Chilli Plant Update - 14th March 2023

The chilli plants are doing great and have reached a good size for the time of year. I don't want them growing too big too quickly because we still have a few weeks yet before they can go outside. Aside from the late sowings mentioned below, most of the varieties that were sown on the 26th January germinated within 10 days. Most of the seedlings were pricked-out on the 7th February and a few more were pricked out about one week later on the 16th February. I've also sown a couple more varieties since posting the last update. I sowed some Yellow Jelly Bean Habanero seeds on the 4th February and some CGN 19198 seeds on the 21st February. The former variety took 7 days to germinate and the latter variety took 12 days. After waiting three weeks the first batch of Sukanya Rocoto seeds hadn't germinated, so I sowed a second batch on the 25th February and the first seedling made an appearance 14 days later. 😎

Ring of Fire - 2nd February 2023

Although Aji Charapita, Orange Habanero, Caribbean Red Habanero, Chocolate Habanero, Prairie Fire, El Oro de Ecuador, Aji Crystal, Dwarf Chiltepin and Cap 1445 are all varieties I've grown before, this year's plants have not been grown from my own saved seeds, so therefore I'll be treating them like the new varieties and I won't be posting any photos of them until I know for sure that they are true to type. If you'd like to view a list of all the chilli varieties I'm growing this season then you can do so by visiting the current growing season page. The following three photos show the chilli plants in the heated propagator in the porch. The first one was taken on the 9th February, the second one on the 1st March and the third one was taken yesterday afternoon.

Chilli Plants in the Porch - 9th February 2023

Chilli Plants in the Porch - 1st March 2023

Chilli Plants in the Porch - 13th March 2023

Here are some photos showing a few of the individual tribe members that you've met before. Cumari Pollux and some of the Capsicum chinense varieties may look a little pale in the photos because they were accidentally exposed to low night time temperatures for several nights. I wasn't paying enough attention to the night time temperatures and it got as low as 50F in the porch for a few nights. I've since increased the temperature on the thermostatically controlled oil heater and now the night time temperature doesn't drop much below 60F. 😇

Aji Largo - 13th March 2023

Aji Mochero - 13th March 2023

Cumari Pollux - 13th March 2023

Fatalii - 13th March 2023

Guatemalan Orange Rocoto - 13th March 2023

Jalapeño M - 13th March 2023

Malawi Bird's Eye - 13th March 2023

Papa Joe's Scotch Bonnet - 13th March 2023

Peruvian White Habanero - 13th March 2023

Ring of Fire - 13th March 2023

San Isidro Rocoto - 13th March 2023

Trinidad Moruga Scorpion - 13th March 2023

Yellow Jelly Bean Habanero - 13th March 2023

On the 21st February, whilst sowing the CGN 19198 seeds, I took the lid off the compost bucket and was greeted by a seedling growing inside. I don't know how the seed got there, but tenacity like that will not go unrewarded. I pulled it from the mire and planted it into a pot of its own. I have no idea what variety it is, so for now I've just labelled it as 'the mystery'. It's definitely going to be one of the varieties I'm growing this season because my seed box hasn't been anywhere near the compost bucket. I have a hunch that it could be a Sukanya Rocoto, but we'll have to wait and see. Watch this space.

The Mystery - 14th March 2023

The Mystery - 14th March 2023

This season, I'm growing a few more chilli plants than usual, but some of them, namely Prairie Fire, Malawi Bird's Eye, Peruvian White Habanero and Yellow Jelly Bean Habanero, are going to be grown in pots smaller than 5-litres. One of the Aji Largo plants and my one and only San Isidro Rocoto plant are going to be grown indoors in small pots. I need to get some true to type Aji Largo seeds and I also want to see how well San Isidro Rocoto performs indoors. I have a feeling that it will do okay, but if not then I'll just re-pot it into a larger pot and put it outside in the garden. There really isn't much else to report on at the moment. It's hard to believe that by this time next week it will officially be spring. All hail the Chilli Gods! 😛

Edit/Update: Here is a photo taken on the 17th March showing this year's new chilli varieties.

New Chilli Varieties - 17th March 2023