GMG Green Thumb Club

[Mandryka]

Herbicides are out of the question. I won't use anything that would endanger my pets, the birds, squirrels, and rabbits that roam through there, or any humans. Even to go that route, it takes heavy doses at particular growing stages over the course of years.

You're right about how deep the roots go. I discovered first hand that once a layer is removed, there always seems to be another network even deeper. The most effective control is to bring in a bulldozer, remove all the dirt 8 to 10 feet deep as if you were putting in a building foundation, and refill with new soil. That's not something I'm willing to attempt either.

For me, I'll just go with the flow and maybe try cooking some of the new shoots like PD mentioned. 

This plant was introduced into the UK in Victorian times and was much prized as an ornamental. Somehow they managed to control it, live with it, in the 19th century. It may well be worth investigating old techniques - in London there's a museum of Garden History which should be able to help - closed now of course.

[Szykneij]

This plant was introduced into the UK in Victorian times and was much prized as an ornamental. Somehow they managed to control it, live with it, in the 19th century. It may well be worth investigating old techniques - in London there's a museum of Garden History which should be able to help - closed now of course.

Same here, in the U.S.

It is a very attractive plant when in bloom in the late summer, so it's understandable why it was originally planted on purpose. I believe where it was native in Japan, on the sides of mountains with hard, rocky soil and natural insect predators, its potential invasiveness wasn't evident.

[BWV 1080]

Set my curry tree outside to get some sun

[Szykneij]

Set my curry tree outside to get some sun

It looks happy! I'm planning to order a curry dish at a nearby Asian restaurant tonight. How old is your tree, and did you grow it from seed?

[BWV 1080]

It looks happy! I'm planning to order a curry dish at a nearby Asian restaurant tonight. How old is your tree, and did you grow it from seed?

It was a cutting sold by a local Indian market, got it late last summer.  I think they take a long time from seed

[Irons]

As in the past I have gone too early - lesson not learned! One change, I have invested in a heating tube for the greenhouse. It should be pointed out that I inherited the greenhouse over forty years ago when we moved in. Well past it's sell-by and using much bubble-rap to fill in gaps and holes as previously it leaked like a sieve. Planted seeds of the onion family - spring onion White Lisbon, leeks Lyon, red onion, Red Barron and white onion, the name escapes me. Also a tray of lettuce and sweet peas planted in the cardboard innards of toilet rolls. Leeks, white onion and lettuce (Artic King) planted first and already germinated. I am slightly concerned as temperatures are predicted to fall like a stone this weekend. Lovely and sunny today.   

[Pohjolas Daughter]

As in the past I have gone too early - lesson not learned! One change, I have invested in a heating tube for the greenhouse. It should be pointed out that I inherited the greenhouse over forty years ago when we moved in. Well past it's sell-by and using much bubble-rap to fill in gaps and holes as previously it leaked like a sieve. Planted seeds of the onion family - spring onion White Lisbon, leeks Lyon, red onion, Red Barron and white onion, the name escapes me. Also a tray of lettuce and sweet peas planted in the cardboard innards of toilet rolls. Leeks, white onion and lettuce (Artic King) planted first and already germinated. I am slightly concerned as temperatures are predicted to fall like a stone this weekend. Lovely and sunny today.   

That was a clever idea to use bubblewrap Irons!

Did you do something like this: 

Hadn't heard of a heating tube before, but then again, I don't have a greenhouse.  Is yours something like this?  https://www.cropking.com/catalog/convection-tube

PD

[Mandryka]

I don't do seeds any more, but when I did I tried things like toilet roll containers because they are biodegradable, so you can plant out the whole container without disturbing the roots of the seedling. The big problem is that they were prone to dry out.

For a long time I prided myself on my sweet peas! I used to grow them to quite a good standard, starting them off in a cold frame and then planting out. They look great in early summer and late spring, a dog's dinner after that.

[Pohjolas Daughter]

I don't do seeds any more, but when I did I tried things like toilet roll containers because they are biodegradable, so you can plant out the whole container without disturbing the roots of the seedling. The big problem is that they were prone to dry out.

For a long time I prided myself on my sweet peas! I used to grow them to quite a good standard, starting them off in a cold frame and then planting out. They look great in early summer and late spring, a dog's dinner after that.

I'll bet that your sweet peas were lovely!  Did you plant a tall variety or one of the shorter ones?

[Mandryka]

I'll bet that your sweet peas were lovely!  Did you plant a tall variety or one of the shorter ones?

Tall. Always tall. You have to keep cutting them to get them to flower a second or even a third time, but the stems get shorter and shorter. By mid summer the foliage looks terrible. It's the sort of thing which is great in a bit of the garden you don't actually have to look at - like vegetables.

