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Thread: Chilie Grow Guide

  1. #1

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    Wink Chilie Grow Guide

    Ive been talking to few peeps who want to grow chilies so hears a guide hope you like,

    Guide: Chillies for Beginners. Written by Julian Livsey
    This guide is for anyone who has somehow hit on the idea that it would be fun to grow chile peppers. You haven't grown them before, perhaps you haven't really grown anything before. After a bit of research on the internet you are completely overwhelmed by the advice and information; not sure where to begin. thechileman website is not aimed at the prefessional growers, yet when we start talking in the guides about vermiculite and heated propagators it may make you wonder whether growing chile peppers is for you afterall. Well don't be put off, there is an easier way! Yes we like pre-germinating our seeds. We like heat mats, and the drainage advantage of perlite in our soil mix but you don't have to do all that. Chile plants can be stunningly easy to grow. So here is thechileman's guide for first time growers or those who don't want to bother with anything complicated...



    Seeds
    To grow your own chile peppers you first need seeds. There are lots of fantastic varieties of peppers available to choose from. But for the complete beginner who wants garanteed chile pods and doesn't want to wait too long to get them, the usually shorter growing time of the Capsicum Annuum's are probably a good choice, particularly for anyone growing in a cooler climate. You can buy seeds from your local garden centre or take a look at our pod pals section for some recommended seed suppliers. But if you prefer, it really is as simple as popping down to your local supermarket, buying a couple of peppers and scraping out the seeds.



    Germination.
    This is probably the single most discussed stage of chile pepper growing and the one that offers the most opinions. Now that you have your seeds the trick is to turn them into plants. The first stage of that is to get them to germinate. The main requirements for a seed to germinate are heat, moisture and oxygen. It is possible to germinate your seeds in everything from tissue paper to rock wool cubes, but the easiest growing medium is soil.

    It doesn't matter what you use to hold your soil. Whether it is a propagator or a simple plastic box with some small drainage holes cut into the bottom of it to stop the soil getting water logged. Sow your seeds by placing them on the surface of the soil, then cover them over with more soil but only so that they are just below the surface, perhaps as little as three milimeters. Seeds only have so much energy stored before they need to generate more from light, so plant them too deep and they will run out of energy before they reach the surface.

    To get moisture to the seeds you need to water the surface of the soil. Not too much, you want the soil to be moist, not water logged. The final ingredient is heat. At this stage there is no requirement for light so you may find something like an airing cupboard is ideal. Above a radiator, anywhere reasonably warm will do. But bear in mind you don't want to bake them, and also that too much heat will reduce the moisture content of your soil.



    Sucessful germination
    Depending upon the variety that you are growing, your seeds will take anywhere from a few days to several weeks to break the surface. You need to be patient but you will be rewarded when they push their way through the surface. While they are seedlings your plants are very sensitive and delicate so best not to touch them. Heat and moisture are still important but key now is the amount of light your seedlings receive. Place your plants in a south facing window or a warm greenhouse if you can.



    Transplanting
    Chile plants generally produce sets of leaves in pairs. The first set are called the seed leaves, the next set will be the first true set of leaves. Once your seedlings have these you will need to move them to a larger pot to give them more room to grow. Plant pots are cheap and easy to find. It doesn't matter what size you use, but most people would start off with one about four inches in diameter and gradually move up as the roots start showing through the drainage holes at the bottom. Leaving in a small pot will check the growth of your chile plant. You may be happy with a six inch pot so that your plant can sit on the kitchen windowsill, or you may have your eye on the empty beer keg round the back of your local pub.



    Feeding
    Another black art during chile pepper growing is fertilizer. Most come with a mix of NPK which is nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium. Too much nitrogen and your plants will be all leaves and no fruit, not enough and your plants may be yellow and withered. But you don't need to worry about fertilizer if you don't want to. The correct balance of light, water are really all that the plant needs. As long as your soil is half way decent the plant will be able to get all the nutrients it needs from that.



    Flowering
    When your plants produce flowers you are in business. This is where the fruit comes from. Again you can read plenty about how best to pollinate your chile plant's flowers but trust us, this will work - when there are several flowers open on your plant, rub your finger around the middle part to pick up the pollen, and repeat a couple of times for each flower. This will move the pollen to the stamen and start the chemical reaction needed to make the fruit.



