When to Start Chillies?

Every year, it seems that I start sowing chillies earlier each year. As a beginner, I'd sow them as per instructions, in February, even in March, but that was on the windowsill, and I rarely had a good harvest except off Cayenne types.

Then I made New Year my rule of thumb, with the help of a heated propagator and some low-powered LED lights and then the windowsill. By then I'd got the chilli-growing bug, and the next year, was itching to start by Christmas Eve.

A couple of years on, I now sow every month, from November 1st until February 1st... after that I start to concentrate on tomatoes and herbs.

Last year, the Nov 1st batch weren't great. But it was useful to have that failed venture to compare to the other crops. My best chillies I've spoken about on this blog came from the Dec 1st sowing. I had successes too with later sowings, mostly with Joe's Long and Padron, but it was too late for the super-hots or those slow at germination.

You won't hear much about my Nov 1st 2018 sowing on this blog. I started off with 31 pods in an Aerogarden Harvest Seed Starter, one of 31 different varieties, all properly labelled in felt-tip on A4 paper. The first to germinate was a Kashmiri Chilli from Sea Spring Seeds, and then a Rocoto, I think the Chocolate one. After that I had a water-spill accident, and my carefully drawn sowing chart vanished in a second... an absolute nightmare but an interesting exercise in chromotography. All but these two chillies will be unknowns to me until they leaf or fruit. However, a month on many of these chillies are growing well, and I'm already thinking of pinching the growing stems.

Today (December 3rd, but close enough to the 1st not to throw off results) I've written in biro! And for added measure I'll take a photo and post here in Spicely Done.

I haven't bought any new seeds for 2019, yet... although the buying itch has started. I'm only using up seeds that I bought the last two years.

Here is the complete Dec 2018 Chilli List:

1x Habanada, Baker Creek
1x Habanero, unknown source but bought in multi-variety pack from garden centre
2x Alberto's Locoto, Real Seeds
3x Purple Knobbly Thing (possibly Pink Tiger, from Rich 'Shakey' Ingham)
3x 'Butt Plug' (possibly something crossed with Lemon Drop, from Rich 'Shakey' Ingham)
1x Serrano, Victoriana
1x Peito da Moça, Victoriana
1x Dedo da Mocha, Real Seeds
1x Bulgarian Carrot, Victoriana
1x Birds Eye, unknown source but bought in multi-variety pack from garden centre, same as the Habanero above
2x Lemon Drop, Real Seeds
1x Pyramid, Real Seeds
1x Amy, Sweet Hungarian Wax, Real Seeds
2x Kashmiri, Sea Spring Seeds
1x Ring of Fire, Suttons
2x Satan's Kiss, Victoriana
1x Patio Sizzle, Wilko
1x Ohnivec, Real Seeds
1x Carolina Reaper, Victoriana
1x Peter Pepper, Victoriana
1x Jalapeño Fooled You, Victoriana
1x Ring of Fire, Victoriana


(Two seeds grown in every pod, except for the Carolina Reaper and the Peter Pepper, where I was down to my last seed)

End of Autumn Chilli Haul

11/11/19

It is Armistice Day, Remembrance Sunday, 11th November 2018, 100 years on... and I felt it was the end of the growing days for my chillies on the patio.

I harvested every chilli left growing, knowing they wouldn't redden anymore outside.

It was good haul for the end of season as I'd been harvesting all year, and these last few made a chilli sauce or few, and some more were frozen for later use.

There was a good harvest of PEITO DA MOCA, (centre) but they didn't really redden in time, despite the hot summer.

JOE's LONG (right) are a great cropper, great length, but again didn't redden enough. However, I did leave some on the kitchen counter, and as they dried, they reddened more.

I have some BULGARIAN CARROTS (bottom right) which were fresh tasting and made the best sauce of the year, according to my friend Calum. I mixed them with the few yellow, pale orange fruits of the other chillies.

The SHABU SHABU (bottom left of centre) was the outstanding performer of the year! Great heat, good harvest, made many hot sauces, and more to be frozen. Just from one plant...