[Benji]

Any chillli growers? I always like to grow a selection of weird and wonderful chillies and mix it up each year to try new - some for taste, some because they are stunningly beautiful. 

For example last year I grew a variety called Zimbabwe Black which had purple chillies and stems but with stunning dark green leaves variegated with flecks of cream and purple, and purple flowers. It was spectacular.

This year I have ordered a variety of plugs...

Pimenta Puma (gorgeous purple fruits that ripen to a bronze yellow)
Pink Tiger (this one is still quite rare and the fruits appear to be weirdly shrivelled and pink-purple)
The Kraken (cross between  Bhut Jolokia Assam and Trinidad Chocolate Scorpion... What was I thinking!)
Wraith (hot and sour, good for pickling)

Those are the oddballs for 2021, these are the functional ones...

Piri Piri - for marinades
Habanero, Chocolate - superior hab taste for cooking and hot sauce
Chang Rai - for any kind of Asian cuisine
Biqhuinho - my fave chilli, very unique sweet taste and addictive pinch of heat



As last year's summer in the UK was a washout and I had poor crops, I plan to experiment by treating them akin to my sun loving houseplants. By that I mean I will give them the sunny windowsill and ferry them outside on the warmer drier days, inside for the miserable days. Maybe an LED grow strip - they seem to be very cheap now.   

[Irons]

Any chillli growers? I always like to grow a selection of weird and wonderful chillies and mix it up each year to try new - some for taste, some because they are stunningly beautiful. 

For example last year I grew a variety called Zimbabwe Black which had purple chillies and stems but with stunning dark green leaves variegated with flecks of cream and purple, and purple flowers. It was spectacular.

This year I have ordered a variety of plugs...

Pimenta Puma (gorgeous purple fruits that ripen to a bronze yellow)
Pink Tiger (this one is still quite rare and the fruits appear to be weirdly shrivelled and pink-purple)
The Kraken (cross between  Bhut Jolokia Assam and Trinidad Chocolate Scorpion... What was I thinking!)
Wraith (hot and sour, good for pickling)

Those are the oddballs for 2021, these are the functional ones...

Piri Piri - for marinades
Habanero, Chocolate - superior hab taste for cooking and hot sauce
Chang Rai - for any kind of Asian cuisine
Biqhuinho - my fave chilli, very unique sweet taste and addictive pinch of heat



As last year's summer in the UK was a washout and I had poor crops, I plan to experiment by treating them akin to my sun loving houseplants. By that I mean I will give them the sunny windowsill and ferry them outside on the warmer drier days, inside for the miserable days. Maybe an LED grow strip - they seem to be very cheap now.

Yes, chilli plants are slow to germinate and need an early start when in the UK the light levels are low. They require both heat and light.

I was forced to stop growing chilli a couple of years ago due to over-production. We like hot curries so I always grew the hot varieties. Tried without great success drying the fruits, chilli freeze brilliantly and most importantly they retain their heat. We are using chilli grown up to four years ago and have to be careful on usage as Vindaloo is our level and many times exceeded that, one is enough. Below is a snap of the bottom draw of our freezer.

[Biffo]

Any chillli growers? I always like to grow a selection of weird and wonderful chillies and mix it up each year to try new - some for taste, some because they are stunningly beautiful. 

For example last year I grew a variety called Zimbabwe Black which had purple chillies and stems but with stunning dark green leaves variegated with flecks of cream and purple, and purple flowers. It was spectacular.

This year I have ordered a variety of plugs...

Pimenta Puma (gorgeous purple fruits that ripen to a bronze yellow)
Pink Tiger (this one is still quite rare and the fruits appear to be weirdly shrivelled and pink-purple)
The Kraken (cross between  Bhut Jolokia Assam and Trinidad Chocolate Scorpion... What was I thinking!)
Wraith (hot and sour, good for pickling)

Those are the oddballs for 2021, these are the functional ones...

Piri Piri - for marinades
Habanero, Chocolate - superior hab taste for cooking and hot sauce
Chang Rai - for any kind of Asian cuisine
Biqhuinho - my fave chilli, very unique sweet taste and addictive pinch of heat



As last year's summer in the UK was a washout and I had poor crops, I plan to experiment by treating them akin to my sun loving houseplants. By that I mean I will give them the sunny windowsill and ferry them outside on the warmer drier days, inside for the miserable days. Maybe an LED grow strip - they seem to be very cheap now.

In 2019 I bought a single plant and it produced a bumper crop of chillies all the way through to November. Last year was a washout for me also but someone I gave a couple of plants to is still harvesting them but she grew them indoors on a window sill.

I have a pack to start planting soon. It has Jalapeno, Cayenne and Habanero chillies.

Last year was also a bit of a disaster for herbs with only basil putting in a moderate showing.

