Chilli Pepper Growing Guide - Part 5: Hardening Off & Potting Up

[@Garden-of-weeden]

Thanks JB, really enjoyed this one … may the peppers be prolific 😊

[@rubiccube8953]

I split my chillis into two collections a month ago . I put three of each variety into pots and kept in my warm conservatory with heated mats. The rest I put into my polytunnel into my central 2 ft raised bed . This raised bed compost was made from layers of woodchip coffee grounds comfrey cardboard and leaf mold. It intially went up to 55c . By Christmas the temperature had dropped to 30c . I topped up soil from the allotment and then multicompost on top . I planted all sorts of plants into the bed . Lavender and rosemary cuttings . Lettuces , curly kale, cavelo Nero , radishes, beetroot, they have all grown very well and given lots of crops . The cavelo Nero 3 plants have given a crop for three people once a week since January and are still cropping. The chillies looked stunted until this week but now look like the perfect plant . Dark green branching , neither lanky nor squat, with buds forming and the growth is accelerating. Air temps have been from 3c to 30c from March to April . The last week 9c to 42c . I am now thinking of shading the polytunnel and increasing the ventilation with side windows low down and addition windows above the doors ,high up to shed the very hot air .

[@Tamsins_Potager]

Hope you enjoyed potting up your beautiful chillies...I'm pulling all of mine out this weekend (Canberra, Australia 🇦🇺) but already planning for the next season 😂❤🌶🫑💚💛

[@CSaville]

That is a brilliant reminder for me regarding pot size. I reckon I'm about three weeks behind the kind of weather you'e experiencing so it is very timely as is the advice regarding providing proper support. I'm a bit better organised year so have the canes to hand. I've also been saving those tiny Yoghurt pots to go on the ends of the canes for eye protection. I'm not exactly sure yet but I'm fairly confident I've not gone completely over the top with the final numbers of chilli peppers this year. I think I've just seriously overdone it as opposed to insanely overdoing it like last year 😁

[@freckles2437]

Going to sort my greenhouse out this weekend and move everything at once, fingers crossed we don't suddenly get a cold snap. Jo Devon 🙂

[@ggwildlife]

excellent video as always. i just done a few 10 litre pots chillis looking fine im looking forward to my harvest already.

[@JBNat]

Thank you! Good luck with your chillis 😃

[@magpie1492]

Mine will all be outside again this year. Fabulous crops in a south facing garden 😊.

[@angiesgardan7828]

Great vid I be asking lots of questions due to that I've got my first allotment plot. I just grow bell pepper lol. Glad you remember my name haha ATB Angela

[@durbatov]

Mine went into final positions this week 30 peppers into poly 20 chillis into greenhouses and pots exciting times good luck with your chillis

[@JBNat]

Oooooh that sounds great

[@PatrickKazmierczak-j6i]

Very informative. Nice one

[@JBNat]

Glad it was helpful! Thank you

[@Dawn_Grows_Veg]

Good reminders about pot size. Really good info. I have some that have romped and some that are a bit small . also good to know this applies to sweet ones too. I think mine were in too smaller a pot last year as they were a bit of an after thought and I ran out of space. The saucers idea I used last year and it worked really well. How big are the chilli grow pots?

[@mikecoots7003]

Mine have just not grown they are tiny am gutted. Happy for you though JB

[@JBNat]

Still plenty of time for them to pick up, been a challenging season for sure

[@gregmellor3012]

I know what you mean about space, I have far too many! Thankfully the site has put up a huge polytunnel that you can rent a bit of space from, I will need this. Haven’t got the growth you’ve got on certain ones but I’m hoping now they’re out they’ll catch up

[@JBNat]

It's amazing how fast they can start to grow when spring warms up :)

[@amandar7719]

What a great idea re communal polytunnel! Do they have a watering rota, too? Great idea for covering summer vacations.

