• If you need help identifying a pepper, disease, or plant issue, please post in Identification.

When to allow pods?

My first Chilli year.
Here's my problem.
My local Pub in UK wants a Chilli eating challenge on the day of their fete mid August.
If possible, they want me to supply the Chillis.
I'm growing various plants. Super,Paper Lantern, Orange Habanero, Submarine, Dorset Naga, Moruga Scorpion and a couple of others.
The plants are 10 to 12 inches high and apart from the Moruga, are flowering but I'm pinching them off as I think the plants are too small.
Q1. Am I right? Are they too small?
Q2. In UK, what time or size is a good time to let them pod?
I don't have to make their fete date. It's not my reason to be growing them. But if it is a good time to be harvesting then great.
I kind of think it's too early.
Advice please.
 
Thanks for your reply major.
Lack of experience is my problem.
I guess if I knew how long from a flower to a ripe pod I could time it roughly.
I have 2 of the Dorset Naga, so I might let one go for it now and hold the other back.
No reapers so this will be the final Chilli in the "challenge".
 
Certainly no expert here, but I like the idea of doing what I can to keep the plant healthy then letting it do everything else. If it wants to flower let it flower.
 
exparte said:
Certainly no expert here, but I like the idea of doing what I can to keep the plant healthy then letting it do everything else. If it wants to flower let it flower.

Normally I'd agree with you but these have been trying to flower since I got them as small 5 inch plugs a few weeks ago. Not sure why or if that's normal. Anyway, I've been pinching them off on a daily basis ever since.
The only plant not flowering is the Moruga Scorpion.
Like most men, I overestimated the size. Tallest I've got is 10 inches. Think I'm going to get them taller before letting them flower.
 
Better transplant them to much bigger containers and they might stop flowering for a while, instead they start to grow more size until the container is full of roots.
 
Chilidude said:
Better transplant them to much bigger containers and they might stop flowering for a while, instead they start to grow more size until the container is full of roots.

Yes thanks. That makes sense. 3 litres to 5 sound ok?
 
Scorchio said:
Yes thanks. That makes sense. 3 litres to 5 sound ok?
 

If you got the space, make it more like 7-10 litres to allow them to grow big and strong. 10 litre plastic water buckets are really cheap to make them to containers with big holes in the bottom.
 
Chilidude said:
 
If you got the space, make it more like 7-10 litres to allow them to grow big and strong. 10 litre plastic water buckets are really cheap to make them to containers with big holes in the bottom.
Wow! OK thanks. Found 6x11 ltr pots so that helps from today for some of them. Given me something to do this afternoon.
Much appreciated, thanks.
 
Ready pods in mid August is very ambitious for UK, especially for Chinense varieties but good luck anyways.
 
Potting in bigger pots seems like a good advice.
 
Honey Badger said:
Ready pods in mid August is very ambitious for UK, especially for Chinense varieties but good luck anyways.
 
Potting in bigger pots seems like a good advice.

Potting up right now.(beer break).
Never grown these before so no idea on when they might be ready.
I thought mid August was hopeful though.
Oh well the fete will be missing one event unless I can come up with another idea using dried chillis.
Think I can source fresh up to Scotch Bonnets but wanted last one to be one of the biggies.
Thinking maybe Reaper peanut butter or the like.
Think the Landlord has some people to get even with lol.
 
Scorchio said:
Potting up right now.(beer break).
Never grown these before so no idea on when they might be ready.
I thought mid August was hopeful though.
Oh well the fete will be missing one event unless I can come up with another idea using dried chillis.
Think I can source fresh up to Scotch Bonnets but wanted last one to be one of the biggies.
Thinking maybe Reaper peanut butter or the like.
Think the Landlord has some people to get even with lol.
 
I'm sure you can order some super hots from UK growers, even Tesco sells Komodo Dragons but what I heard, they are not *that* hot. 
 
What pot size are you repotting in? 
 
Mine are all in 12 L pots. Well, Nagas and Fataliis are. I'm yet to repot about 10-12 anuum plants which are still in small pots. 
 
Honey Badger said:
 
I'm sure you can order some super hots from UK growers, even Tesco sells Komodo Dragons but what I heard, they are not *that* hot. 
 
What pot size are you repotting in? 
 
