I’m hooked on growing chilies. Mild as well as smoking hot. Cocking with chili flakes is awesome! Making your own jalapeno-poppers. Daring your friends to bite into a reaper.
There are so many varieties of chili and the collectability of species makes it even more appealing to me.
You would think that this heat-loving plant is a no-go for our cool and short growing season. True, chilies need extra TLC here. And that begins with starting seeds indoor mid-winter.
Shopping list
- seeds of your choice
- a good potting mix
- perlite
- vermiculite
- pots or tray
- grow lights
- heat mat
sowing
I like to work perlite into the potting mix to improve drainage and make it less dense. Perhaps as much as 1 part perlite to 3 parts soil.
Make sure to water thoroughly before you start sowing. Otherwise, you’ll just splash the seeds around and all your seedlings end up in one corner.
When sowing in pots, I like to place 2 seeds in each. If both germinate, I’ll either snip out the weaker ones or divide the plug and transplant both into new pots. To not lose track, I place all my seeds and label them before I gently press the seeds into the soil and cover with vermiculite – my go-to remedy for moisture and fungus gnats.
germination
To boost germination, I place the seed trays on heat mats. Alternatively, I place them on the bathroom floor – but then I must move them as soon as the 1st sprout shows. Since I sow so many varieties, and germination time varies, I find it simpler to provide both heat and light from day 1.
When the first seedlings show, the garden is usually still covered in a thick blanket of snow. The little green leaves are precious to me, and I probably check on them far more frequently than I need to.
watering and fertilizing
When the soil starts to feel dry at the top, it is time to water. But – only water from below. I cannot stress this enough! When most of the seedlings in a tray have 2 pairs of true leaves, I start adding a diluted chili feed to the water. They usually get one feeding before it is transplanting time.
