Chillies Test Plug Sale Now OnBeam up some super early chillies!
Chillies Test Plug Sale Now On
Beam up some super early chillies!
Every year, I make it a point to batch test the seeds I plan to grow. It’s my way of ensuring they’re up to the mark with reliably high germination rates. I plant several trays of each chilli to confirm the quality before committing to large-scale planting.
This year, I have a small number of plug plants available now—ready for dispatch from the very beginning of February. These little gems come from my December seed tests and have been nurtured under extra grow-lighting.
They’re large, healthy, and vibrantly green, giving you a head start on the season. But do note, they’re in very limited supply and variety—when they’re gone.
I have a small number of chilli varieties for any chilli lovers who are keen to start super early this year.
Please read the guidance on warmth and supplementary lighting. A free-draining growing medium (50/50 coir–compost mix) is essential; water sparingly.
For the main season, my standard early plugs are timed to arrive just as the days start to lengthen — usually mid to late February. That’s the first point in the year when natural daylight, on a good south-facing windowsill, is genuinely enough to support steady growth without extra help.
If you’re tempted to go earlier than that and bring super-early plugs into the house, grow lights stop being optional. In early February the days are simply too short. Without extra light, plants don’t fail dramatically — they just… pause. And young plants that pause have a habit of sulking for weeks afterwards.
Still, lights aren’t a substitute for the real thing. Sunlight always comes first. Your plugs should live on the brightest, warmest windowsill you have. Keep them insulated from cold surfaces underneath, and don’t leave them stranded behind curtains overnight where temperatures dip.
Supplementary Lighting
If you do want lighting, I offer a few Lightbar Kit options depending on space. There’s a simple blue-purple LED bulb (with our without a flexible arm) that’s perfect for a small cluster of plants, and one- or three-arm gooseneck setups that will comfortably cover anything from three to ten plants once they’re in 9 cm pots.
Tip
One handy thing to know: chinense types (often the super-hots) are naturally slower, with broader, heavier leaves, while annuums and baccatums tend to shoot upwards much more quickly.
Because of that, annuums especially benefit from an early pinch at this time of year. Taking out the growing tip (when they have become established and have several sets of leaves) encourages a sturdier, bushier plant, keeps things manageable on the windowsill, and pays you back handsomely once they head outside.
World of Chillies was set up by Sarah Hunt in 2011 to promote chilli growing and the enjoyment of everything hot and spicy.
UK Company No. 07860204.
VAT reg. 223126942
Shine a Light on Your Seedlings
• Short Days: Natural daylight is too limited in the very early spring for the 12-16 hours of light chilli seedlings need to grow strong and healthy.
• Prevent Stretching: Without enough light, seedlings become tall and spindly (leggy), weakening their stems and overall structure.
• Boost Growth: Grow lights provide consistent, bright light that helps plants develop more leaves and stronger roots.
• Temperature Support: Lights add a little extra warmth, which is especially valuable during chilly spring nights, aiding steady growth.
• Prepare for Summer: Healthy, well-lit seedlings are more resilient and ready to flourish when transplanted later in the season.
▶ Schedule of Dispatches . We’re pleased to let you know that we’re dispatching our first plug plants!.
Please follow the link for a rough schedule, but please note that we’ll send your order once everything in it is ready.
▶ MORE INFORMATION