Looking after your Chilli plants in British Weather

Hows your home grown chilli season going this year? With the wonderful British weather I have decided to try a few different methods to this year to help my chili plants grow. Here are a few useful 'how to tips' to give you a good chance of a more successful cop this year. 


If you are lucky enough to have a greenhouse you will need to ensure it is ventilate and dampened down to ensure the perfect conditions for your plants. Keep the chilli plants uniformly moist and apply a liquid feed too. The heat trapped in the greenhouse will greatly be appreciated by your little chilli plants.

If you’re planning to grow your chilli plants outside. for the best results, always select a sheltered, sunny spot with a well-drained but moisture-retentive and reasonably fertile soil. Or like me a god sunny position in a south facing garden in large pots like I have done for these two Hungarian Black chilli plants. To give them a helping hand with the sudden cold weather again I have fashioned a couple of cloches to keep them warm and out of the wind.

Hungarian Black Chilli Plants

If you plan to put your chili plants direct into the ground, if you haven't yet, harden them off  before planting them outside by exposing them to the colder weather . Be ready to protect outdoor chillies with fleece or cloches in adverse weather conditions. 

You will find the chilli plants establish themselves more quickly if you cover your proposed planting site with cloches a few weeks beforehand to warm-up the ground. You chosen spot will again need to have plenty of exposure to the sun. Personally I have not had huge success in the ground with the poor British summers.

 For more growing tips check out my basic guide here 

Birds like Chilli - Squirrels don't. How to protect your wild bird seed.

If you end up with some weird chillis at the end of your season you are not planning on eating then why not use them to protect your wild bird seed in the garden from the ever resourceful cheeky squirrel!

Set your discarded chillis our in the sun or in a warm ventilated place in your house such as by your boiler to dry them out. Once dried you can grind them down using a pestle and mortar or, I use a coffee grinder. Take care though as even if you are a seasoned consumer of all things chili the dust created by the process can irritate your eyes and also educe coughing fits. be sure to wash your hands when you are done to, removing any last dust. Make sure you store the chilli dust in a sealed container.

When ever you feed your bird population in your garden now sprinkle over a little of the chilli powder, the birds don't mind the heat but the squirrels don't like it and will end up finding a new source of food to seal instead.

Good luck

                                      

Daves Gourmet 12 pack: What will you bring to a BBQ this Summer?

Most people you expect to bring meat and beer but how many people bring sauce, you will be the star of the show if you turn up with this little beauty from Dave. You will please all with this pack with hot sauces from mild to extreme the chilli heads will be happy and so will anyone else to.

The 12 pack contains lots of awesome sauces from Costa Rica:

Dave's Rowdy Red Chile Hot Sauce
Dave's Hysterical Habanero Hot Sauce
Dave's Dave's Chilli 'n' Chipotle Hot Sauce
Dave's Hurtin' Jalapeno Hot Sauce
Dave's Cool Cayenne Pepper Sauce
Dave's Jammin' Jerk Sauce & Marinade
Dave's Ginger Peach Hot Sauce
Dave's Roasted Garlic Hot Sauce
Dave's Roasted Red Pepper Chipotle Hot Sauce
Dave's Scotch Bonnet Hot Sauce
Dave's Crazy Caribbean Hot Sauce

liven up your next BBQ

Growing season 2012

This season is finally starting to have progress now the British summer has appeared for a few days. Blow are the chilli plants that should hopefully keep me stocked up later this year. They include jalapeño, scotch bonnet, Hungarian black, ring of fire ( from Dorset chilli farm) cause red pepper, mystery seeds I am hoping are yellow habarnos from last years west dean chilli fiesta, chilli willi plants, Serrano chillies from the mexican restaurant wahacca. They are starting to look good now so fingers crossed for a good year.

Six lucky plants will be transferred to greenhouse sensation chilli growing stations to try and boost their crop.