As usual we are growing a mix of our favourites which include mild to hot and some attractive pot plants. This years super hots include the Worlds Hottest, the Carolina Reaper, which turned out a bit disappointing with pod size although it did have a fierce heat. Nothing new to report on the growing equipment except we have a Duo Grow from Geenhouse Sensation which works in the same principle as the Quad Grow.

This Years Varieties

Aji Pulsar (Capsicum baccatum) Medium. Nearly white, erect fruit, turn orange then red. Fruits are sweet, crisp and crunchy with a respectable amount of heat. Good flavour. Low growing plants to about 60 cm. 
Anaheim (Capsicum annuum) Mild. Famous development from the original New Mexico State University in early 1900's, low to medium heat with thick flesh, good for sauces and stuffing. 
Assam Bhut Jolokia (Capsicum chinense) Plant produces good yields of 6 cm long by 2 cm wide by hot peppers. Peppers are extremely hot and turn from green to red when mature. Plant has dark green leaves, green stems, and white flowers. Reported to be measured over 1,000,000 Scoville Units! This variety produces higher yields than the other Bhut Jolokia. Assam is where the Bhut Jolokia originates. One of the five hottest peppers in the world from India. 
Carolina Reaper (Capsicum chinense) This is a hybrid of the Capsicum chinense species, originally called the "HP22B", bred by cultivator Ed Currie, who runs PuckerButt Pepper Company in Fort Mill, South Carolina. The Carolina Reaper was rated as the world's hottest chilli pepper by Guinness World Records according to 2012 tests, averaging 1,569,300 SHU on the Scoville scale with peak levels of over 2,200,000 SHU. 
Chocolate Cherry Bomb (Capsicum annuum) Small bushy plants produce round chocolate coloured chillis, green maturing to dark chocolate cherry shaped peppers. Can be eaten green or brown with a thick flesh which make them great for pickling or stuffing with cream cheese. These are mildly hot, round (1,5" - 2") chilli peppers start their growing cycle Green and then turn a bright, attractive chocolate as they ripen. 
Fatalii (Capsicum chinense) The deadly hot pepper from the central African Republic. Fatalii is a Habanero relative, but the fruit matures to bright yellow and is long, wrinkled and tapers to a point - about 2 to 3 inches long. The plants produce lots of peppers - they start producing early and finish late. Fatalii's have a fruity, almost citrus-like flavour and they make a very attractive-coloured hot sauce. 
Hot Cherry (Capsicum annuum) A great tasting hot chilli and perfect for barbeques and parties. 1.5 to 2" wide mature to bright red. Great for stuffing with cheese and grilling. Upright plants to 20". Good yields. 
Krakatoa (Capsicum annuum) Compact Tabasco type fruits on a compact plant. Fruits ripen green with a purple tinge to fully red at Maturity. Fruits can be used fresh or dried and ground for seasoning. This is a great chilli for the kitchen window sill for plucking one off when needed. Very hot at maturity! 
Lemon Drop 
(Capsicum baccatum) Hot. These bright yellow chillis grow to 1 ½" (4cm) long and ½" (1cm) wide, with a strong lemon flavour to them.
Nu Mex Sunflare (Capsicum annuum) These chillis are great together to make a splash of colour that will have peoples heads turning for another look, and you can eat them. Immature fruit colour is green, while mature fruit colour is yellow, red, and orange. The Sunflare chilli plant produces good yields of 3 ¼" long by ½" wide hot chillis. Chillis grow upright and turn from green to a bright yellow when mature. A great chilli for adding colour to cooking and a colourful hot chilli to brighten the home or garden. The chillis are hot, however, the level has not been tested. 
Purple Serrano (Capsicum annuum) Beautiful purple version of the Serrano. The peppers are slightly longer than the regular Serrano, but they have the same bullet shape. This pepper originates from the mountains of northern Mexico. Serrano's means: from the plains or mountains. The plant, which has fuzzy foliage, can grow between 50 cm to 150 cm tall. The pods colour during ripening from green, to deep purple and finally red. The plant produces large purple flowers. 
Padron (Capsicum annuum) Small sweet Spanish heirloom chilli pepper from Galicia, approx 1 in 10 harvested Padron chilli peppers are really hot the remainder have little heat, harvest can start from the green stage. Peppers mature from green to red, horn shaped and some get hotter as they mature, but which ones? Excellent for Tapas, stir fries, stuffed, grilled or fried whole in olive oil. They are usually pan fried with a pinch of salt and eaten by holding the stalk. From 1,000 to 12,000+ SHU. 
Summer Fire (Capsicum annuum) A prolific fruiting variety which is dripping with small hot fruits on a compact leafy semi-trailing plant.  The fruits mature from deep purple through cream and orange to mature to a bright red.  Summer of Fire’s unique plant habit makes it a perfect choice for hanging baskets and containers.  The plants have a good tolerance to cooler weather lasting well into the autumn.  Harvested fruits are easy to dry as well as being ideal for fresh use.  Grows to a height of 30 cm and spread of 60 cm.

