I've just eaten straight in the compost, in fact the
> > germination rate is usually nearly 100% (using supermarket varieties such
> > as fresno, jalapeno, birds eye etc).
> 
> Hurray! Woo-hooo!
> 
Go gettem!

> When is a good time to plant up the seeds? I'm not too early or late am I
> (for this years growing season)?
> 
We usually plant ours mid-February, but we do give them extra light.  If
you are using a windowsill once they have germinated I would think March
might be a better option, especially as I think you are further north than
we are.

BTW, are there any other UK Heads lurking out there?  We all tend to be v.
quiet most of the time.

All the best,

Wendy
Easy Gardens