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Growing Chili's in New Hampshire

H

huddyball

Grew my first few pots of chili's this year and had, what I thought to be, a decent year. After reading all the different account of those out there I'm realizing I have a lot to learn. So here it goes... Please hit me back with all the information you can to really help me have the best harvest possible. The more the better.

My particulars:

Live in southern NH
Currently growing Caribbean mix, Bhut Jolokia, Thia Sun, Cayenne (all from Pepper Joe)

What I'm looking to do:
Make a great hot sauce, share with friends, just have fun

Thanks!
 
Move! :P Actually I lived in Manchester for most of my life, so I know what you're up against. Time to get creative, start 'em early indoors with lights, warmth, and good soil. Best way to extend your season. Depending on your living situation you may have to make the best of the space you have. Do a search in Grow Tech for ghetto rigs.

And have fun, grow something wicked hawt!
 
What Pepperhead said... and also, if you're going to plant in the soil outside, the first thing is soil preparation. I recommend you get your soil tested for pH and nutrients. The testing pays for itself in saving you money that might be spent on nutes you don't actually need, and eliminates the worry that you might have forgotten something your plants need... hence giving you the confidence to leave your chiles alone to grow and not loving them to death. A lot of newcomers make the mistake of overwatering and overfertilizing their chiles.
Next... put down black plastic thermal mulch or black poly plastic a few weeks ahead of planting to pre-warm the soil and create a warmer micro-climate for your chiles. I got a huge jump on the season by doing that and setting up a hoophouse over my pepper rows with 10 foot sections of half inch PVC pipe for the framework and 4 mil poly sheeting over that. Put heavy rocks or sandbags on the edges of the plastic to hold the hoophouse down in the brisk spring wind. The poly keeps the rain and hose spray out of your chile bed, so either put drip hose under the black plastic or take the weights off the edge of the poly sheeting on one side of the hoophouse and water the plants, then replace the poly sheeting and the weights. This way you don't have to water the plants on your hands and knees! Plant the chiles in holes punched in the black plastic mulch. When the night-time temps rose into the low 40s consistently, I swapped out the poly sheeting for Agribon 19 fabric. When the night-time temperatures climbed a little more into the mid 40s, I took off the hoophouse but left the black plastic on the ground for the rest of the season.
Don't over-water! To avoid root rot, chiles like the soil to be moist, but not saturated. To avoid leaf spot, apply the water to the ground under the plant and avoid getting it on the foliage, especially if the chiles are planted close together.
 
I've read a little about over-wintering. Thoughts? Is it worth the time? Also, with planting in the ground, how much direct sun do you need? I only have about 8 hours (peak) of direct sun on my vegetable garden. This is why I did my peppers in pots. I have much more direct sun in the front yard.
 
I'm in central VT, about 20 minutes north of Lebanon, on the CT River. I grow in pots as well, and by starting my plants indoors back in January, I was able to pull a pretty decent harvest. Start early, use artificial light until it's safe to move outdoors, and baby them through the turbulent New England spring and you'll be fine.

I haven't tried to overwintering yet, but from all that I've read, it worth it.
 
What kind of lights are best? I have a heat mat and an "indoor" greenhouse for starting seeds. Should I need anything else?
 
HID, either metal halide or high pressure sodium are the most efficient light sources so far.

In Méjico, where lots of chiles are grown and eaten, they spell this chile.

Chili is the gemish cooked in Tejas.
 
Looking at bulbs, any certain wattage that I should use? Also, is there an optimum temp I should bee looking for? I kept mine around 85 degrees this year, but I'm not sure if I should go more or less. Lastly, when is the best time to start? I started mine in late March, but I felt that was a bit late.

I know I'm asking a lot but I really do appreciate all you guys can offer.
 
Hi Scott
I started my Korean Annuums and Habaneros in Mid February with 120 watt equivalent 5500k cfl bulbs.in a homemade grow tent in my unheated basement. I set an old milking parlor heater blowing a stream of heated air in the bottom of the tent, which worked well, but sent my electric bill up over a hundred dollars a month. I understand that if you want to grow superhots, or C. Pubiscens varieties you'll probably want to start from seed even earlier. I'm going to start some Orange Manzanos for next year in mid-December.
80 to 85 degrees by "daylight" and the 60s by "night" are good growing temps. I haven't researched LED lighting or High Pressure Sodium (HPS) lamps, but you might want to... I understand if you use HPS lighting, done properly, you can use them for heat too. Hope this helps.
 
You will need 30-50 watts/square foot or 3000 lumens/square foot of plant canopy to flower and fruit inside.

Don't grow a lot of plants because elec is not inexpensive.
 
80 to 85 is optimal, I wouldn't go higher. If you have the indoor space and the lighting and heat setup, then I would start as early as the beginning of February.
 
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