At ChilliKing our growing season usually begins in November. This year, other projects delayed us, but we’ve finally managed to plant seeds.
Yesterday we started the following varieties:
- Orange Habanero
- Chocolate Habanero
- Aurora
- Tabasco
- Bulgarian Carrots
- Scotch bonnet
- Jalapeno
None of the seeds were pre-soaked; they were sown directly into cell trays and covered with roughly 10 mm of sieved potting compost. In the past we tried pre-soaking with mixed results, so this time we kept the process simple.
Making Up For Lost Time
To speed germination and recover lost time we’re using a heat mat. These mats are commonly sold for reptile enclosures and provide a steady, gentle warmth ideal for seed trays. We placed the cell trays inside standard plastic propagators and set them on the mat. The increased bottom heat should significantly reduce the usual germination period for chilli seeds.
Follow Our Chilli Growing Progress
We’ll share regular updates on the blog as the season progresses, documenting germination, seedling care, and transplanting. You can also follow real-time updates on our Twitter feed.
Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/thechilliking