    Fruiting
    If all is well the flower's petals will drop off as the green middle part of the flower starts to swell slightly. This is the chile pepper beginning to grow. Depending upon which variety you have decided to grow, the chile pod that is now starting to form could end up like any of these. Keep your plant happy and it will continue to produce fruit well into the autumn and perhaps even beyond.

    Please note, this really is the basic A, B, C of chile pepper growing. Designed to show and reassure you that it is easy to grow on a budget and with absolutely no previous experience. For more detailed growing tips and to get better results, please refer to the more comprehensive guides.

    LOOK MEAN NOW UPUT HIM IN THE RING AND HE SHITS HIM SELF POKE HIM WITH A STICK AND U WACH HIS BALLS GROW (BRICK TOP)

    MY OUT DOOR DIARY TAKE A BUCHERS
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    OUTDOOR- INDOOR GROW WHITE RHINO X CHEESE 2010
    [url]https://www.thctalk.com/cannabis-forum/showthread.php?23778-singal-white-rhino-x-cheese-garden-grow-(uk)

  2. #2

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    STRAING SEEDS,
    Guide: Starting Seeds. Written by Mark McMullan
    Healthy seeds are dormant living things. To get the most from your seeds it is helpful to understand a little about their needs. This chileman�s guide focuses on all aspects associated with starting chile seeds and in particular on four of the most basic variables that are required need to be in place to encourage seeds to break their dormancy: Seed Vitality / Moisture / Temperature / The Growing Medium

    When should you start your seeds?
    The answer to this question will depend upon whether you are planning to grow your plants indoors or outside. If growing indoors using artificial lighting, you can start seeds when ever you like. If you planning to eventually transfer your young plants outside, local climatic conditions, particularly temperature and natural light levels will dictate your start time. The chileman starts his seeds indoors 4 to 6 weeks before the last frost. Here in the UK, this is usually early February to mid March. Most varieties take at least 6 to 9 months to grow fully and set fruit. A February start usually means lots of lovely chiles from July through to October.

    Seed Vitality
    The health of your seedlings will be greatly influenced by the quality of the original seeds. Purchase seeds only from reputable suppliers such as the ones quoted in the Chileman database. The better suppliers treat their seeds with chemical to eliminate seed borne diseases. If you are using seeds saved from previous growing seasons the timely extraction and correct storage of seeds will also greatly influence their vitality. See the chilemans guide on seed saving for further details. Saved seeds should be periodically tested to check their viability.

    To improve your chances of growing healthy seedlings, before sowing, inspection of the seeds is recommended. You should discard any which are deformed, cracked or discoloured. Dark spot�s on seeds can be a sign of disease.

    Germination testing
    Germination testing is a useful method of checking the viability of otherwise of newly purchased or save seeds. Before undertaking a germination test, try to find out a little more on the germination requirements & times of the varieties being grown, particularly for varieties you have little experience with. Some of the chinense & wild species for example are notorious amongst chile growers for their poor germination rates and long germination times. Patience is also a virtue as some varieties such as �Habanero� and �Tepin� can take up to 6 weeks to germinate.

    To start a germination test, lay out several seeds on a piece of damp kitchen or tissue paper in a regular grid pattern (to aid counting). The more seeds you use, the better the accuracy of the test. Cover the seeds with another sheet of paper, and carefully fold it up and place inside something that will retain the moisture such as a clear plastic self-seal freezer bag. Store the bag at a constant temperature somewhere warm, an airing cupboard or on a heat mat are good places to try. After 5-10 days, count and remove the sprouting seeds. Return the seeds to their warm spot and work out the germination rate (the percentage of seeds that germinate out of the total tested). If after another few weeks no more seeds have sprouted, you can be fairly certain that all the viable seeds tested that should germinate have germinated.

    Bear in mind that a good germination rate does not mean you will get lots of healthy and vigorous plants, which may sprout readily on a warm tissue but find it hard to grow onto maturity. Young seedlings with a low life force are more prone to mutation and disease. To ensure you grow at least one prize specimen of each variety, you should plant at least half a dozen seeds. Note that once seeds have sprouted they will need lots of light to grow. If you continue to deprive them of good light (whether artificial or natural) you will have lots of long spindly plants on your hands. Most seeds provided by commercial seed suppliers should give a germination rate above 80%. Spare seeds from packets where the germination rate is below 50% should be retested and reported to the seed supplier if poor germination rates persist.

