Growing Chillies Part 75!
Contain yourselves, it’s another chilli post…
I know what you’re thinking, not another chilli story. Well, yes. Because a) there’s been an exciting development and b) it’s my blog.
Before you roll your eyes and click on the weather forecast I should tell you that my chilli posts attract a great deal of internet ‘traffic’, such is the popularity of miles collins chillies and, more especially growing them. Chilli growing is set to overtake Sony play station and nose picking as the new favourite pastime for the masses and Microsoft will offer me millions for these posts, then again…
I digress, the exciting news is that after some fourteen weeks of intensive chilli care I am finally seeing, quite literally the fruits of my labour…
These little beauties are from my ‘Fresno’ plants, they’ve outgrown everything else by a country mile and now that they are in a more ‘chilli-responsive’ environment I am expecting glorious results.
All joking aside it’s still a good feeling to see these plants fruit after all the nurturing I have given them. The bhut jolokia’s are the slowest growing of all but I am quietly confident. After I typed this I went back into one of the greenhouses and found that a second variety, the ‘Maules’ had also begun to fruit…
Watch out for next week’s post ‘My chillies have grown two millimetres’ 
Miles,
Great photos and continuing success!
Elsie
May 5, 2008 @ 9:17 am
Miles,
I’ve now got two munchkin squash plants and some sweetcorns….. help I’m turning into a market gardener
Cid
May 5, 2008 @ 3:37 pm
Elsie,
Thanks! Just finished transplanting some into a polytunnel-38 degrees C in there this afternoon!
Miles
May 5, 2008 @ 3:58 pm
Cid,
Sounds nice, you’ll enjoy the sweetcorn, this is the first year that I haven’t grown any
Miles
May 5, 2008 @ 3:59 pm
OK Miles, I am going to suggest something that will test your resolve. First I must ask you: Do you want LOTS of peppers this year? Or do you want early peppers?
If you prefer the former, then you must pick off every flower from every pepper, and keep on doing so until June 1, or even June 15 if you a very brave.
Why? Because your plants will continue to grow large and strong, and then when you let them set peppers, they will be wise enough to do so without stunting their growth — and larger plants set more fruit.
Think of it this way: Would you want teenagers giving birth?
Give it a go on at least one pepper. You may be shocked in September…
May 7, 2008 @ 7:26 pm
Hank,
Wouldn’t want anyone giving birth on my behalf
That sounds intriguing, I shall give it a go, I am already testing your aluminium foil theory so thanks for the tip.
Miles
May 7, 2008 @ 9:19 pm