Chilli plant query

[Vicy]

Hi all,

I planted chilli pepper seeds on 20th March and I've attached a picture now.

I've watered them regularly and kept them in my conservatory where it's warm. I read that feeding them a standard fertizer was alright so once a week they get that.

However they don't look 'bushy' and appear to just be a load of big leaves, am I doing something wrong?

 

[Chuck]

They look very good. Keep on doing what you're doing.

 

[Vicy]

I can see some flowers at the very top!!!

It feels odd that the rest is just leaves but I will stick with it.....

 

[Chuck]

I can see some flowers at the very top!!!

It feels odd that the rest is just leaves but I will stick with it.....

That's the way pepper plants grow. It will spread out and have multiple limbs with flowers the older it gets. You will soon have to repot into a larger container.

 

[Vicy]

Update- we have chillis! It was so exciting, my dad couldn't believe it when I showed him!

No idea at what point they are ready, if they change colour etc. The packet literally said chilli seeds. I will keep an eye on them.

 

[Chuck]

Update- we have chillis! It was so exciting, my dad couldn't believe it when I showed him!

No idea at what point they are ready, if they change colour etc. The packet literally said chilli seeds. I will keep an eye on them.

They look like Cayenne's at this point. When they are at their best is when they are red but you can eat them anytime. If they are cayennes it is a medium hot pepper that is used mainly dried in cooking.

 

[Vicy]

Ah OK, well I'm in no rush so I will just watch and enjoy! Thanks Chuck

 

[Vicy]

I did some more digging and discovered these are Romital F1 chilli's. Again it says they are best red. As you can see from the picture some are pretty big, anyone got experiences with this kind, I can't imagine them going red and don't want to leave them to spoil if they are good to go?

My thumb is on pic for size reference!

 

[Chuck]

I did some more digging and discovered these are Romital F1 chilli's. Again it says they are best red. As you can see from the picture some are pretty big, anyone got experiences with this kind, I can't imagine them going red and don't want to leave them to spoil if they are good to go?

My thumb is on pic for size reference!

Yep, that is a hybrid of cayenne and is a hot pepper. Don't worry, they will not spoil while on the plant. They will turn red. Hope you like hot and spicy.

 

[Vicy]

Well my dad likes spicy so can make him some chilli jam or something! I can take heat but not take your face off heat!

I've read about drying them to preserve too so may try that.

 

[Chuck]

Well my dad likes spicy so can make him some chilli jam or something! I can take heat but not take your face off heat!

I've read about drying them to preserve too so may try that.

These peppers are thin walled, meaning that they have very little "flesh" like a bell pepper does. Mainly they are dried and then crumbled up and used as a spice or not drying them and cutting them into pieces for cooking. I don't know if you could make a jam out of them or not like you can with a jalapeno. A hot jalapeno has a Scoville rating of about 50000 and this pepper has one about 100000, so it is twice as hot as a jalapeno. About the only difference I can see between the Romital and a Cayenne is that the Romital gets longer, about 6 inches, while a Cayenne gets to about 4-5 inches.

 

[Vicy]

Wow I didn't know that, thank you!

Whilst I have you, I don't suppose you know when to harvest a runner bean? I read that it was when it was about 15cm long but they seem a bit thin. I was expecting it to be more braod bean like before I harvested?

Again thumb pic for size reference!

 

[Chuck]

Wow I didn't know that, thank you!

Whilst I have you, I don't suppose you know when to harvest a runner bean? I read that it was when it was about 15cm long but they seem a bit thin. I was expecting it to be more braod bean like before I harvested?

Again thumb pic for size reference!

It is probably just the variety that makes you think it is thin. And about 15cm (6) inches is normal. I would guess that this is a snap bean and if it snaps easily instead of just bending it is ready to pick. It looks like one of them is ready to pick. Here in Texas broad beans are usually harvested when either dried or fully matured in their husk and the beans are usually much bigger. Green beans on the other hand are harvested for their husks and for their beans. The beans are not fully matured yet and the green husks are still tender. Once they reach the stage of bending instead of snapping the husk is sometimes stringy and or tough and not very palatable and only the beans are consumed. The beans are not fully matured yet. The fully matured beans are dried in the husks.

 

[Vicy]

Thank you so much for your knowledge. These runner beans are a hybrid and are stringless, which I was drawn to as I agree they can go quite tough and unpalatable.

I will harvest some in a couple of days, there will be enough for tea!

 

[headfullofbees]

If they look like they'd be nice to eat, take them.
Pick them small. Pick them every other day.
You'll have so many that you won't know what to do with them, so don't take a chance on them going past it.
They'll be delicious now; they'd be unpalatable then.
Pick every other day to maximise the crop.