Chilli Plant Update - 17th August 2019
We had the builders in last week for five days and to say the place has been a bomb site would be a complete understatement. The chilli plant tribe has been juggled about left, right and centre, and the porch plants spent the best part of three days confined to the kitchen table without any sunlight. It was during that time when I was able to appreciate just how large some of the plants really are, which may sound strange, but there you go.
The sun was cracking the flagstones on Thursday and most of the plants spent the whole day outside in the garden soaking up some much needed light. The builders had finished on Thursday evening and so the tribe and I were able to perform a sun dance before making our way back indoors. I'm pleased to announce that during the upheaval no plants were damaged and no pods were lost. Good job, I say!
Both Red Mayan Habanero plants have now decided to liven up. The growth has been fairly slow this season due to the poor weather we've had this summer in the UK. When the weather is like it has been this year the growth can be a little slower, but we always get there in the end.
Both Chocolate Habanero plants are doing great and podding up nicely. Two weeks ago I put the bedroom plant outside for the day in the sun and forgot it was there, and when I checked that evening I found it wilted with scorched leaves. During the course of the following day those leaves eventually dropped off, but despite this rather unfortunate incident the plant is doing just fine.
The Jalapeño M plants are like mini pod factories this year and I've picked lots of green chillies from them so far. I'm always nervous when moving these plants because the weight of the fruit is making them top-heavy.
The Ring of Fire plant has proved its worth and I picked the first ripe chillies about five days ago. It's been about eight years since I last grew this variety and I'd forgotten just how spicy these chillies can be.
The Yellow Jelly Bean Habanero plant lives very happily in the bedroom window and is podding up nicely. I still have good amount of these chillies left over from last season and I'll be adding them to my next batch of hot sauce. The local junkie sits on the grass opposite the bedroom window and sometimes acts like she's paying homage to something. Either she's a chilli-head or she thinks I'm growing something else!
The Cap 1445 plant seems quite happy in the garden and has set a fair amount of pods. I tried a green one for the first time last Thursday and the initial flavour was smoky, a typical description given for the flavour of Capsicum chacoense chillies. Hopefully, I'll get chance to try a ripe one before the birds eat them all. The plant should be twice as bushy as this but a large piece was snapped off last month during strong wind, as mention in the previous post.
The Mini Rocoto Brown plant still hasn't set any fruit. When the plant is in direct sun the leaves scorch, and when it's in partial shade it grows leggy. I moved it to a sunny spot earlier today and that's where it will be staying from now on. If the leaves scorch then so be it.
The Mako Akokosrade plant is growing in a 7-litre pot in the bedroom window and appears to be very happy where it is. I tried the first ripe chillies last week and they had a nice flavour and a good amount of heat. This variety is a definite keeper for me.
The Aji Mochero plant is growing very happily on a kitchen windowsill and gets the sun from about 3PM until sunset. This variety (C. chinense) is sometimes confused with the much-loved Aji Lemon Drop (C. baccatum), both of which are of Peruvian origin.
The Habanero Numero Diez plant has been quite prolific and a few small chillies are now starting to ripen up. Several of the largest and truest-looking pods have been market out for seed saving, and if the chillies have a good flavour then I may grow this variety again next year.
Lots of the Malawi Bird's Eye chillies are now starting to ripen up and the plants are already in the process of producing more flowers. This variety is always a good producer and most of the chillies get used in curries.
The Aji Guaguao plant has set more fruit since the last update, and I'm now pleased to announce that we have approximately 15 chillies on the plant. If we reach 20 then I'll open a bottle of champagne! We're going to eat well this season.
The Aji Rainforest plant is coming along great and is laden with fruit. It's been a good five years since I last grew this variety and I'd forgotten just how prolific the plants can be.
The Aji Lemon plant lives at the back of the greenhouse and is very difficult to photograph at the moment. A couple of pods have ripened since the last update and the plant is still in the process of setting fruit.
Here's a photo showing the first small chilli harvest of the season. The varieties shown here are Malawi Bird's Eye, Ring of Fire, Aji Lemon and Mako Akokosrade.
