This weekend we finally got around to sowing our seeds for the chilli trials 2013. We’ve never grown chilli seeds before and possess neither a greenhouse or a fancy propagator – vital for conning those sensitive seeds into thinking a wet February in the UK is really a hot spring in Mexico. So we made our own propagating system from a few recycled objects.
Here’s our annotated guide to how we did it…
1. Toilet rolls cut in half and filled with seed compost provided us with biodegradable pots.
2. We gently pressed the seeds into the compost and sprinkled a layer of vermiculite over the top. More compost would probably be equally as (in)effective.
3. A plastic tray purloined from some lazy supermarket cuisine provide the leak-proof base. (Spinach and ricotta stuffed pasta if you must know).
4. The whole lot was wrapped in cling film to help retain heat and moisture.
5. We found an old winemakers’ heat pad which will gently heat the soil (placing it on top of a freezer would provide similar warmth).
6. Our propagator sits on the windowsill to provide maximum light should the chilli seedlings decide to make an appearance.
Keep checking the website to see how we get on. Or if you notice this post gets deleted you’ll know we’ve failed…
Well, it’s been nine years. It’s probably safe to say you failed.
Either that or you died, no doubt silenced by Big Germination.
It worked, and continued to work for several more years until we eventually invested in a bigger propagator. Apologies for the lack of updates!