    Improving Germination
    Chile growers & Seed companies use various techniques in an attempt to increase germination rates. Amongst the most common are Physical Scarification & Chemical Pre soaking:

    With Physical Scarification, the idea is to either remove part of; or thin the outer seed casing to aid germination. This can be done either with a sharp knife or a piece of abrasive sandpaper.

    With Chemical scarification (pre soaking) the idea is to either soften the seed casing or mimic the chemical process of a bird�s digestive system � nature�s way of encouraging seed germination. It is an area of much myth and folklore amongst chile growers and involves soaking seeds in a range of chemical substances ranging from exotic hormone solutions such as gibberellic acid (GA3) to ordinary tap water, weak tea and even pigeon droppings.

    The chileman has found that simply soaking seeds in ordinary tap water overnight to soften the outer seed case is just as effective as any fancy chemical treatments for most varieties. Rinsing them in Vinegar will also help reduce problems associated with seed borne diseases. The chileman has also had great success germinating seeds, particularly for some of the stubborn wild and Chinese species using the tea and the Pigeon methods even if the latter is rather smelly!

    The Tea Bag Method:
    It is the tannins in tea (which softens the seed casing) that is believed to be behind the success of this method. Any tea will do, but several growers have reported that Chamomile tea is particularly good as the teas anti fungal properties are said to reduce the problem of �damping off�.

    1. Remove the tea bag and drink the tea.
    2. Make another cup of tea with the same tea bag and let it steep for a few more minutes. You now have your weak tea solution.
    3. Place the seeds between two pieces of paper kitchen towel on a saucer and pour enough tea on the paper to soak up the water (drink the remaining tea).
    4. Carefully fold the towel and place it in a warm place overnight.
    5. After all that hard work, make yourself another well deserved cup of tea.

    Moisture
    During the germination process seeds take in water and begin to swell until the tiny seedlings emerges from the seed case and begin to make their own food by photosynthesis. Although moisture is essential to the germination process, the growing medium used should be damp not wet. Wet & waterlogged environments encourage damping off and mould formation and seeds are more likely to rot than germinate.

    Soil Temperature
    Chile plants, like their genetic cousins the tomato, are a warm season crop. This means that as well as a moist environment, chile seeds need sufficient warmth to break their dormancy. Dormancy is the seeds inbuilt survival mechanism which prevents seeds germinating in cold conditions which would subsequently kill the young seedlings.

    However, even under optimum conditions the germination process can be slow and irregular as the degree of dormancy varies considerably between species.

    The tropical origins of the wild and chinense species in particular tend to have the strongest dormancy, expressed by their slower germination times (often up to 6 weeks) and higher soil temperature requirements (75oF-90oF). On the other hand, seeds of the annuum species; which includes bell peppers and many of the ornamental varieties have a much weaker degree of dormancy and will germinate readily even at lower temperatures (50oF -75oF).

    Whatever the species, as a general rule you should aim to keep the temperature between 75oF- 90oF (24oC-32oC) with the optimum believed to be around 85oF. Light is not critical to the germination process, but a heat source is. A seed propagator, an airing cupboard, on the top of the refrigerator or even an old electric blanket are good places to create good germintions conditions.



    The Growing Medium
    All Chile growers have their secret soil mixtures and who can blame them given the vast array of growing mediums to choose from. Peat and loam based compost, perlite (a form of volcanic ash); vermiculite (mica expanded with heat), rock wool cubes and hydroponic solutions are all commonly used. So what is the best? Well, it�s probably easier to list all 3500 varieties listed in the chileman database than answer that question!

    Many experienced growers swear by hydroponics (the growing of plants in chemical solutions rather than soil) and it does have many advantages. One of the draw backs is cost. Traditional soil based mediums are much more accessible to beginner growers so the chileman has decided to concentrate on this area. Chile peppers prefer to grow in light, well-drained soil where the pH level is around 6 (slightly acidic). The roots of young plants also need air as much as they need sufficient heat & moisture. The addition of perlite or vermiculite to sterile soil mixtures helps to stop compaction and improve soil aeration. When starting seeds, you should also avoid soil mixtures that are rich in added salts, bone meal or other fertilisers as these can burn tender young roots. The chileman also believes in the protection of the environment and would recommend using peat free compost where possible.

    What ever secret mix you decide to use, a moist peat free seed compost, mixed with a sprinkling of vermiculite, perlite or sharp sand will ensure your seedling start their life off on a good footing.