Mine are all in 12 L pots. Well, Nagas and Fataliis are. I'm yet to repot about 10-12 anuum plants which are still in small pots. 
I've put them in 11 ltr pots. These are square and quite deep as they are made to make max use of grow tent space.
But they were vacant so I've used them.
Coco and perlite only.
I'll get hold of some growers to see what can be sourced but thanks for the Tesco tip.
Personally I'm a bit wary having seen some Utube videos. Not sure 6 ciders and a reaper is a good idea lol.
However, Landlord is very keen.
 
Scorchio said:
I've put them in 11 ltr pots. These are square and quite deep as they are made to make max use of grow tent space.
But they were vacant so I've used them.
Coco and perlite only.
I'll get hold of some growers to see what can be sourced but thanks for the Tesco tip.
Personally I'm a bit wary having seen some Utube videos. Not sure 6 ciders and a reaper is a good idea lol.
However, Landlord is very keen.
 
What kind of fertilizer are you going to give to the plants growing in coco+perlite?
 
You are going to need really good growing place, if you want pods in mid august with c.chinense and you should stop taking those flowers off too if you want ripe pods in a month or two.
 
Scorchio said:
I've put them in 11 ltr pots. These are square and quite deep as they are made to make max use of grow tent space.
But they were vacant so I've used them.
Coco and perlite only.
I'll get hold of some growers to see what can be sourced but thanks for the Tesco tip.
Personally I'm a bit wary having seen some Utube videos. Not sure 6 ciders and a reaper is a good idea lol.
However, Landlord is very keen.
 
Are you sure that coco + perlite is enough? I feel it might drain too quickly. 
 
There are other UK growers you could get some fresh pods for your fete.
 
Other than chilli eating, you can suggest eating stinging nettles. 
:)
 
Chilidude said:
 
What kind of fertilizer are you going to give to the plants growing in coco+perlite?
 
You are going to need really good growing place, if you want pods in mid august with c.chinense and you should stop taking those flowers off too if you want ripe pods in a month or two.
At the moment I'm using Organic Tomatoe Fertiliser by Green Future. 4:1:6
With addition of a little mag.sulphate and myco whatever yesterday potting up.

I am more interested in produce for myself than the Pub fete but I did say I'd try to help out.
 
Scorchio said:
At the moment I'm using Organic Tomatoe Fertiliser by Green Future. 4:1:6
With addition of a little mag.sulphate and myco whatever yesterday potting up.

I am more interested in produce for myself than the Pub fete but I did say I'd try to help out.
 
The info on this fertilizer does say it not suitable for hydroponics, so it might not work too good with pure coco coir growing so you might want to do some soil mix with the coco coir added in there to make the fertilizer work better.
 
Honey Badger said:
 
Are you sure that coco + perlite is enough? I feel it might drain too quickly. 
 
There are other UK growers you could get some fresh pods for your fete.
 
Other than chilli eating, you can suggest eating stinging nettles. 
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8a26VgzjFg8
 
:)
Hi, I have used this mix in Spain (just moved back) for other plants with success. Prevents over watering. Yes it drains quite quickly but that does allow more feeding which they need as no nutrients in the mix.
Very similar to hydroponics.
Nettles. Yes there are some nutters down here. Saw that on River Cottage.
 
Scorchio said:
Hi, I have used this mix in Spain (just moved back) for other plants with success. Prevents over watering. Yes it drains quite quickly but that does allow more feeding which they need as no nutrients in the mix.
Very similar to hydroponics.
Nettles. Yes there are some nutters down here. Saw that on River Cottage.
 
I wouldn't mind trying it on at least one of my plants. Where do you get your coco from, if you don't mind me asking?
 
Honey Badger said:
 
I wouldn't mind trying it on at least one of my plants. Where do you get your coco from, if you don't mind me asking?
Hi, through Amazon, coconut coir by highstreethydro, 5 bricks, 11 pounds something. You'll be surprised how a brick expands, so just do one to start with. Good luck. Let me know how you get on. Remember they need all nutes in the watering. Also good to ph your water. Easily done with a cheap tester and vinegar or ph down. Plants much happier taking up nutrients at right ph.
Hope I'm helping. I have grown literally hundreds of plants this way in Spain. Plants I would not dare growing in the UK.
 
Back
Top