Pan amb Tomàquet

7 September 2018

With the tomato glut coming to an end, these are the last chances to make Spanish Tomato Toasts using homegrown fresh ingredients.

I first had Pan amb Tomàquet (Pan con Tomate) as a child on holidays on the Costa Brava. My family and I would go each year to Peratallada, a beautiful walled mediaeval town that was relatively unspoilt in the early 1980s. We always ordered 'Pan-Tomate' as a pre-starter, much as you would order a poppadum in a British Indian restaurant.

It's only this year I feel I've found the perfect recipe.

Pan amb Tomàquet is the Catalan name for toasted bread, rubbed with garlic and soaked in the juices of fresh tomatoes. It is traditionally eaten across Spain, as a tapas course or even for breakfast. I couldn't imagine anything tastier...

The secret recipe? I've forgotten the link (It was from the New York Times, I think). But homemade bread, slightly stale, toasted and rubbed with raw cloves of garlic. Squeeze your juiciest tomatoes over the toast, and layer slices of different tomato varieties for interest on top. Smother in your best olive or rapeseed oil. From the photo it looks like I added a smear of homemade herbed butter. Put it all back in the oven... Muy sabroso y delicioso.

Update on Chillies

It's been a busy month watering all the chillies and tomatoes, but now with cooler days, I'm worried there won't be enough of summer left to redden the late crop.

NOSFERATU chilli has produced a mass of fiery fangs, although I have a second plant that has not produced any fruits yet.

I have a second ROCOTO chilli that is now producing all-identical fruits. A third plant had to be hand pollinated as it has refused to set fruit, even though it is my biggest plant of the three. I think it didn't like the position in front of the tomatoes and the bees might have struggled to find it. That's also been an issue with a few other chillies on the patio.

The SHABU SHABU chilli is truly magnificent and I can hardly believe I've grown it outside since early May this year. It's awash with viscious looking chillies, now orange, which will hopefully redden.

An unknown chilli, possibly RING OF FIRE has put out several impressive fruits, definitely a chutney in the making there!

A late addition to the chilli collection were these three plants rescued from the discount shelf at B&Q. 50p each, so didn't waste the opportunity: a THAI chilli, a PAPER LANTERN and a JALAPEÑO. There's only one fruit on the latter, so not great value for money, but I hadn't sown any others this year.

A late bloomer is now full of fruits: PEITO DE MOÇA. It has a rangy growth habit and is the tallest of all my chillies. The first fruits to appear came from an offshoot near the base, but within the last week, there are now maybe 50 or more fruits coming. An interesting shape!

Other chillies are doing very well, I am regularly picking Joe's Long but none of those have reddened yet, and my Padron chillies are packing a lot of heat this year.

First Drops of Rain

After 5 weeks, we've had our first drops of rain! What a long summer. I'm glad I'm not on an allotment, as it's enough to remember to water the patio pots every night at 7pm...

Many of the smaller chillies have been potted up into larger pots.

Here are JOE'S LONG. I've about 6 pots of this and should have a heavy crop on each. Mark's Veg Plot has suggested a little Who can grow the longest Chilli contest, as he thinks his WHIPPET'S TAIL chilli will be longer. I dare say he will be proved correct. His look good! I might win on girth...

The BULGARIAN CARROT is growing well. There are 12 fruits on this plant, hopefully I'll see a Yellowing pod soon.

It won't be long before I can serve up a plate of pan-fried PADRON peppers. These are the Russian Roulette chillies you find in Lidl (or other supermarkets). I prefer to let them go red, as most then will have some significant heat. This plant is quite bushy.

One of my unknown TOMATOES is massive! I can't work out the name at all... It's soft, and is probably ready for picking too.

Chillies Galore...

This used to be Men's Final at Wimbledon... probably cue for a shower or two, but no, the British summer continues into its THIRD week! 3 weeks already, and not a cloud in sight. As it is, everything's up in the air at the moment. Wimbledon has shifted by a week, the English football team seem to be winning, and Climate Change has struck hard most of the Northern Hemisphere. It's not all good... hosepipe ban in Northern Ireland, heatwave deaths in Canada, moors fires in the Peak District, floods in Lahore, Japan and of course we wait for news of the cave boys in Thailand... (Four out, as I type...)