This Years Equipment

Growth Technology Chilli Focus Chillis and peppers have specific nutritional requirements. While it is true that they can perform reasonably well with general purpose “feeds”, the best results will be achieved by using a formulation designed specifically for them. Chilli Focus is precisely formulated for the needs of chillies and peppers – it does not contain urea. It supports the production of healthier, more vigorous plants and colourful, juicier fruits.
Jiffy
Jiffy Pellets The Jiffy-7® pellet: fine netting is filled with high-quality substrate and then compressed to form a handy pellet. Just add water, and the little planting wonder grows to up to seven times its size in a few moments. It is held together by fine netting, ensur­ing optimum air/water exchange.
Greenhouse Sensation Vitopod 
Precise control propagator- the accurate electric digital thermostat can be set to any 1°C between 5°C and 30°C and the display shows the actual and the set temperatures. The lower temperatures are ideal for over-wintering cuttings and prized plants, the higher temperatures are great for getting hot chillis and exotic plant seeds off to a flying start. Large vents in lids and sides – for superior humidity control, so your plants don’t suffer from damping-off. Even Heat - delivers an even heat throughout the base, so there are no hot spots or cold spots and your seeds and cuttings will germinate evenly. Height adjustable – add the extra layers to give plants more space. Perfect for when the weather is taking its time to warm up enough for you to plant-out and for protecting taller mature plants from the cold. Robust - the Vitopod is built to last. The lids and sides are made from a robust acrylic and are treated to protect them against the UV deterioration which makes other propagators turn yellow and brittle. 
Greenhouse Sensation Octogrow takes 8 young plants in 11 litre pots and keep them perfectly fed and watered at all times thanks to the large Smart Reservoir and FeederMat controlled watering, so that you raise healthier plants with bigger harvests. 
Greenhouse Sensation Duogrow Self Watering Planter - Grow 2x bigger harvests with our Duogrow planter. The impressive growth is thanks to the clever way the stylish Duogrow keeps plants perfectly fed and watered for 14 days at a time. The Duogrow’s 30cm pots are ideal for any plants usually grown in a pot or growbag –chillis, tomatoes, beans, cucumbers, aubergines, peppers and any tall cropping plants. 
Greens Horticulture The T5 grow Light is specifically designed for propagation and out of all single fluorescent lighting units available on the market; it offers the most even light dispersal. This is the 4’ 8-way model that measures 119cm (l) x 66cm (w) x 6cm (d), making it ideal for large propagation set-ups. The unit itself houses eight 54W blue spectrum lamps (red spectrum lamps are available if needed) and comes with two on/off switches mounted on the side. One switch controls the four outer lights and the other switch controls the four inner lights to give you complete control over the spread of light your plants receive.

Vito Pod
Temp set & ready to go
Jiffy Pellet & Root Riot Cubes
Jiffy Pellet & Root Riot Cubes

February 2014

Feb 8: Seeds have been sown into plugs and set in the Vito Pod to germinate. Temp set at 27°C. We have used a mixture of Jiffy Pellets and Grow Technology root cubes. First signs of life should be showing in about 4-5 days, while others may take up to 3 weeks, anything past that usually ends up too spindly and weak and just doesn't seem to grow very quickly.

Make sure you label plants correctly
Make sure you label correctly

March 2014

Mar 30: Most of the varieties have done well except I had 0% germination on the Padrons which were newly bought seeds this year, with no response from the seed company when I enquired. Carolina Reapers on the other hand had 100% germination. With some help from the T5 grow lights and being better weather this year I think we are about a month ahead over previous years growth.

GS Duo Grow New this season
GS Duo Grow New this season
Lemon Drops in the Quad Grow
Lemon Drops in the Quad Grow

April 2014

Apr 20: Just potted the first 2 Quad Grows up and weather turned back to cold with a frost on wed/thur, all plants are in unheated greenhouse and now refusing to grow in the cold although the greenhouse does warm up a bit during the day in the sunshine. Greenhouse Sensation New Duo Grow with a couple of Assam Bhut Jolokia's in, hoping for a good crop. Quad Grows also now being planted up with Lemon drops and Anaheims to begin with, more to follow on.

Anaheim
Anaheim
Carolina Reaper
Carolina Reaper

May 2014

May 6: All plants now potted on into final size pots or systems, Anaheims are doing well in the Quad Grow especially as we have now had fairly poor weather again for long periods. All plants this year in the Greenhouse Sensation Equipment are being fed with their own 2 part nutrients, while plants in single pots are being fed with Growth Tech Chilli Focus.

Duo Grow Assam Bhut Jolokia
Duo Grow Assam Bhut Jolokia
Summer Fire?
Summer Fire?

May 2014

May 21: The Duo Grow holds a good quantity on nutrients and has pretty much looked after itself during May, we have Assam Bhut Jolokias in ours this year hopefully to get a good crop for some sauces.

May 31: This purple fruiting plant doesn't really resemble anything I’ve bought so I presume its the Summer Fire? but it doesn't look anything like the plant on the web site where I purchased the seeds from, another disappointment as they should be compact pot plants.