    The chilemans preferred soil mixture is:
    Five parts peat free seed compost mixed with one part of Vermiculite and one part of Perlite

    Use only �fresh� seed compost when starting seeds. Do not use garden soil or previously opened compost that has spent half of its life stored in the shed. Both are likely to contain weeds, bugs and fungal pathogens which will kill off your little seedlings almost as soon as they�ve sprouted. After all, sterile soil mixtures are inexpensive and readily available at any garden centre. If you really insist on using garden or old soil, make sure the soil is weed free and sterilise it to eliminate potential soil-borne organisms. You can sterilise soil by pouring boiling water through it or baking it in a 180�F oven for 45 minutes. However, given the smell and hassle why bother! Seed trays should also be thoroughly cleaned with boiling water and a weak bleach solution before use as there�s little point in using sterilised soil if your trays/pots are riddled with diseases. The chileman favours the use of multi cell seed trays as these make life a lot easier during the transplantation process.

    A common cause of failure is sowing seed too deeply. A seed has only enough food within itself for a limited period of growth and a tiny seed sown too deeply soon expends that energy and dies before it can reach the surface. A tip is to place the seeds on the soil surface and use an plant pot (with holes in the bottom) to gently sieve your soil mixture over the seeds, covering them to a depth of 2 to 3mm. Finally, whatever seeds you plant remember to label them. There�s nothing worse than having to wait months and months before you can identify what you�ve grown. Especially when there are over 3,000 varieties to guess from. Mind you, you could use the chileman's database to help you. Once you've got your seedlings up and running, check out the chileman's guide to �raising seedlings and transplanting� which will guide you through the next stage of the growing process.

  3. #3

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    nice one tom

    gonna start some chillies very soon

    will have a proper read when im stoned

  4. #4

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    NUTRIENTS
    Guide: Fertilizer. Written by Julian Livsey & Tony Ford
    You have successfully germinated your seeds and you are looking at a batch of tiny seedlings. How do you now change those delicate little plants into the big and bushy capsicum plants, heavily laden with pods? The short answer is that you need to make sure the plants get their nutrients.

    While it is possible to read a huge amount of information on how best to achieve the delicate balance of nutrients for optimum growth, it is well to remember that plants are phenomenally hardy and adaptable. Yes you can spend a lot of time on caring for your plants (and that's half the fun) but you will find your chile plants can get most of what they need even from poor soil, sunlight, water and air. You can grow perfectly good capsicum plants without the use of extra fertilizer, however, you can grow much bigger, healthier and more productive plants if you use fertilizer to give them the nutrients that they need. A word of caution though, it is easy to over fertilize and burn the roots, especially with younger plants.

    My compost says it contains fertilizer, do I need to give them more?
    Often the fertilizer present in compost only lasts a month or so before becoming depleted. This means that once your plants reach the stage where they are ready to bear fruit, there is no fertilizer remaining to give them that extra boost.

    Nutrients
    Let's talk more about nutrients. While there are quite a lot of major and minor nutrients essential for plant growth, ranging from Magnesium(Mg) to Zinc(Zn), the three main elements that are most often quoted are Nitrogen(N), Phosphorus(P) and Potassium(K) - referred to as the fertilizers' NPK value. Commercial fertilizer packaging often contains a set of numbers such as 5-5-5 or 10-8-8 . These numbers refer to the NPK balance.

    NPK
    Nitrogen helps boost a plant's foliage growth above ground. If your plants are lacking Nitrogen they may appear stunted. Leaves will pale, yellowing due to a slow down of chlorophyll production.

    Phosphorus is required by a plant for the conversion of light energy to chemical energy during photosynthesis and also for cell communication and reproduction. It helps roots, fruit and flower development. If your plants are lacking Phosphorus they are likely to show signs of stunted or spindally growth, taking longer to mature. A chile deficient of Phosphorus will have difficulty taking all the other essential nutrients up through the roots.

    Potassium regulates the water transfer through the plant, reducing water loss from the leaves, making them more resistant to cold and dry weather. Unfortunately deficiencies only become visible when they are severe. Older leaves may show as blotches or discolouration along the edges of the leaves, as well as a lack of flowering or fruit set.