Chillies are LOVING the heat... These are from my second set of Chillies sown in Feb. They should be up in bigger pots, but as long as they are watered and have nutrients, I think they should be OK.

BULGARIAN CARROT

PADRON

JOE'S LONG (1, 2, & 3!) Last year I managed to grow SEVEN 10 inch + long chillies off one plant. I vowed to grow many more this year. Looking at the flowers, I think I might be in luck this year. I did pinch these off very early in the year, about March time.

I've also test trialed the TOOTHACHE PLANTS /  ELECTRIC DAISIES on a few unknowing customers... I haven't got any discernible quotes as yet, (!!!)  but I think they are probably strongest this season than the last two years. The Baker Creek ones (behind James Wong's) are definitely a beautiful addition to the garden.

I have also tried Baker Creek's ROSELLE... I think it's also called Jamaican Sorrel, and is related to the hibiscus. This is a big ask in the British climate, but if I can't grow it this year (and overwinter), when will I be able to...? I've given a smaller plant to friend Mike to plant out in open earth on his allotment, it will be interesting to compare. AS these grow taller, I will pot on...

PURSLANE was a very attractive salad plant... and now has gone into flower. Equally beautiful. I should've eaten more of it but wanted to see the growth potential of the plant in pots.

I have also potted up some more BASIL plants started off indoors. Here I have 3 GREEK BASIL (MINETTE variety, I think) and two LEMONADE BASIL plants. They are going to seed, but if I snip and use over the summer, I should get a longer crop.

FUSCHIAs are all coming into flower. The one's behind are beautiful! LENA is nearly coming into flower HOWEVER... my friend Keri, has also grown some, they have sprung into beautiful purple ballerinas, and mine don't look the same... I think we have a label disaster, Oak Tree Farm Rural Project! Grrr... ;-) I am sure I will be delighted by the result, whatever colour.

These, I think are the boys... ERNIE and HARRY GREY?? I forget names... Not particularly masculine looking... They may protest that their masculine ruggedness is hidden behind the LOBELIA.

This TAMARILLO which I also tried last year is amazing. It's a beautiful plant. I grew two last year, which over-wintered at my parents', and although they lost all their leaves, are back growing again.

I also have three DWARF TAMARILLO from Baker Creek which are particularly tiny... I will pot them up if they require, but at the moment... little growth. I don't think it's that closely related, so may have it's own growth habits... I'm not expecting fruit.

My FIRST red toms!!! This is TUMBLING BELLA and next to it, MIRA SWEET PEPPER from Seaspring Seeds.

The HUNDREDS and THOUSANDS mini tomato plants are doing well, and close to getting my first red toms on these. It's definitely happier in this pot than the hanging baskets. Another advantage, is that I can rotate him for extra 360º sunlight.

Another Chilli...

PETER PEPPER. A bushy but small plant, but I've never had a fruit off this type the last two years... Fingers crossed. My sister has her sights on this plant.

A few Tomatoes...

This is ATOMIC GRAPE from Baker Creek, I think (lost labels). Last week it looked exactly like the seed packet photo (you need to zoom in!). Not so colourful this week. I'm not sure when is optimal picking time to be honest.

I don't know this Tomato by name (missing labels). Maybe Green Vernissage from Baker Creek?? That first fruit though be mighty big!

Patio Clean Up

The British heatwave continues with regular temperatures approaching 30ºc, and I've decided to use THIS weekend to tidy up the garden, paint fences and sweep up the patio. With all the potting up of chillies recently, there's soil all over the patio, and it's attracting woodlice and ants. I don't want the ants sapping the strength of the chillies, so I've swept up and attacked their trails with ant powder.

Tomatoes all seem to be fruiting well, both the cordon and the many container types I'm growing. I lost a lot of my labels this year, the permanent ink was no match for the British elements. I've MONEYMAKER against the back wall, and Tumblers in front. I think I tried TUMBLING BELLA this year, not being able to get Tumbler. The plants are perhaps quarter the size of last year, but I have got my first ripening fruit here. It's a good size. This might be down to watering, although they get a regular soaking every evening at 7pm. I'm wondering if morning watering is better?

