Growing Bhut Jolokai and Habanero chillis

 

I bought some Bhut Jolokai seeds and some Orange Habanero seeds on eBay a
couple of weeks before Christmas, but was unable to plant them when the
weather became cooler and wet on the Gold Coast.  Last Sunday I went to
Bunnings, after the promise of warmer weather, and bought a mini green house
with twenty four segments for planting seeds, plus a small bag of seed
raising mix, and set about planting twelve of each seed.  From what I'd read
via Google, they should sprout after two to four weeks.

As I've never done anything like this before, I approached the venture with
failure foremost in my mind.  Today, however, a little baby Bhut Jolokai
popped its head above the soil from the seed known as BJ10 - just a couple
of hours more than a week since it was planted.  I'm hoping that its eleven
siblings and twelve cousins won't be too far behind.

After that long-winded preface, I have a few questions:

Does anyone here have experience with growing these chillis, particularly
the Bhut Jolokai?

I have the vents closed on the mini green house to keep in the heat and
moisture.  My little green friend probably has different requirements now,
such as a fresh supply of oxygen.  My concern is that the mini green house
can only provide one environment at a time, so I don't want the seedlings to
suffer while I wait for the stragglers to catch up.  At what point should I
transplant the seedlings?

What should I transplant into?  I'll be using pots, and I read a page that
said to have a pot at least 60cm wide.  Is that correct?

Apparently they prefer soil with pH around 6.  What sort of soil or potting
mix should I use, and what additives would you suggest to get the pH to the
desired level?

Should I actually measure and monitor the pH level, or am I just being an
over-protective "parent"?

As I'm not endowed with a green thumb or two, I'd appreciate any guidance
you could give me.

Thanks

--
Lawrence
"You can just hang outside in the sun all day tossing a ball around, or you
can sit at your computer and do something that matters." - Eric Cartman - 4
October 2006

 

Lawrence Logic wrote:

You are a bit late in the season but if it stays warm and you are not in a
frost area you might get them to maturity before winter.


Nope I am talking about chilli plants in general.


Don't keep them too moist or you will get fungus.  You would be better off
opening the vents and checking for water each day.  Transplant when the
second pair of true leaves appear.


For how many chilli plants each?  A 30cm pot would do for one.  You could
get 3  in a 60cm if the mix was good and rich.  Bigger pots have the
advantage that they don't dry out as quickly as small ones.  Mulch the top.
Keep in filtered sun until they take.


Most potting mix is slightly acid which is what you want but it may be
already limed so don't start adding lime etc unless you are sure the pH is
wrong.  If it isn't on the bag the manufacturer may tell you.


I wouldn't worry too much, if the pH is 5 or 7 they will still do OK.  If
you are likely to grow other things in future or really want to know the pH
get one of the dye indicator kits (about $15) not a meter.


Enrich your potting mix with horse or cow manure or compost before you
plant.  After they have taken move them into full sun and check the moisture
daily as they will dry out quickly in a pot especially on hot days and very
especially on exposed balconies or verandas.  Chilli plants like heat but
not to dry out and wilt.

David

 



I live at Nerang.  I wouldn't expect any frost for quite a while, if I get
any at all.


Understood.


I've opened the vents and I'm administering a gentle spray of water each
evening.  The sections of the "green house" are usually pretty dry when I
get home each afternoon now that the vents are open.

Six of the Bhuts have sprouted now.  What do you mean by "true leaves"?
Does that exclude the pair of leaves that open when these babies first
sprout?


I was going to have one pot each.  I'll still have one pot each, but I'll
probably compromise and have pots somewhere around 45cm in diameter.  I want
them to have enough room to spread their roots and grow as much as they can.
The pots are still on the "to buy" list, so I haven't committed to anything
yet.


So you'd advise that I use a potting mix rather than digging soil from
somewhere and trying to treat it to satisfy what I think the plants will
require?  My intention is to get good results, so I'll buy whatever I need
to achieve that.


I'll consider getting a kit.  If I monitor what's going on, at least I can
use my experience from this attempt to make a better fist next time in the
event that everything turns to fertiliser!!


I don't have a balcony or a verandah.  I have places to strategically locate
the pots so that the sun exposure can be controlled to a point.  That's why
I'm using pots rather than planting them in the garden where they'll be in
the sun all day.

Thanks very much for your advice, David.  I'll let you know how things
progress.

--
Lawrence
"If I don't see you in the future, I'll see you in the past" - Tommy Bolin -
Melbourne 1975

 

Lawrence Logic wrote:

Yes, those are called cotyledons, see

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cotyledons


No I only mentioned potting mix because you did, sorry I missed the "soil
or" part.  If you are going to do this regularly it is much cheaper to get a
load of good quality loam delivered in bulk rather than buy soil or potting
mixt in bags, cheaper still if you have (or can borrow) a trailer and save
the delivery fee. Even so you will want to enrich it.


It will last for years and do many tests before the chemicals run out.


Provided you can prevent them from drying right out and wilting they will
grow best in full sun once the roots are established.  Using pots does allow
you to control things to some extent but the disadvantage is that they dry
out much more quickly than plants in the ground.

Plants that produce fruit are high energy users and high energy builders.
Annual plants that fruit are more so.  That's why you need rich soil, full
sun and planty of water.  If you want to see this taken to extreme grow
pumpkins but leave word of your whereabouts before you enter the pumpkin
patch so a rescue can be mounted if you don't get back.

David

 



Thanks David.  That takes me back to my agriculture class in high school.  I
actually had the word "dicotyledon" going through my head when I saw the
sprouts, but I didn't really know why.  Thanks for the link.

Nine of my twelve babies have popped their heads up, but one had an
unfortunate skull-cap.  The seed husk was sitting proudly on top.  When I
saw the same on the only Orange Habanero to reveal itself, I removed it and
was greeted by a couple of first leaves.  The Bhut didn't fare so well and
just has small first leaves.  I'm hoping that it'll catch up.

I was expecting these seeds to take a while to germinate but now I'm
thinking only negative thoughts about those that haven't presented
themselves yet.  It's still only 17 days since they were planted.  Should I
remain optimistic about the stragglers?  Can my negative waves have an
adverse affect on them?

--
Lawrence
"Butters, we're done talking about girls' balls right now.  Pay
attention!" - Eric Cartman - 14 November 2007