    Trace elements
    As you can probably guess by the name, these elements only need to exist in very small quantities, yet they are still essential to plant growth. They include sulfur, calcium, magnesium, manganese, copper and iron and do jobs as diverse as helping the plant to fix nitrogen from the air to acting as a catalyst in chlorophyll production. A word of caution if you plan to add trace elements to your chile plants; while they are good for the plant in very small amounts, add too much and they become toxic.

    pH
    pH is a scale used to measure a acidity or alkalinity. The scale goes from 1 to 14 with a reading of 7 indicating a neutral balance, neither being acid nor alkaline. A plant's ability to take up nutrients is determined by pH and temperature. If your soil is too acid or too alcaline then the plant will struggle to extract what it needs. This in turn leads to deficiency symptoms.


    Types of fertilizer
    There are numerous types available, and most will print the NPK balance somewhere on the label. The most common and popular fertilizers are the general purpose types which contain a balanced amount of Nitrogen, Phosphorous and Potassium. And the so called "tomato food" fertilizers which have a higher Phosphorus content, designed to help the plant along once you reach the flowering and fruiting stage. You can choose between powdered or liquid fertilizer, the latter allowing the nutrients to be taken up by the plant more quickly. And you can also buy fertilizer designed to boost trace elements.

    Organic
    Another question you may have is about organic fertilizer, specifically, is it an option for chile growing? The answer is yes, absolutely! As we get increasingly environmentally aware we may decide that we don't want to use manufactured chemicals to give our chile plants a boost. Organic fertilizers work in exactly the same way by giving the plant the nutrients it needs for strong and healthy growth. Organic nutrients typically tend to have lower NPK values than chemical nutrients. Coffee grounds for example would be approximately 2-0.3-0.6 Even with lower NPK values, organic fertilizers can easily contain enough to overfertilize so they should still be used with care!

    The most common commercial organic fertilizers include blood, fish and bone meal which is a good balanced fertilizer. Fish meal is high in nitrogen and phosphorus. Seaweed is good for potassium and other trace elements. It is also worth noting that most organic fertilizers are expected to be "composted" (and ntherefore mostly decomposed) before being added to the soil. There is also a limit to the amount of "green manure" you can safely add to your soil, although nitrogen is not released until decomposition has taken place in any case. So, fancy making your own blend of organic fertilizer? Alfalfa Hay: 2.45/05/2.1
    Apple Fruit: 0.05/0.02/0.1
    Apple Leaves: 1.0/0.15/0.4
    Apple Pomace: 0.2/0.02/0.15
    Apple skins(ash) : 0/3.0/11/74
    Banana Residues (ash): 1.75/0.75/0.5
    Barley (grain): 0/0/0.5
    Barley (straw): 0/0/1.0
    Basalt Rock: 0/0/1.5
    Bat Guano: 5.0-8.0/4.0-5.0/1.0
    Beans, garden(seed and hull): 0.25/0.08/03
    Beet Wastes: 0.4/0.4/0.7-4.1
    Blood meal: 15.0/0/0
    Bone Black: 1.5/0/0
    Bonemeal (raw): 3.3-4.1/21.0/0.2
    Bonemeal (steamed): 1.6-2.5/21.0/0.2
    Brewery Wastes (wet): 1.0/0.5/0.05
    Buckwheat straw: 0/0/2.0
    Cantaloupe Rinds (ash): 0/9.77/12.0
    Castor pomace: 4.0-6.6/1.0-2.0/1.0-2.0
    Cattail reeds and water lily stems: 2.0/0.8/3.4
    Cattail Seed: 0.98/0.25/0.1
    Cattle Manure (fresh): 0.29/0.25/0.1
    Cherry Leaves: 0.6/0/0.7
    Chicken Manure (fresh): 1.6/1.0-1.5/0.6-1.0
    Clover: 2/0/0/0 (also contains calcium)
    Cocoa Shell Dust: 1.0/1.5/1.7
    Coffee Grounds: 2.0/0.36/0.67
    Corn (grain): 1.65/0.65/0.4
    Corn (green forage): 0.4/0.13/0.33
    Corn cobs: 0/0/2.0
    Corn Silage: 0.42/0/0
    Cornstalks: 0.75/0/0.8
    Cottonseed hulls (ash): 0/8.7/23.9
    Cottonseed Meal: 7.0/2.0-3.0/1.8
    Cotton Wastes (factory): 1.32/0.45/0.36
    Cowpea Hay: 3.0/0/2.3
    Cowpeas (green forage): 0.45/0.12/0.45
    Cowpeas (seed): 3.1/1.0/1.2
    Crabgrass (green): 0.66/0.19/0.71
    Crabs (dried, ground): 10.0/0/0
    Crabs (fresh): 5.0/3.6/0.2
    Cucumber Skins (ash): 0/11.28/27.2
    Dried Blood: 10.0-14.0/1.0-5.0/0
    Duck Manure (fresh): 1.12/1.44/0.6
    Eggs: 2.25/0.4/0.15
    Eggshells: 1.19/0.38/0.14
    Feathers: 15.3/0/0
    Felt Wastes: 14.0/0/1.0
    Field Beans (seed): 4.0/1.2/1.3
    Feild Beans (shells): 1.7/0.3/1.3
    Fish (dried, ground): 8.0/7.0/0
    Fish Scraps (fresh): 6.5/3.75/0
    Gluten Meal: 6.4/0/0
    Granite Dust: 0/0/3.0-5.5
    Grapefruit Skins (ash): 0/3.6/30.6
    Grape Leaves: 0.45/0.1/0.4
    Grape Pomace: 1.0/0.07/0.3
    Grass (imature): 1.0/0/1.2
    Greensand: 0/1.5/7.0
    Hair: 14/0/0/0
    Hoof and Horn Meal: 12.5/2.0/0
    Horse Manure (fresh): 0.44/0.35/0.3
    Incinerator Ash: 0.24/5.15/2.33
    Jellyfish (dried): 4.6/0/0
    Kentucky Bluegrass (green): 0.66/0.19/0.71
    Kentucky Bluegrass (hay): 1.2/0.4/2.0
    Leather Dust: 11.0/0/0
    Lemon Culls: 0.15/0.06/0.26
    Lemon Skins (ash): 06.33/1.0
    Lobster Refuse: 4.5/3.5/0
    Milk: 0.5/0.3/0.18
    Millet Hay: 1.2/0/3.2
    Molasses Residue: 0.7/0/5.32
    Molasses Waste: 0/0/3.0-4.0
    Mud (fresh water): 1.37/0.26/0.22
    Mud (harbour): 0.99/0.77/0.05

