Ideas and Tips

Growing sweet & chilli peppers from seed

Growing peppers from seed is a rewarding experience. When you start your own seeds, you'll be able to have many more varieties and give your baby plants the special care that results in abundant delicious harvests from the garden later on. What follows is a short guide to how to grow your own seedlings, managing light, moisture, and timing. After you've done it once, it will seem easy and routine, and lots of fun as you gain insight into how plants grow.

Getting started
Although it is possible to grow peppers outside in the south of England in a favourable year, it cannot be treated as a guaranteed method. If at all possible it is better to treat them to the protection of an indoor climate whether this be a glasshouse, conservatory or windowsill. Second best would be a sun soaked position at the base of a south-facing wall or on a well-protected patio.

Sowing the seeds
Sow the seed from March onwards. Most pepper germinates at 23°C - 25°C, some like Habanero take longer than others, so don’t be hasty in discarding ungerminated pots! Use a proprietary brand of seed raising compost rather than ordinary garden soil, because of the fungal and pest problems it may contain. Garden soil also sets rock hard after a few waterings.

Seed sowing containers can be anything from small yoghurt pots to soft fruit containers from the supermarkets. A range of plastic flower pots are available these days, chose the most appropriate for your propagator, glasshouse or windowsill. Make sure that the container has sufficient drainage holes and is clean before sowing.

Check that your compost is sufficiently moist before use and lightly fill the containers, without pressing the compost with your fingers, just jiggle and tap to get an even level then use a tamper to lightly level the surface ¼” - ½” below the rim. Write the variety names and sowing date with a HB pencil or indelible marker on small labels and place in each pot. Place the seed on the surface, evenly spaced, or individually depending on your chosen method and cover with ¼” of sieved compost or vermiculite. Water the seed using a fine nozzled watering can, nozzle facing upwards, use mains water not rain water at this stage, because of the micro-organisms it contains.

Although pepper seed needs warmth (23°C - 25°C) to germinate - light is not critical, so use an electric propagator or find a warm place such as on top of the water heater or refrigerator – anywhere they will have gentle, steady warmth. Keep seed pots and trays moist but not soggy (don’t allow them to sit in water) and expect germination from within 10 days onwards. Check at least once every day for signs of emergence.

Just as soon as the seeds have begun to sprout and show above the soil line, the baby seedlings require bright light. If you feel like the extravagance of supplementary horticultural lighting, this is the time to use it. Many retail horticultural sundry catalogues contain simple lights of the appropriate wavelength. If using a sunny windowsill, be sure to rotate plants and protect them at night when windowsill temperatures can plummet. Give seedlings lots of light - 16 hours a day is fine. Plants that don't have enough light will grow up weak and pale, with long stems leaning toward the light. Seedlings can be grown on at temperatures somewhat lower than those for germination (13°C - 15°C).

When your seedlings are up and growing, and have at least 2 sets of leaves, it's OK to let the top half-inch or so of soil have a chance to dry out between waterings. Check daily by putting your index finger into the soil - actually using this finger test to see how moist soil is works best; it's hard to tell from just looking, even for experienced gardeners.

"Potting up" your pepper seedlings
When your seedlings have several sets of leaves, you need to move or "prick out" seedlings to a deeper flat or individual 4 inch pots. First, fill the new containers with moistened soil mix. Lift the tiny plants carefully with a dibber stick by their leaves only, pushing all the way to the bottom of the container to get all of the roots; the less they are disturbed, the better. Lower each plant into the new hole you've made and plant it so that the lowest set of leaves rests right on the surface of the soil. Gently firm the soil around the transplants and water carefully.

About a week after pricking out, start feeding the seedlings each week with a weak dose of Maxicrop (seaweed fertiliser). As the seedlings become established look for a high Nitrogen (N) feed or a balanced fertiliser initially to establish the plants until 5” high. After the first flower appears change to a high potash (K) feed, such as 'Tomorite’ to initiate flower and fruit production. Water daily with a seventh of the weekly recommendations of fertiliser for steady feeding, but make one feed a week a balanced (NPK) feed to promote healthy growth in the plant.

Growing on
A month from pricking out the seedlings will need potting up or on into 5" - 6" pots containing a reputable potting compost. This is followed by a further move into their final 9" pot size by early June at the latest. If planting out of doors allow a fortnight for the plants to acclimatise before setting them out in a sun-drenched, sheltered position after danger of frost has passed.

Pinching out seedlings at 6" - 8" will encourage branching and many varieties, especially the large fruited cultivars will require staking as they are very brittle. To do this place a cane firmly along side the centre of the plant and tie the plant to the cane in one or two places. Next push canes into the side of the pot where branches overhang, and use a tie to stabilise the branch.

To find out more
Come to West Dean Gardens Chilli Fiesta on 8 and 9 August.

Growing Tomatoes from Seed

There is a terrific choice of tomatoes available through retail seed catalogues giving a great range in colour size and taste. These notes provide a simple programme for propagating tomatoes from seed.

Getting Started
Tomatoes are the most commonly grown vegetable in the amateur's kitchen garden in the U.K., the vast majority of these are grown in small greenhouses.

When to sow the seed depends on whether the final destination is inside a glasshouse or outside in the ground, and where you live in the British Isles. Before planting young plants outside you need to make sure that the danger of frosts has passed and that the soil has warmed up sufficiently, generally late May to early June in England. However tomatoes can be planted earlier in the greenhouse particularly if there is artificial heat available so the seed for these plants could be sown earlier.

