God, Save the Chilies! (Please?)

MasterDoubles · Mon Sep 12, 2016 12:16 am

About 24 hours ago a friend of mine gave me two mature Pequin Chili pepper plants. The Chilies weren't potted, but the rootballs were still intact. So I suspended them, pseudo-hydroponics style, in a cut in half milk carton filled with some water, and plant food. My aim was to keep these little jewels alive long enough to get them potted.

I recently potted them with a soil mixture of 7-3, soil and perilite. I unfortunately don't have any window space to give them sun. So I placed them in my bathroom that has a built in heating lamp. I'm hoping the warmth from the lamp, and the light should be enough to keep them healthy.

I've never tried to grow chilies before. Do you think my little red hot lovelies stand a chance? I'm sure not being potted in soil for more than 24 hours diminished my chances. What do you all think?

rainbowgardener · Mon Sep 12, 2016 12:21 am

Staying in water for 24 hrs shouldn't be that bad. In a bathroom with limited light is very bad. Chilis are full sun plants. The heat lamp doesn't help, in fact may stress it more.

This is what lighting for indoor plants looks like:

dedicated light, just a few inches above the plant, on 16 hrs a day.

imafan26 · Mon Sep 12, 2016 1:22 am

A florescent light would be better than a heat lamp. Chilies like warmth or they won't germinate but will usually be happy in an envrionment that is comfortable for most people which is 50 and up but preferably 68 if you want to see more peppers.

MasterDoubles · Mon Sep 12, 2016 1:32 am

The heat lamp is a built-in infrastructure. Part of the apartment. Here, I'll upload a picture of the chilies.

MasterDoubles · Mon Sep 12, 2016 1:42 am

The actual lighting in these photos appears to be a little diffused, but it is very bright in there. Just above where the picture viewing plane is, a heat lamp is installed in the ceiling. Tomorrow I'm going to try adding some aluminum foil to the wall surrounding the chilies. I'm using 100W 1650 lumen CFL's.

applestar · Mon Sep 12, 2016 4:12 am

In my experience with peppers, its not heat that is critical. It's 4AM and I'm not thinking clearly atm. But here's a reference thread you might draw some ideas from

Subject: 2015-2016 Winter Indoor Tomatoes, etc. Garden

applestar wrote:Although this is in the Tomato Progress forum, I'll probably post about all my Winter Indoor Garden here. Tomatoes and peppers will predominate […]