    Mud (salt): 0.4.0/0
    Mussels: 1.0/0.12/0.13
    Nutshells: 2.5/0/0
    Oak Leaves: 0.8/0.35/0.2
    Oats (grain): 2.0/0.8/0.6
    Oats (green fodder): 0.49/0/0
    Oat straw: 0/0/1.5
    Olive Pomace: 1.15/0.78/1.3
    Orange Culls: 0.2/0.13/0.21
    Orange Skins: 0/3.0/27.0
    Oyster Shells: 0.36/0/0
    Peach Leaves: 0.9/0.15/0.6
    Pea forage: 1.5-2.5/0/1.4
    Peanuts (seed/kernals): 3.6/0.7/0.45
    Peanut Shells: 3.6/0.15/0.5
    Pea Pods (ash): 0/3.0/9.0
    Pea (vines): 0.25/0/0.7
    Pear Leaves: 0.7/0/0.4
    Pigeon manure (fresh): 4.19/2.24/1.0
    Pigweed (rough): 0.6/0.1/0
    Pine Needles: 0.5/0.12/0.03
    Potato Skins (ash): 0/5.18/27.5
    Potaote Tubers: 0.35/0.15/2.5
    Potatoe Vines (dried): 0.6/0.16/1.6
    Prune Refuse: 0.18/0.07/0.31
    Pumpkins (fresh): 0.16/0.07/0.26
    Rabbitbrush (ash): 0/0/13.04
    Rabbit Manure: 2.4/1.4/0.6
    Ragweed: 0.76/0.26/0
    Rapeseed meal: 0/1.0=2.0/1.0=3.0
    Raspberry leaves: 1.45/0/0.6
    Red clover hay: 2.1/0.6/2.1
    Redrop Hay: 1.2/0.35/1.0
    Rock and Mussel Deposits
    From Ocean: 0.22/0.09/1.78
    Roses (flowers): 0.3/0.1/0.4
    Rye Straw: 0/0/1.0
    Salt March Hay: 1.1/0.25/0.75
    Sardine Scrap: 8.0/7.1/0
    Seaweed (dried): 1.1-1.5/0.75/4.9
    Seaweed (fresh): 0.2-0.4/0/0
    Sheep and Goat Manure (fresh): 0.55/0.6/0.3
    Shoddy and Felt: 8.0/0/0
    Shrimp Heads (dried): 7.8/4.2/0
    Shrimp Wastes: 2.9/10.0/0
    Siftings From Oyster Shell Mounds: 0.36/10.38/0.09
    Silk Mill Wastes: 8.0/1.14/1.0
    Silkworm Cocoons:10.0/1.82/1.08
    Sludge: 2.0/1.9/0.3
    Sludge (activated): 5.0/2.5-4.0/0.6
    Smokehouse/Firepit Ash:0/0/4.96
    Sorghum Straw:0/0/1.0
    Soybean Hay: 1.5-3.0/0/1.2-2.3
    Starfish: 1.8/0.2/0.25
    Sugar Wastes (raw): 2.0/8.0/0
    Sweet Potatoes: 0.25/0.1/0.5
    Swine Manure (fresh): 0.6/0.45/0.5
    Tanbark Ash: 0/0.34/3.8
    Tanbark Ash (spent): 0/1.75/2.0
    Tankage: 3.0-11.0/2.0-5.0/0
    Tea Grounds: 4.15/0.62/0.4
    Timothy Hay: 1.2/0.55/1.4
    Tobacco Leaves: 4.0/0.5/6.0
    Tobacco Stems: 2.5-3.7/0.6-0.9/4.5-7.0
    Tomato Fruit: 0.2/0.07/0.35
    Tomatoe Leaves: 0.35/0.1/0.4
    Tomatoe Stalks: 0.35/0.1/0.5
    Tung Oil Pumace: 6.1/0/0
    Vetch Hay: 2.8/0/2.3
    Waste Silt: 9.5/0/0
    Wheat Bran: 2.4/2.9/1.6
    Wheat (grain): 2.0/0.85/0.5
    Wheat Straw: 0.5/0.15/0.8
    White Clover (Green): 0.5/0.2/0.3
    Winter Rye Hay: 0/0/1.0
    Wood Ash: 0/1.0-2.0/6.0-10.0
    Wool Wastes: 3.5-6.0/2.0-4.0/1.0-3.5