Chocolate Cherry Bomb
Chocolate Cherry Bomb
Aji Pulsar
Aji Pulsar
Do these look like Purple Serrano
Purple Serrano.... not really
Krakatoa
Krakatoa
Lemon Drops everywhere!
Lemon Drops everywhere

July - August 2014

July 13: The Krakatoa, nice compact pot plant, early to fruit and only about 30 cm high.

Aug 5: The Lemon Drops which are grown in 4 pots in the first GS Quadgrow have hit the greenhouse roof and are full of fruits, they are also a very straggly plants and needs lots of support to keep them up which is now getting a bit of a problem. They are also drinking 60 litres of nutrient every 4 - 5 days, Most of the plants in pots are ripening, while the ones grown in nutrients are still putting on plenty of growth but are behind in fruiting.

Carolina Reaper
Carolina Reaper
Krakatoa
Krakatoa

August 2014

Aug 23: The Krakatoa has now fully ripened with plenty of fruits on and will make a nice kitchen window sill plant. Most of the plants in pots are ripening, while the ones grown in nutrients are still putting on plenty of growth and have plenty of fruit on but are behind in pod size and way off ripening.

Lemon Drop
Lemon Drop
Lemon Drop Chilli Jelly
Lemon Drop Chilli Jelly

August 2014

Aug 29: This is the first pick of the Lemon Drops this year, just enough to make a couple of batches of our Lemon Drop Jelly for the North Norfolk Food Festival at Holkham Hall. These plants were grown in nutrients this year and have grown nearly 2 metres high and need a lot of supporting.

We have now given all the plants in the Quad Grows a haircut to stop them producing more flowers as we now need to concentrate on getting the already set pods ripened.

Hot Cherry
Hot Cherry
Assam Bhut Jolokia
Assam Bhut Jolokia
Chocolate Cherry Bomb
Chocolate Cherry Bomb
Anaheim
Anaheim
Anaheim
Anaheim

September 2014

Sept 9: Just picked some Anaheims which are now about 1.5 metre high. They are usually picked green to make sauces but they do have a great flavour just charred on the BBQ, peel off the skin and spread on some cream cheese. As can be seen a couple of them were just starting to turn red, still a few more to pick before the end of the season. These plants with the larger peppers do benefit from growing in a nutrient system to get bigger plants and hence more fruit, we have grown our 2 plants in the greenhouse sensation Quad Grows which keeps us going all summer with plenty of peppers.

Aji Pulsar
Aji Pulsar
Carolina Reaper
Carolina Reaper
Habanero Fruit BurstHabanero Fruit Burst
Carolina Reaper
Carolina Reaper
Carolina Reaper
Carolina Reaper

October 2014

Oct 12: Just picked all the Carolina Reapers and removed all the plants, they haven't been the best plants we have ever grown as 80-90% of the pods are no bigger than a pea, although the plants are about 4 foot high. The only plants which have done well are the restricted to a 3 litre pot size which gave a 1 foot plant with a nice selection of decent sized pods and were about a month earlier in ripening than the bigger bushes. This may be the only option of growing these until stable enough to produce well.

Principles of the Duo Grow
Principles of the Duo Grow
Assam Bhut Jolokia
Assam Bhut Jolokia

October 2014

Oct 22: A few plants still going strong, The Assam Bhut Jolokia has some nice big pods on and a decent amount, this was grown in the Greenhouse Sensation Duo Grow. The Duogrow takes care of the watering for you. Each of the Duogrow pots has a FeederMat which pulls water up from the SmartReservoir into the soil around the roots, exactly when and where the plants need it. The FeederMats ensure the soil is never water-logged, the plants are never too thirsty and the roots have better access to oxygen, which fuels faster and more productive growth.

Assam Bhut Jolokia
Assam Bhut Jolokia
Lemon Drop
Lemon Drop

October 2014

Oct 26: Probably the last pick of the Lemon Drops today as the plants aren't as sturdy as the majority of chilli plants so are now susceptible to cold as they are more of a rambling thinner stalked plant which likes to grow through everything in the greenhouse. The Fatalli has just about ripened all fruit so that may be another one to clear out leaving more light and space for the Habanero Fruitburst.

Tabasco
Tabasco
Tabasco covered in whitefly
Tabasco covered in whitefly

October 2014

A plant I had forgot all about was a Tabasco which was stuck up the corner in the greenhouse and hence grew a bit too tall due to space restrictions, so we brought it into the conservatory as it was a nice looking plant with some ripening pods on..... 2 weeks later it looked a bit fluffy from a distance, on closer inspection it was covered in whitefly, now outside waiting for bin space.

Habanero Fruit Burst
Habanero Fruit Burst
Spiced Cranberry Chilli Jelly
Spiced Cranberry Chilli Jelly

October 2014

These Habanero Fruitbursts have quite a kick so this year we have used some in our Christmas Special of Spiced Cranberry Chilli Jelly which we make every year as soon as the fresh cranberries are available. Probably about a month left on the remaining plants, to ripen last few before the annual clean and tidy in the greenhouse and start thinking about next years plants which we start in February.