Growing chillies from your own seed stock is perhaps one of the most satisfying parts of the cultivation process. To give your chillies th...
Growing chillies from your own seed stock is perhaps one of the most satisfying parts of the cultivation process.
To give your chillies the best chances of having viable seed, you should make sure to use fully ripened chilli pods for the purposes of harvesting the seed. Whilst not impossible, it is generally far more unlikely that an immature fruit will be able to produce seed that will germinate.
Don't save seeds from diseased plants, or chilli pods that may be rotten or have signs of mould on them. Diseases in fungus and bacteria in such cases can be passed down a generation of plants or cause the seeds to not germinate at all.
You must make sure to properly dry the seeds if you want them to last in storage. Moisture will either cause the seeds to grow mould/fungus or attempt to grow in imperfect conditions, thus wasting your seed.
A good rule of thumb for telling when your chilli seeds are properly dried is to test how brittle they are. Try to squeeze a seed between thumb and forefinger or your teeth, if it bends easily it is not yet properly dry.
To give your chillies the best chances of having viable seed, you should make sure to use fully ripened chilli pods for the purposes of harvesting the seed. Whilst not impossible, it is generally far more unlikely that an immature fruit will be able to produce seed that will germinate.
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| Bhut Jolokia Seeds. Ensure the fruit is ripe and the seeds are dried thoroughly for best results. |
Don't save seeds from diseased plants, or chilli pods that may be rotten or have signs of mould on them. Diseases in fungus and bacteria in such cases can be passed down a generation of plants or cause the seeds to not germinate at all.
You must make sure to properly dry the seeds if you want them to last in storage. Moisture will either cause the seeds to grow mould/fungus or attempt to grow in imperfect conditions, thus wasting your seed.
A good rule of thumb for telling when your chilli seeds are properly dried is to test how brittle they are. Try to squeeze a seed between thumb and forefinger or your teeth, if it bends easily it is not yet properly dry.
