Chilli seeds again

Last year's Chilli plants were a disaster. I had too many and they were too big, although I managed to keep the green fly off them. They got too big for the windowsill in the kitchen so they were put outside where they effectively stopped growing due to the cold temperature.

This year I am:

• Going to germinate some seeds in plastic bags in the airing cupboard again (this seems very effective).
• Use my heated propagator (effective also).
• Give away more chilli plants, or just cull the weaker ones.
• Top the plants when they get to about 18 inches tall (3-4 foot high chilli plants are impractical).

I have just put Jalapeno, Bird's Eye chilli and Tomato seeds on damp paper towels, into plastic bags and into the airing cupboard (hot press). So in a few days they will hopefully have germinated and they can go into the heated propagator.

And they are off!

Last weekend I put my first chilli seeds into a damp kitchen towel and plastic bag and placed them in the airing cupboard in order to get them to germinate. This it basically the start of my growing season and a way to take my mind off the weather here in Northern Ireland.

Today all eleven (I meant to do 12, doh!) seeds had tiny roots, so they were gently put into coir start plugs and placed in a unheated propagator on the south facing kitchen windowsill.

Being a little concerned about the night time temperature that the seeds will get on the windowsill I bit the bullet and ordered a Garland triple top windowsill heated propagator. I am not sure what the missus will say when she sees it but I find it is often easier to get forgiveness than permission.