Chilli heads.

Nice! You could try using a bit of fertilizer (like 1/3 of regular dose) with the weak ones..

Inside the World’s Only Chile Pepper Research Institute

https://getpocket.com/explore/item/inside-the-world-s-only-chile-pepper-research-institute?utm_source=pocket-newtab-global-en-GB

I’m on the lookout for about 3kg of dried scotch bonnet chillis. Prices are mad online is there anything that is doing whole that is about 3 grand for what I want.

I’ve not tried the local Indian wholesalers yet but it’s on my list can I not order them online.

Scotch Bonnets more likely to be in Brixton market than an Indian store...

I bet Nour Cash and Carry has you covered.

About £180 here https://www.chilliwizards.co.uk/Scotch-Bonnet-Chilli-Powder---10g-to-1kg ...

Sadly only powder needs to be flakes, I should have said that. Thanks though

Bhut Jolokia and Orange Habanero have germinated under the desk. Looks like 4 of each right now. Planted 8 of each but still time, some came up in less than a week.

Early flowering on overwintering plant.

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First of the year! Loads more flowers too.

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Had a lot of success growing cayenne last year, bountiful fruits, lots of greenery indoors, and very tasty chilli jam. Ordered some more seed varieties for this season, and prob got carried away.

Now got Padrons, Calibrian, more Cayenne, and 2nd gen Cayenne from 1st gen seeds (not nearly as strong as 1st log), Californian Reaper, Big Mustard Mama, plus some Scotch Bonnet planted from fresh seeds which seem to be going well.

Here’s the Reapers - v intrigued to experience how much heat they actually have. Looking at recipes it looks like they’re used more generously than I presumed. With the reputation I figured it would be something like ‘take 1/4 chilli and mix with 5kg of tomatoes’ but actually looks like you can de-seed, roast and use in regular quantities to make extra-hot salsas and sauces.

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..soooo... out of the 30 seedlings I started end of last year the best 15 made it into 20x20cm pots, thriving pretty much under artificial lighting

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..unfortunately I had a lot of issues with fungus gnats and mealy bugs, and most of the plants died. Much distress.

Four survived, and they're doing quite well, living in a rather bright staircase (as temperatures still go under 10°C regularly where I live) right now, can't really bother to carry them inside / outside / inside / outside, so yea.

Here's some pics 🙂

..the biggest one, kind-of a "low rider" though. Many flowers yet no berries so far

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..another one that stayed quite low, few flowers - and if you look really close you can spot some little knobbly chillies starting

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..that one's quite the opposite as you can see. Don't have the guts to prune it though 😅
Also some little fruit already..

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..and the last one - looking quite happy and growing multiple rather big berries 🙂

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^ looking good.

My only overwintering survivor has a dozen fruits ripening, so maybe i'll get a second flowering & crop.

This years plants are all behind but hopefully I'll get some fruit by end of year plus overwintering one or more successfully.

Plants happily producing berries now 🙂

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unknown orange chili

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pinzón

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^Looking good!

My Big Mustard are bursting into life. Loads of buds and fruit growing really rapidly. Quite strange looking, crinkly, almost spikey, and a deep purple brown on the side that gets the sun.

The Reapers are suffering from flower drop. Plants are healthy, but once fully bloomed, shrink up, and drop off at the base of the flower stalk. Have been trying pollinating using a paintbrush, but no joy. Could it be I’m using pollen from chillis that are too far removed? I’m just swabbing from flowers with plentiful pollen, like Padron and Calibrian. Any advice?!

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Whats the best way to dry out chillis, usually we do them in italy and leave them on a wire rack under the sun and within a few days they are dried.

Last time I left them in my utility as its hot, they dried out after about a month but ive just went to use them and they are like mouldy inside so im binning them.

Want to do another batch was thinking of getting a big box and using an electric fan to blow the hot air into it or the oven but Im worried the oven will cook them and i dont want to make them taste burnt.

Oven at 50deg with fan on & door open but you have to stay nearby & it stinks.

You can get a food dehydrator which do this better.

usually we do them in italy

Well jealous!

Cheers, I'll give that a bash with some of them and try the box and fan method too.

Food dehydrator will still leave the air feeling like police mace for an hour or two. I speak from experience.