First select your varieties
There is a wealth of tomato varieties available as seeds or plug plants from reputable seed suppliers, many of whom are expanding their range of tomatoes, particularly as plug plants. But why not become a member of the ‘Garden Organic’ (formally known as H.D.R.A.) and join their Seed Library, as this is a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving varieties that are no longer on the U.K. National Seed List. Seed is not available for sale (it would be illegal to do so) through the H.D.R.A. but is obtainable free of charge as part of the membership. The 800 varieties are kept in minute quantities and availability changes annually, hence the need for you to save the seed from your own crop if you want to retain the variety from year to year. Heritage Seed Library members also receive a regular seed saving newsletter during the course of the year.

If you do save an old tomato variety from the scheme please send some seed and as much information about the variety as possible to the H.D.R.A. Heritage seed library - a description, its history and where and when you obtained the seed. Also look out for old rare varieties being grown by others - on your allotment site, your local produce show for example or possibly even great-uncle Harry.

Sowing the Seed
A variety of containers can be used for seed sowing: plastic seed trays and pots, recycled plastic containers such as yoghurt pots and module trays. For seed sowing these must be cleaned and disinfected before use, a dirty container may harbour diseases such as fungi that kill germinating seed. Tomato seed require a minimum temperature of 16-20°C to germinate, a thermostatically controlled propagator will help, but a sunny window sill or an airing cupboard, for example, provide alternative heat sources. You can be as resourceful as you like, just don't forget them!

Use fresh seed sowing compost, not garden soil, for seed sowing, this should reduce pest and disease problems. We sow 2 seeds, 1cm deep, in a 9cm pot and gently cover with sieved compost or use vermiculite, a soft mineral composed of mica which prevents capping on the pot surface. Sowing this way eliminates the need to prick out which can check the growth if not done properly. Water carefully using mains water and a clean watering can and make sure each variety is clearly labelled with its name and sowing date.

Pricking out the Seedlings
You may need to prick out your seedlings if you have broadcast sown the seed instead of sowing one or two seeds in a pot. Wait until the emerging seedlings have a set of leaves then carefully lift the tiny plant from the seed tray to a deeper pot, containing fresh compost, using something like a label or a pencil as a dibber to push all the way to the bottom of the container to get all the roots. Lower each plant into the hole you've made and plant it so that the lowest set of leaves rests right on the surface of the soil. Gently firm the soil around the transplants and water carefully with mains water.

Growing on
Give the plants plenty of space, light, and ventilation once germinated to produce sturdy plants for planting out, leggy plants are a no-no. As a guide they will be ready to plant out 6-8 weeks after sowing. Thoroughly harden off the tomatoes before planting outside and don't plant out in poor weather or if frosts are likely, wait until the soil temperature is at least 10°C.

Feeding Regime
A regular feeding regime, preferably on a daily basis is better than the commonly recommended once a week. Divide the recommended weekly dose by seven and then apply that amount when you water, preferably in the morning. Don't be tempted to over feed as this produces lush growth susceptible to pest and disease attack. Use a high potash feed which will initiate flower and fruit development and avoid fertilizers high in ammonium which promotes blossom end rot.

Watering
Water regularly and avoid fluctuations which stress the plant. Tomatoes in pots, poly-tunnels or under glass will need very regular watering during periods of sustained heat. Twice daily damping down of the floor and glasshouse structure, in the morning and at noon is necessary. In very high temperatures an evening soak is very beneficial, but allow sufficient time for excess water to evaporate before nightfall. A coating of glasshouse shade applied in May-June-July will combat high summer temperatures which put plants under stress, and will also reduce the amount of watering.

Pest and Disease Control
Two common tomato pests are aphids, which also transmit viruses, and white fly. These must be controlled at all times by using either an appropriate insecticide or biological control predators such as Encarsia Formosa for white fly, available through mail order companies.

The most serious diseases are damping off at the seedling stage and potato blight. Heavy sustained summer rain provides ideal conditions for fungal attack so avoid over feeding which produce lush plants susceptible to attack and provide enough room for air movement around them to allow the foliage to dry. Appropriate chemicals will help control the situation but understanding the cause of these diseases will help you avoid them arising in the first place.In addition, indoor tomatoes suffer from various wilting diseases caused by diseased roots, greenback, blotchy ripening and sunscorch. For better understanding of these and other problems read R.H.S.’Fruit and Vegetable Gardening’ edited by Michael Pollock and ‘Tomatoes’ by Terry Marshall.

Training
The two common types of tomato plant are the indeterminate or cordon whose main shoot will continue to grow until pinched out and the bush or determinate which produces many sideshoots which stop themselves. In addition, there is also the dwarf type forming very compact plants often no more than 20cm high.

Outside cordons require at least a four foot stake to support them, tie the plant at regular intervals to the stake and remove the sideshoots which form in the leaf axils as they appear. Pinch out the growing tip, at approximately the end of July, to obtain a reasonable crop of mature ripe fruit. Inside cordons can be grown up a strong string fixed above, the plant is then twisted around it as it develops. They can also be grown up canes supported on horizontal wires about 30cms apart.

Bush types require little attention but because of their sometimes dense foliage it is advisable to space them at wider spacings, than is generally recommended, outdoors. This allows better air movement and potentially less disease problems. Some of the bush and dwarf types make excellent pot plants for the sheltered patio or glasshouse.

Basils (A wonderful food friend of tomatoes)
All basils require a minimum temperature day and night of 10°C and also need plenty of sunshine and careful watering to avoid damaging the delicate leaves. If the weather is dull and cold avoid watering altogether unless essential. If hot and sunny water copiously fairly early in the day so that the leaves become dry before it becomes cold again. Our experience shows that basils will do better in a glasshouse, conservatory or brightly lit window sill rather than outside in a British summer.