    Further reading

  5. #5

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    lol theres more thats a lot of reading
    prob a silly q but do u get male and female chillie plants

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    OVER WINTER GROWNG

    Contrary to popular belief Chile pepper plants are perennials and can grow for many years if over wintered successfully. Indeed I know people who have specimens up to 8 years old although plants are most productive in their earlier years. Over wintered plants can give you a great head start for a new growing season, as mature plants will quickly produce flower sets and very early crops in year 2. Unfortunately over wintering your precious plants can prove to be a very fickle & frustrating affair. In this guide I aim to drawn on my experience growing 100's of varieties to highlight some of the common problems and provide a few ideas to improve your chances of success.

    Control growth & manage dormancy
    I've had many successes and failures with each of the different species of Capsicum (both cultivated & wild) and have tried all sorts of things from differing water regimes, drastic pruning and climatic support to improve plants chances of survival.

    Successfully over wintered plants nearly always produce more pods in year 2. This is particularly true for some of the chinense species (like the Habaneros), which often have long growing seasons of 120 days + and don't get enough time to fruit in all their glory in year 1, particularly in temperate climates like the UK. The trick to over wintering is to control growth or manage dormancy.

    Dormancy, the process when your plants effectively 'hibernate' can kick in when natural light levels fade and the temperature falls back below 50oF. Dormant plants will shed all leaves and so no signs of growth, however they are not dead. Dormant plants should be cut right back leaving only a small stump just a few inches above the soil line. Leaving dying vegetation encourages pests like whiteflies and also disease. Even after the most severe pruning, dormant plants will sprout new vigorous growth when the warmer spring weather returns, assuming of course they have made it through the winter.

    Which plants over winter best?
    Of the five-domesticated/cultivated capsicum species (Annuum, Chinense, Pubescens, Frutescens & Annuum), Pubescens tend to over winter best in my experience. Their natural climate is the cool upper slopes of the Andes Mountains and they can quite happily tolerate the lower winter temperatures. No pepper plants will survive a hard penetrating frost though. Water molecules in the plants root system expand when they freeze causing permanent and fatal damage. Varieties such as Rocoto and Manzano normally over winter very well with little more damage than a little leaf drop. I tend to leave immature pods on the plant. Although growth is slow to non-existent, they tend to ripen when the hours of daylight lengthen & weather improves. Capsicum Eximium, a closely related wild relative of Pubescens and other wild species like Chacoense and Pratermissum also over winter well.