If I had a large greenhouse then all Capsicum chinense varieties would be grown in pots no smaller than 10-litres. Plants belonging to this species always do better for me in greenhouses, and growing them indoors on windowsills can sometimes be a little tricky, especially when the weather is poor like it has been this season. I have to make do with what space I have available, and under the circumstances I don't do too badly.
The sun was cracking the flagstones on Thursday and most of the plants spent the whole day outside in the garden soaking up some much needed light. The builders had finished on Thursday evening and so the tribe and I were able to perform a sun dance before making our way back indoors. I'm pleased to announce that during the upheaval no plants were damaged and no pods were lost. Good job, I say!
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| Chilli Plant Food - 18th August 2019 |
Both Red Mayan Habanero plants have now decided to liven up. The growth has been fairly slow this season due to the poor weather we've had this summer in the UK. When the weather is like it has been this year the growth can be a little slower, but we always get there in the end.
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| Red Mayan Habanero - 16th August 2019 |
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| Red Mayan Habanero - 16th August 2019 |
Both Chocolate Habanero plants are doing great and podding up nicely. Two weeks ago I put the bedroom plant outside for the day in the sun and forgot it was there, and when I checked that evening I found it wilted with scorched leaves. During the course of the following day those leaves eventually dropped off, but despite this rather unfortunate incident the plant is doing just fine.
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| Chocolate Habanero - 15th August 2019 |
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| Chocolate Habanero - 15th August 2019 |
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| Chocolate Habanero - 15th August 2019 |
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| Chocolate Habanero - 15th August 2019 |
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| Chocolate Habanero - 15th August 2019 |
The Jalapeño M plants are like mini pod factories this year and I've picked lots of green chillies from them so far. I'm always nervous when moving these plants because the weight of the fruit is making them top-heavy.
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| Jalapeño M - 15th August 2019 |
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| Jalapeño M - 15th August 2019 |
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| Jalapeño M - 15th August 2019 |
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| Jalapeño M - 15th August 2019 |
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| Jalapeño M - 15th August 2019 |
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| Jalapeño M - 15th August 2019 |
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| Jalapeño M - 15th August 2019 |
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| Jalapeño M - 15th August 2019 |
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| Jalapeño M - 15th August 2019 |
The Ring of Fire plant has proved its worth and I picked the first ripe chillies about five days ago. It's been about eight years since I last grew this variety and I'd forgotten just how spicy these chillies can be.
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| Ring of Fire - 15th August 2019 |
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| Ring of Fire - 15th August 2019 |
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| Ring of Fire - 15th August 2019 |
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| Ring of Fire - 15th August 2019 |
The Yellow Jelly Bean Habanero plant lives very happily in the bedroom window and is podding up nicely. I still have good amount of these chillies left over from last season and I'll be adding them to my next batch of hot sauce. The local junkie sits on the grass opposite the bedroom window and sometimes acts like she's paying homage to something. Either she's a chilli-head or she thinks I'm growing something else!
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| Yellow Jelly Bean Habanero - 15th August 2019 |
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| Yellow Jelly Bean Habanero Flower - 1st August 2019 |
.jpg "Yellow Jelly Bean Habanero - 1st August 2019") |
| Yellow Jelly Bean Habanero - 1st August 2019 |
.jpg "Yellow Jelly Bean Habanero - 15th August 2019") |
| Yellow Jelly Bean Habanero - 15th August 2019 |
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| Yellow Jelly Bean Habanero - 1st August 2019 |
.jpg "Yellow Jelly Bean Habanero - 15th August 2019") |
| Yellow Jelly Bean Habanero - 15th August 2019 |
The Cap 1445 plant seems quite happy in the garden and has set a fair amount of pods. I tried a green one for the first time last Thursday and the initial flavour was smoky, a typical description given for the flavour of Capsicum chacoense chillies. Hopefully, I'll get chance to try a ripe one before the birds eat them all. The plant should be twice as bushy as this but a large piece was snapped off last month during strong wind, as mention in the previous post.
