Which chilli varieties should I grow?

Discussion in 'NEW Gardeners !' started by daisy0103, Aug 19, 2019.

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  1. daisy0103

    daisy0103 Apprentice Gardener

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    Hi,

    I became interested in gardening this year, but it was too late to plant most crops. Nevertheless I have some herbs growing and I planted some beetroot at the end of July. I look forward to learning a lot from this forum.

    Next year I would like to grow a couple of different varieties of chillies, a quite hot one and a mild or medium one. I would appreciate some suggestions for which varieties I could grow, and some tips for growing them. They would started off indoors in a heated propagator, then moved outside when the weather gets warmer. Also, when is the best time to sow chilli seeds?
     
  2. RobB

    RobB Gardener

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    My first venture was with Padron, some mild but some hot..ish. Very prolific and gave me the taste for growing more. This year I bought an electric propagator and raised in March, Scotch Bonnet, Habanero and Patio Fire. Some were slow to germinate so I'll try February next year. They are coming along but like my tomatoes they have been slow whereas last year had perfect conditions.
    I'm sure someone with more experience will come along with more information shortly.
    Welcome and enjoy the ride.
    Rob
     
  3. andrews

    andrews Super Gardener

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    For hot there are loads of varieties. I'm growing habanero this year and they are reasonable sized fruits. Last year my grafted naga plant had really small fruits but that may have been doen to me.

    Medium, I don't think you can go wrong with jalapeno as it has plenty of flesh. Great for pickling too.

    Mild, I'm trying big jim this year which is supposed to be mild and good for stuffing.

    World of chillies website has lots of info and chillies sorted into hot, cooking etc. They also sell plug plants so if you don't want a glut of chilli plants, they are not a bad option to buy from.
     
  4. shiney

    shiney President, Grumpy Old Men's Club Staff Member

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    There are usually a lot of chilli festivals on during August and are interesting to visit. It depends on which part of the country you're in.

    I breed and raise chilli plants and sell them all for charity. The heat of a chilli is very subjective. Although the official guidelines on the Scoville Scale are good it doesn't give a complete valuation of the heat as that can vary from plant to plant and even from individual chillies picked from the same plant. A visit to a chilli festival will give you a better idea. :blue thumb:
     
  5. Mike77

    Mike77 Gardener

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    If you are really keen you could grow them indoors all year round in a sunny window. When I lived in a flat with no garden I grew birds eye chilli (hot)and scotch bonnet (very hot) successfully on my kitchen table. I harvested the seeds from fresh supermarket chillies. Now that I have a garden I put plants outdoors in summer and bring them back indoors in winter. If grown year round you'll get multiple crops off the plants. The plants I have out doors now are 2 years old ancho grand which are very mild like a pepper.
     
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    • daisy0103

      daisy0103 Apprentice Gardener

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      Thanks for all the replies. I'm in Outer London, I don't know of any chilli festivals near me. I think I will definitely grow jalapenos, plus another variety.
       
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      • shiney

        shiney President, Grumpy Old Men's Club Staff Member

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        If you're on the northern side of London then this is not too far and a good day out and is open next weekend. They also have quite a few hot food stalls for lunch.

        CHILLI FESTIVAL
         
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