    Capsicum Chinense, which includes the Habaneros, Nagas & Scotch Bonnets, demand warmer climatic conditions and a long growing season for fruits to fully develop and ripen. You would think that these would be the hardest to over winter. No so in my experience although they are probably the most unpredictable. A 2 year old Chocolate Habanero plant, which made it through 2 cold, winters perished in year 3 despite milder conditions. This year a three year old Red Savina plant bit the dust despite making in through two previous winters as a younger, weaker plant. Why did this happen? I believe a contributory factor was not removing mature pods from the plants.

    Removing Mature Pods
    A Chile plant's mission in life is to set seed, not furnish your belly with tasty pods year after year. Once pods have ripened, seeds are viable and the plants job is done. If you keep picking off the pods, the plant will try to produce more assuming it has enough nutrients to do so hence the need for correct fertilising just prior to the fruiting stage.

    In the case of my deceased Chocolate Habanero & Red Savina plants, in the year of death, I was lazy and left mature pods on the plants, whereas they had been harvested in previous years. In addition I removed all pods from my Naga Morich & Caronog (also of the Chinense species) plants prior to over wintering and both have survived. Although removing mature pods will not guarantee your plants survival, it does seem to improve plants chances of survival.

    On a final note, plants of the chinense species do seem to suffer much more from leaf drop than the other species with nearly all my chinense plants now as bald as pool ball. Leaf drop is perfectly normal and is a plants natural way of conserving energy during the dormancy process. All discarded leaves should quickly be disposed of to avoid encouraging pests & diseases.

    Good survival rates
    Frutescens are probably the closest relative (of the 5 domestic/cultivated species of capsicum) to Chinense and in my experience their survival rates are similar. Tabasco plants winter well if pods are harvested and they are pruned back sharply. Without pruning foliage, ultimately plants turn brown and often die back quickly, a scenario to which plants of the annuum species seem most susceptible.

    In pepper naming convention Annuum means annuals, a misnomer, as all Chile pepper plants are perennials. Having said that, over wintering annum's is normally a bloodbath for me and I've rarely had success, particularly with some of the more compact ornamental varieties like Purple Prince, Prairie Fire, Bolivian Rainbow, etc. Maybe this is something to do with genetics and crossing to produce these highly ornamental varieties in the first place. Don't be too downhearted though as many of my friends who experience milder winter weather have faired much better.

    I've brought my annum's into the house, removed pods, reduced watering and pruned back some almost to the roots, but even if they do make it to year 2, they are nearly always poor specimens. Of course they are always exceptions and I have managed to over winter a glorious Numex Twilight plant over a number of seasons. Having said that, I didn't plant the seeds until June and the plant had barely started fruiting by the time the winter set in. May be it had just a little more pent up energy to drag itself through the dull & depressing winter whilst snugly sitting on my kitchen windowsill.

    The good thing with Annum's though is that seeds tend to be more readily available and they grow quicker than the other species so it's no great loss if they die.

    Watering Regimes
    Finally, watering regimes also has an influence on over wintering success or failure. Chile plants hate getting there feet too wet, particularly when there is not enough climatic heat to drive the process of transpiration (the evaporation of water from both the plant's leaf and the soil). You should keep watering to a minimum; maybe as little as every other week rather than every other day although never let plants soil go completely bone dry.

    Conclusion
    Over wintering is a fickle affair but you can improve your chances of success by:
    - Growing species that are more cold tolerate like Pubescens
    - Improving climatic conditions by bring plants indoors
    - Removing ripe pods before over wintering
    - Cutting back woody stems and removing dead or diseased growth to keep pest & disease at bay
    - Controlling water regimes

    If your attempts at over wintering are littered with more failures than success all is not lost. Space is normally at a premium in the Chile grower's garden and if all your plants survived you would have less space to try new varieties the following year. If you really love a particular variety you can always grow them again from seed from the parent plant. Even if the seeds are not true (they have crossed with another variety), you could have a very interesting 'new variety' on your hands.

  7. #7

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    Red face

    lle take it no wants to do chilies then lol

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    nope,


    (my mini chillie/sunflower/tomato grow room)

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    never ad fruit off it yet
    still a young one only about 3-4 months old!

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    Very nice m8

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