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| Cap 1445 - 1st August 2019 |
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| Cap 1445 Flower Bud - 3rd August 2019 |
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| Cap 1445 Flower - 1st August 2019 |
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| Cap 1445 - 1st August 2019 |
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| Cap 1445 - 1st August 2019 |
The Mini Rocoto Brown plant still hasn't set any fruit. When the plant is in direct sun the leaves scorch, and when it's in partial shade it grows leggy. I moved it to a sunny spot earlier today and that's where it will be staying from now on. If the leaves scorch then so be it.
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| Mini Rocoto Brown - 17th August 2019 |
The Mako Akokosrade plant is growing in a 7-litre pot in the bedroom window and appears to be very happy where it is. I tried the first ripe chillies last week and they had a nice flavour and a good amount of heat. This variety is a definite keeper for me.
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| Mako Akokosrade - 15th August 2019 |
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| Mako Akokosrade Flowers - 1st August 2019 |
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| Mako Akokosrade - 15th August 2019 |
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| Mako Akokosrade - 15th August 2019 |
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| Mako Akokosrade - 15th August 2019 |
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| Mako Akokosrade - 15th August 2019 |
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| Mako Akokosrade - 15th August 2019 |
The Aji Mochero plant is growing very happily on a kitchen windowsill and gets the sun from about 3PM until sunset. This variety (C. chinense) is sometimes confused with the much-loved Aji Lemon Drop (C. baccatum), both of which are of Peruvian origin.
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| Aji Mochero - 15th August 2019 |
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| Aji Mochero - 12th August 2019 |
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| Aji Mochero - 15th August 2019 |
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| Aji Mochero - 15th August 2019 |
The Habanero Numero Diez plant has been quite prolific and a few small chillies are now starting to ripen up. Several of the largest and truest-looking pods have been market out for seed saving, and if the chillies have a good flavour then I may grow this variety again next year.
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| Habanero Numero Diez - 15th August 2019 |
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| Habanero Numero Diez - 15th August 2019 |
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| Habanero Numero Diez - 15th August 2019 |
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| Habanero Numero Diez - 15th August 2019 |
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| Habanero Numero Diez - 17th August 2019 |
Lots of the Malawi Bird's Eye chillies are now starting to ripen up and the plants are already in the process of producing more flowers. This variety is always a good producer and most of the chillies get used in curries.
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| Malawi Bird's Eye - 30th July 2019 |
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| Malawi Bird's Eye - 30th July 2019 |
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| Malawi Bird's Eye - 12th August 2019 |
The Aji Guaguao plant has set more fruit since the last update, and I'm now pleased to announce that we have approximately 15 chillies on the plant. If we reach 20 then I'll open a bottle of champagne! We're going to eat well this season.
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| Aji Guaguao - 15th August 2019 |
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| Aji Guaguao - 15th August 2019 |
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| Aji Guaguao - 15th August 2019 |
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| Aji Guaguao - 15th August 2019 |
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| Aji Guaguao - 17th August 2019 |
The Aji Rainforest plant is coming along great and is laden with fruit. It's been a good five years since I last grew this variety and I'd forgotten just how prolific the plants can be.
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| Aji Rainforest - 16th August 2019 |
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| Aji Rainforest Flower - 1st August 2019 |
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| Aji Rainforest - 1st August 2019 |
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| Aji Rainforest - 17th August 2019 |
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| Aji Rainforest - 17th August 2019 |
The Aji Lemon plant lives at the back of the greenhouse and is very difficult to photograph at the moment. A couple of pods have ripened since the last update and the plant is still in the process of setting fruit.
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| Aji Lemon Flower - 1st August 2019 |
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| Aji Lemon - 16th August 2019 |
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| Aji Lemon - 16th August 2019 |
Here's a photo showing the first small chilli harvest of the season. The varieties shown here are Malawi Bird's Eye, Ring of Fire, Aji Lemon and Mako Akokosrade.
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| Chilli Harvest - 12th August 2019 |
If I had a large greenhouse then all Capsicum chinense varieties would be grown in pots no smaller than 10-litres. Plants belonging to this species always do better for me in greenhouses, and growing them indoors on windowsills can sometimes be a little tricky, especially when the weather is poor like it has been this season. I have to make do with what space I have available, and under the circumstances I don't do too badly.
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