[@gregmellor3012]

@@amandar7719 I think with the community there, some agreements will be gladly made to cover each other whilst away

[@martinholden6214]

I sowed mine very late, (jalapeno) hope to get a crop. I planted 9 and 5 came through, i plan to keep 2 best and give away others if they are ok. probably no heat matt caused a bad germination, the seed sat in wet soil to long. They are only jst about to produce true leaves 😅 new to growing and didnt realise how long they take to grow. At least next year ill be a tad wiser. Fingers crossed ill get some off of it.

[@JBNat]

I've been trying to do some experimental late sowing to see the kind of crops you get from an April or May sowing but I found the exact same issue, they just refused to germinate without a heat mat! I had a few pop up in the hydro system at the start of May though, so those will be my chance to test!

[@PreatorRaszagal]

Interestingly enough my extras, that are under a blurple light, handled the sun much better than the other plants for the first day of hardening off 🤔And I have no idea about what you mean with having too many plants! 🤪Haha get in there to water... Looks like quite a slim path for that 😄

[@JBNat]

That's very interesting! Very good chance we have different powered lights... mine were very very cheap.

[@PreatorRaszagal]

@@JBNat Mine is a "KINGBO Dual Optical Lens-Series 300W". It is the kind of light you had as a main grow light before the kind of LED grow lights we have today existed 😄

[@helenagreenwood2305]

Can I put more than one plant into a pot - I've got 2 pots both 24" wide 24" deep can I put 3 in each 🌶️🌶️🌶️

[@JBNat]

Yes! I've grown peppers in little troughs in the early days.

[@RawLondonGardener]

Great video

[@JBNat]

Thanks!

[@nitelite78]

I grow all my chillis on windowsills. Any spares go outside as long as the temperature is high enough. What I'm wondering about is how much house window glass (double glazed) lets UVA/B rays through and so how hardened off to sun scorch the plants are before putting them outside. I don't think I've ever seen sun scorch for plants that I've grown indoors although can't remember really. But I have had sun scorching for plants that have been on a windowsill and then gone outside. So guess the overall question is does windowsill growing harden off the plants somewhat due to some UVA/B getting through the glass meaning there's less need to worry about doing as much as half an hour each day outside for a week? Also a further question is how greenhouse glass compares to double glazing home windows in terms of blocking or letting UVA/B through.

[@JBNat]

I'm no expert but I have heard that the majority of residential glazing does have an element of UV protection. I've not heard of sun scorch from indoor window sill peppers either! I don't think light through the window is anywhere close to them being outside. I think greenhouse glass has no protection whatsoever, but I could do some more research on it for sure.

[@Carol-oc7mx]

Well it's official then ....... summer has arrive with JB's shorts 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@JBNat]

hahaha

[@jaynekennedy8469]

What do you do with all of the chillies that you get JB?

[@JBNat]

kzbin.infolFGfjkFzTR4?si=DcjQ-oAB6JL-kUF6

[@jaynekennedy8469]

Thanks for your reply JB. I dry mine and also make chilli oil.

[@JBNat]

Haha you're welcome! It's the only short I've ever made and it was just for when people were interested in this!

[@juliehartley3652]

@@JBNat Wow - that's amazing how versatile the chillies are - last time I grew some I just dried mine - there's loads of stuff I could do with them, although I don't think I will have enough for chilli jam this year, but there's always next year. 😊

[@JaM112]

My chillis are still so small! Its like they refused to grow any more

[@JBNat]

Hopefully they'll pick up now it's warmer!

[@JaM112]

Fingers crossed JB, the wife really wants a smoked pepper and aubergine sauce making this year 😊

[@lucrom1097]

Fantastisch Good work jB cill pepers te poting party 5 te best friend ✌️🌱⛅🌶️🌺🏵️✔️🎈

[@LucRom-kz5uw]

Fantastisch Good work jb cili pepers te poting party 5 te best tips best fried Good week men 🌶👍🌱🌤🌸🌺🙋‍♂️🍹😎