[Benji]

Yes, chilli plants are slow to germinate and need an early start when in the UK the light levels are low. They require both heat and light.

I was forced to stop growing chilli a couple of years ago due to over-production. We like hot curries so I always grew the hot varieties. Tried without great success drying the fruits, chilli freeze brilliantly and most importantly they retain their heat. We are using chilli grown up to four years ago and have to be careful on usage as Vindaloo is our level and many times exceeded that, one is enough. Below is a snap of the bottom draw of our freezer.

That's brilliant and very relatable - I have half a freezer drawer full of chillies too! Some are from 2 years past. My plan is to make a huge batch of hot sauce, it keeps well and you I can gift it to my chilli head family. I'll probably do two varieties - a Tabasco style ferment and a cooked vinegar-base sauce. I also have a dehydrator so I might attempt a powder.

[Benji]

In 2019 I bought a single plant and it produced a bumper crop of chillies all the way through to November. Last year was a washout for me also but someone I gave a couple of plants to is still harvesting them but she grew them indoors on a window sill.

I have a pack to start planting soon. It has Jalapeno, Cayenne and Habanero chillies.

Last year was also a bit of a disaster for herbs with only basil putting in a moderate showing.

Funny that, or scary. Many people I've spoken to about growing last year have described how they got pitiful crops. My tomatoes usually do well but out of three large vines I got next to nothing and the fruits that got to a decent size got nibbled on by squirrels whilst I took a weeks' roadtrip to Skye. #thats2020 😖

But one chilli plant, sensible but I can't limit myself. I just find them fascinating, it's not even so much about eating them. I will grow the ultra hot ones for fun even though habanero is about as hot as I can handle. If I had to limit myself to one plant it would be the chocolate habanero - it has a smoky, fruity, very perfumed aroma and taste - half of one in a soup or chillli really makes it pop. 

[Pohjolas Daughter]

You're not alone with having an over abundance of chilis:  dried and frozen here! lol

One variety which I'm having fun exploring the usage of lately is the (now popular) shishito pepper.  Here's a bit about them:  https://www.paleoscaleo.com/everything-you-need-to-know-about-shishito-peppers/

They started showing up at my local farmers' market several years ago.

That chocolate habanero one sounds intriguing!

I also love growing bell peppers, jalapeños, and serranos.  Don't seem to have the greatest of luck growing anchos. 

PD

[Benji]

You're not alone with having an over abundance of chilis:  dried and frozen here! lol

One variety which I'm having fun exploring the usage of lately is the (now popular) shishito pepper.  Here's a bit about them:  https://www.paleoscaleo.com/everything-you-need-to-know-about-shishito-peppers/

They started showing up at my local farmers' market several years ago.

That chocolate habanero one sounds intriguing!

I also love growing bell peppers, jalapeños, and serranos.  Don't seem to have the greatest of luck growing anchos. 

PD

Oh yeah the shishito is known as padron here - they are very common in Spanish tapas grilled until a bit charred and with a sprinkle of salt. Great stuff! They're increasingly common in UK supermarkets too. I grew them last year but they didn't do well. 

[Szykneij]

Yes, chilli plants are slow to germinate and need an early start when in the UK the light levels are low. They require both heat and light.

Same here in New England. I grow most of my vegetables from seed, but I buy my pepper plants for the garden.

One of the biggest mistakes I've ever made was rubbing my eyes after picking Jalapenos. I can understand why pepper spray works so well.

[Pohjolas Daughter]

Oh yeah the shishito is known as padron here - they are very common in Spanish tapas grilled until a bit charred and with a sprinkle of salt. Great stuff! They're increasingly common in UK supermarkets too. I grew them last year but they didn't do well.

Nice to know--thanks!

Same here in New England. I grow most of my vegetables from seed, but I buy my pepper plants for the garden.

One of the biggest mistakes I've ever made was rubbing my eyes after picking Jalapenos. I can understand why pepper spray works so well.

oooh!  I recall from college days, I was at a friend's home and he put some tabasco sauce on a sweet onion--then touched one of his eyes.... 

I keep some rubber medical-type gloves in my house; good to wear when dealing with hot peppers.

PD

[Benji]

So just before the beast from the east snowstorm descended over London this morning I surveyed the remains of last year's chillies - I really only meant to find some old pods to harvest seeds however six of the plants still seemed to be hanging on for dear life. I took a selection of cuttings and then some drastic steps... I took the plants from their pots and removed all the soil, have them a good wash in warmish water and cut the plants right back to a few inches of stem. Then I've re-potted them in smallish terracotta pots with some nice fresh houseplant mix. 

Im not expecting much but if one or two pull through the next few months indoors they'll have a massive headstart over this year's seed grown bunch. If anyone is remotely interested I'll post updates on my little Lazarus project.  😎