Thursday 23 June 2011

Chilli babies

No, not jelly babies; CHILLI babies!

My chilli seeds were sown this year on February 14th - Valentine's Day - and they are big strong plants now. Most of them already have a fair number of fruits forming, although of course these are still very small. This post shows you how my "babies" are developing...

This first one is "Hot Portugal"  - presumably named after its characteristics and country of origin... It certainly is prolific. The plant is only about 50cm high, but it already has dozens of flowers and tiny fruits. Don't you think that these fruits look a bit like lizards or snakes sticking their tongues out?

Hot Portugal
The next one is "Fuego F1". I'm hoping this one will be my perfect chilli - quite hot, but not TOO hot; with plenty of flavour; a decent size; a nice vibrant red colour when ripe... I don't ask too much, surely?

Fuego F1
This one is one I have grown from seeds I saved myself. Originally from a single fruit I bought at a foodie exhibition /show. The fruits are small, round and deep red when ripe. I don't know it's official name, so I have just called it "Short Fat", after its appearance.

"Short Fat"
This one is another from self-saved seeds. Also an unknown variety, nicknamed "Long Medium". Last year it did really well, producing a prodigious quantity of fruits, which were quite big, not especially hot, but visually very attractive - about 10cm long, pointed at the tips, vibrant red colour when ripe. At the moment though, the one fruit that is beginning to develop looks suspiciously like a Bell Pepper or Sweet Pepper! Will it get longer as it grows, I wonder? The plants of the capsicum family are notoriously promiscuous, and it could well be that last year's plants were fertilised with pollen from a completely different variety. This year's chilli could be absolutely unique!

"Long Medium"
I have two other varieties as well: "Pinocchio's Nose (very long thin fruits), and "Serrano", but neither of these has set any fruit yet.

You can read more about the ones I grew from last year's seed (and see a photo of "Long Medium" in full production) in an earlier blogpost called The 2011 chilli selection

If you live in the UK and are serious about growing and or eating chillis, you MUST (if you haven't already) visit the website of the South Devon Chilli Farm - or even better, visit their farm / shop itself! Fellow blogger James from Chillipepperheaven recently wrote about a visit that he made to SDCF earlier this year. James is a real chilli fanatic and often blogs about the wierd and wonderful chilli products you can buy these days. His blog is worth a visit if you share an interest in such things!

11 comments:

  1. I love chillies and I LOVE growing them too.

    We are doing Cayenne again this year, they are always a hit. I am also trying 'Filius Blue'. I bought the plant from Gardener's World, it is absolutely beautiful and apparently they are one of those hot peppers that are really flavoursome but won't blow your eyeballs out.

    Keep us updated.

    Martin :)

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  2. Those peppers are looking really good. I am surprised that in our current cold I have bud's on our chillies. No idea what - also one of those grown from seed from somewhere?

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  3. Mark, great looking chili peppers on very sturdy plants. Start looking for recipes......

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  4. Nice chilli babies. I know that you will take care of them and that they will grow very quickly.

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  5. We love chillis think I might have to give them ago, thanks

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  6. I am not a huge fan of eating chillis, but they certainly add a most spectacular burst of colour to the garden. Yours are looking just fabulous, can't wait to see them in full colour.

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  7. I'm still wading through the 6,000 chillis I dried last year.

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  8. The South Devon Chilli Farms ia amazing, we've holiday'd near there the last couple of years in April and popped in for a few seedlings and a browse both years. It's almost good enough to be the main reason for holidaying down there... ;) lol

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  9. Mine are getting no-where. They are healthy plants - but short of height and flowers. The weather has come the wrong way round. We needed water while the plants were indoors and blazing sun once I'd put them outside. No greenhouse but, on the hot south coast, thought it worth a try.

    Esther

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  10. I'm always amazed at how glossy chillies are. Its almost like they've been waxed.

    I love my chillies, so appreciate the links too.
    Thank you.

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  11. Congrats on your chili babies! My chilis and hot peppers produced before the bells did. Here's to a great chili harvest for you this year!!!

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