15th February: Chilli D-Day

After all the dreadful weather we’ve been having, this was a lovely day from start to finish.

We use the “Maria Thun BIODYNAMIC CALENDAR” wherever possible when scheduling our garden work.  This is particularly true for sowing and transplanting.  As most of Friday, all of Saturday and after 3.00 on Sunday are suitable for fruit-orientated work, we were in the wee tunnel sowing chillies.

On Friday, we prepared 32 modules by filling them with compost.  We generally use Klaasman, certified organic compost.  We also switched on the first of the soil-warming cables, set for just under 30°C, and placed the filled modules on the sand to have them warm up to receive the seeds next day.

As is the way of things, there were matters to attend to before we could start sowing on Saturday.  Kedi, our old cat, had to be taken to the vet and there was obligatory shopping to be done.  However, by 1:30 or so, we were ready to start.

32 modules weren’t enough because this year, we have sown some 47 varieties.  These range from mild ones to off-the-scale hotties.  We have attractive plants with smaller growing habits which can be placed on a window sill and others that really need height and a tunnel or greenhouse for best results.

Modules sown with chilli seeds on the soil-warming cables under plastic.

There are staples, such as jalapeños and habaneros; some of our own favourites, such as Cajamarca and Bangalore torpedo.  Every year we try some new varieties and this year is no exception.  The Carolina reaper is one we are trying with some trepidation.  We source seed from a variety of suppliers as well as sowing our own home-saved seed, which usually gives us excellent results.  We don’t generally go in for F1 varieties, but for the most part, these haven’t encroached into chilli growing to any great extent.

In an earlier entry, I said I would write something about our suppliers.  With regard to our chillies, we have selected seeds from 9 sources.  34% of our chilli seed is from Nicky’s Nursery, about 28% are our own home-saved seed, just over 10% are from Simpsons Seeds in Wiltshire and the remaining are from hitherto untried companies and a few regular sources. We came across one at the Hampton Court Flower Show last July called Pennard Plants from Somerset.  They had the Bangalore Torpedo we’d been looking for as well as an attractive-looking variety called Filius Blue, which loses heat as the fruits ripen to orange and red.  The Chilli Pepper Company in Cumbria are new to us.  We’re trying some of the hotter varieties they offer, such as Carolina Reaper and  Naga Viper as well as their version of the Trinidad Scorpion that was last year’s tongue-numbing newcomer.

This season, we’ve sown four of the hottest chillies in the world.  These are:-

1               Carolina Reaper

2               Trinidad Scorpion

3               Naga Viper

4               Bhut Jolokia

It’s not that we’re into the macho, heat thing particularly, but it is interesting and there is a demand for these powerful peppers.  We’re not really bothered about the Scoville Scale and couldn’t tell you anything about an individual chilli’s units, but it’s curious how capsaicin has become so popular everywhere and there’s no denying that chilli heat is somewhat addictive.

For us, the prime use of our chillies is in cooking, particularly as ingredients for our chilli sauces.  That being the case, flavour is as important as heat.

As I’m writing this on Sunday 16^th, I can also tell you we’ll sow the first batch of Broad Beans today.  We do this in Rootrainers.  We’ve been using these for years and find them unrivalled for bringing on all kinds of peas and beans, including sweet peas. 

We’re starting with The Sutton and Monica with a few seeds of the Crimson Flowered, at least we think that’s what they are.  It’s a helpfully unlabeled envelope.

BROAD BEANS SOWN INTO ROOTRAINERS

While we’re beginning this year’s sowing, it has to be said that we hope there will be a venue to sell plants this year.  Our regular Kinvara Farmers’ Market is under threat from Galway County Council.

If you’re reading this and would like to register your wish to see the market continue at its present location in Kinvara’s Market Square, which we feel is the natural place for it and where it has been trading with the County Council’s full approval for the last two years, please write to the following:

Fergal Fahy (local engineer) ffahy@galwaycoco.ie

Evan Molloy (Senior Engineer) emolloy@galwaycoco.ie

For the last two seasons, Kinvara Farmers’ Market has successfully applied to the council for a road closure to enable trade to take place in the square from 8:00 am to 2:00pm each Friday from around Good Friday to Hallowe’en.  We have done everything the council has asked of us and are at a loss as to why there seems to have been a change of mind on their part.

20th Feb. I wrote to these Engineers today.  I wonder what response, if any, will be forthcoming.