It's that time of year again! The first batch of chilli seeds hit the dirt yesterday evening and so the 2026
chilli growing season is now officially underway. The reverse osmosis unit was in need of some attention, so on the 13th January I changed the pre-filters, DI resin and RO membrane, which is a job I hate doing. It took about 40 minutes just to get all of the canisters unscrewed. Even though I only hand tighten all of the canisters, a combination of water pressure, O-ring compression and plastic-on-plastic threads slightly cold welded together over a 12 month period can make the bonds very difficult to break. Soaking the canisters in hot water for 10 minutes or so can help to loosen the bond, and when unscrewing them I use a couple of old off-cuts from a rubber pond liner. This allows for maximum grip and works very well.
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| Old Reverse Osmosis Filters - 13th January 2026 |
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| Reverse Osmosis Unit - 18th January 2026 |
On the 16th January, I mixed up a batch of seed sowing compost and sterilised it in the oven and then set up the Ark of the Covenant and the heated propagator on the kitchen table. I also put all of the plant pots and clear plastic cups into a bleach solution overnight to save time the following day. I find these jobs are worth doing ahead of time instead of rushing around like a blue-arsed fly and trying to get everything done on the same day.
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| Sterilised Seed Sowing Compost - 16th January 2026 |
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| Heated Propagator and Homemade Grow Light - 16th January 2026 |
I normally sow the seeds for all
Capsicum species at the same time, but this year I'm sowing the seeds earlier than usual, so I've only sown the
C. chinense,
C. pubescens and
C. baccatum varieties to begin with. The
C. annuum varieties will be sown in a few weeks, probably around the second week in February. This year, I'm growing two new varieties and revisiting several others that I've not grown for a while, so it should be fun to see how things work out. I'll update my 2026 grow list when I publish my next post in a few weeks.
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| Chilli Seeds Sown - 17th January 2026 |
Wherever you are in the Northern Hemisphere, I wish you a successful 2026 chilli growing season and I hope all of your harvests are bountiful and extremely spicy. All hail the Chilli Gods!