I was interested in the MICRO TOM seeds this year, but I'm not over impressed by the size of the plants, even though they were described as being the smallest container tomato plant there is...

For the size of the toms, I'd much rather wait for my HUNDREDS and THOUSANDS to ripen. I only had two plants survive, and then they struggled to get enough water in the hanging baskets, so I've repotted them up into this container. Plenty of flowers! I should get a couple of hundred toms certainly.

I've never grown peppers before. This variety is MIRA SWEET PEPPER. I was worried by how close the flowers were. Do Pepper plants normally put on more height than this? I think these are small snacking peppers anyway, so perhaps this is how they grow. They are all yellow, I'll wait and see if they change colour before I try any. (Hector Cornelious from Twitter suggests I remove the King fruit, the first fruit that shows, and allow the plant to develop and grow on... I have a few more smaller than this, I'll try that!)

I have a few Baker Creek Radish Rat's Tails left (on right), but they will be eaten tomorrow (or pickled!). James Wong's version (on left) are just coming into flower. I know they are in small pots, but they do seem to grow later than the Singara type. I'll grow them in a larger container or growbag next year, as I do like snacking on them.

Clematis DR RUPPEL is growing well. I've had more flowers this year than the total of the last five years! Plenty more fresh growth, and I had to nail up a new trellis. Do clems prefer to spread southwards, or northwards? The new trellis is on the north-eastern side of the main plant.

I've looked up KOREAN MINT online, and haven't found any recipes yet. I imagine you just use it like normal mint, but it is more anise like.  Its official name is Agastache… It's also grown as a bedding plant, popular for its bee-friendly flowers. Both can be used for tea I believe.

Finally, a little update on my ARBI / EDDOES growth. I planted the three sprouting ones in one pot and the other (non-sprouting ones in two other pots). The first ones have put on leaves, but no sign of the others yet. I also have a stray one from last year's compost, which survived the winter and is now growing in a container with one of my chillies. I won't move it, will see how the growth compares.

Slugs and Snails... and Rat's Tails

It's been a bad year for slugs and snails on the patio, too many hot days, and the pests have decided they like my juicy foliage and even chillies at night time… A sprinkle of pellets and I got my revenge today, however it's too late for some plants.

Growing well is the HEBE - it's awash with purple flowers and the bees are loving it, to the neglect of my tomatoes and chillies which I'm having to hand-pollinate with cotton buds. There's also a unplanned BORAGE in the foreground for the bees later on. (NB I think this is the best year for Hebe flowers in 20 years...)

I've potted up some MAMMOTH BASIL today and some KOREAN MINT. They're looking a bit tired after the repotting, but hopefully will spring back to life. I must make a pesto from the Basil, the leaves are so BIG, and ASAP I must sow some more... I've not seen any recipes using Korean mint yet. It's not the most attractive smell, but seems to be a strong plant.

The bedding plants I bought in May from the Oak Tree Farm Rural Project near Stone are all doing well especially the NICOTIANA which are just passing their best, and I am deadheading, hoping for more. Also the FUSCHIAS, LENA and the boys (HARRY GRAY and ERNIE) are doing well and also the LOBELIA that Keri gave me.

The Strawberries I grew from seed last year were a bit disappointing. They seem to be WILD STRAWBERRIES, and I picked about 5 pea sized fruits, never on the same day, so I'm not expecting to make a jam just yet. That's the end of season it seems, so they are off into the shade for the plants to recover.

My Abbotsholme Rose is still in full bloom. All being well I should get a second bloom later in the year.

Finally, I'm very impressed by Baker Creek's SINGARA RADISH RAT'S TAILS... They are long, knobbly, and full of flavour. My two plants seeded well, and I'm going to see if I can sow some more for a later harvest. These are TOO good to have just in one month a year. I've had good success with James Wong's Radish Rat Tails before, but these are several times longer, although maybe not so many on the plant.