Nagaseeds
Supplier
of Genuine Naga Morich Seeds
Thanks
for your recent purchase. We want you to have the best chance of
success in growing this unique and rare pepper. If you are
unfamiliar with germinating and growing chilli peppers from seed
this simple guide may be of help.
Typical
germination can take anything from 10 days to 4 weeks so don’t be
too impatient. Some seeds always fail to germinate but by following
this guide you will maximise the chance of success.
Start
by soaking the seeds overnight, this helps soften the seed coat.
While the seeds are soaking you can prepare the compost.
Use
a light compost mix, a purpose made seed compost or an ordinary
compost mixed with 30-40% perlite is suitable. We have had good
results using rock-wool cubes. These can be transferred to a pot
with compost once the seedlings emerge without disturbing the roots.
If
using compost, water it well and let it drain well. Place the seeds
on the surface and cover with a fine layer of compost, a 2-3 mm
covering is enough. Vermiculite can be used as a covering as this is
very light and has good moisture retaining properties.
If
using rock-wool drop a single seed into the pre-formed hole, water
the cubes well and let them drain.
Place
the container into a propagator for germination.
A
heated propagator is best but a covered container in a warm place
can also produce good results.
If the propagator has vents, close them at first. Keep the
surface of the compost moist but not too wet otherwise the seeds
will rot. The seeds rarely need watering again while in the
propagator but some seeds will take much longer to germinate than
others so you should check to make sure they don’t dry out.
Once
the seedlings appear increase ventilation by opening the vents of
the propagator and move to a well lit place. Take care at night, if
the temperature drops move the new seedlings to a warmer location.
2-3
weeks after germination the seedling should have 2 pairs of leaves.
Feeding with a weak mix of plant food can begin. Use a 25% strength
solution at first, building up to full strength over the next 4
weeks. The seedlings can be potted-on at this stage. If compost was
used for germination take care not to disturb the roots too much and
only hold the seedling by its first leaves. Also take care not to
disturb un-germinated seeds, they may just be waking up. After
potting-on, the plants can be placed back into the propagator for a
day or two, this will help prevent wilting that sometimes happens.
The
plants can now be moved into their final locations. If placed
outside, the plants should be brought back in if the temperature
drops, especially at night, for a week or so until they become
acclimatised to cooler outside temperatures.
All
chilli plants do best in a warm, sunny location. A greenhouse or
conservatory is ideal for this. If placed outside the plants should
be tied to a cane to help support them against wind and help carry
the load once pods start to appear.
Feeding
should be with a general purpose plant food for the first month or
so. Once flowers and pods start to appear feeding should continue
with tomato food. Used as directed on the pack or bottle. Don’t
over-feed, this can be as bad as under-feeding in some
circumstances.
Chillies
are self-pollinating but you can help simply by touching the flowers
with the tip of your finger to move the pollen about from flower to
flower. This will increase the chances of the flower turning into a
pod. Don’t worry if
some flowers drop, this is normal.
Pods
can be picked green or left to ripen to orange or red. Picking when
green will encourage more flowers to be produced, in turn leading to
more peppers from a single plant.
We
hope you have a lot of fun growing these seeds, and even more eating
the results.
Let
us know how you get on and if you have any questions feel free to
e-mail us.
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