Here I link you to all the Equipment for Growing Chili Peppers that you may need for purchases directly on Amazon.co.uk, since they are all purchases that I have already made and experienced over the years, I only recommend products that I have used first hand and which I'm sure work perfectly, take a look and you'll surely find the one that's right for you and at the most competitive price.
HEAT MAT and HEATING CABLE
A heat source is essential to be able to reach the infamous 22-24 degrees Celsius (71-75 F) to be able to germinate any Chilli Seed during the winter in January, February and March, here's what I recommend:
Classic Heated Mat, a Top Seller on Amazon: Heat Mat for Plants with Big Thermostat 20.75"x10" Durable Waterproof Seedling Heat Mat for Seedlings, Brewing & Greenhouse Incubation
... in alternative : Heat Mat 10 x 20.75 in,Waterproof Heat Mat for Plants,Seed Starting
In addition to the Heating Mat solution, if you need to heat a larger area, you can use as I do, a 6 meter long Heating Cable with which you can heat many Seedlings to obtain the Germination of hundreds of Chilli Seeds: Low Energy Soil Warming Cables | 3m, 6m, 12m, 24m & 48m Lengths & Optional Thermostat for Heated Beds, Propagators, Seed Trays
GROW LAMPS FOR THE GROWTH OF CHILI PEPPER SEEDLINGS
The Grow Lamp serves to take the place of the Sun inside the Grow Box and to grow the seedlings until the time comes to put them in the final pot or in the vegetable garden, between the end of April and the beginning of June, you can also decide if you live in the mountains , or for any other reason, to make the complete cycle from Seed to Fruit in the Grow Box thanks to these Plant Lamps.
Using Cold light bulbs at 6,500k / 25 Watts equivalent (real consumption 3 Watts): I'll start by saying that this was the thing that was done 10/20 years ago, in the sense that it is an old thing compared to LEDs, obviously it costs less, but there is no It's a real comparison, cold light has many spectrums while LEDs alone provide specific light for growth and flowering (that classic purple light), then cold light lamps tend to heat up, for some this can be an advantage for others a disadvantage, the LED on the other hand is cold so the leaves can even touch the lamp without causing any damage, if you still want to opt for this choice I suggest these, as you can see it has 1,200 Lumens (the more Lumens the better, this I think it is the maximum lumen for a similar lamp) and it only consumes 20/30 Watts, so nothing, consider placing a lamp every 10-12 seedlings: 6,500k Cold Light Lamps for the Cultivation of Seedlings
At the suggestion of the members of the Semi Strani Facebook Group I also give you this link on cold light LED lamps:
- 24 Watt / 1,830 Lumen / Cold Light 6,500 K lamp with which to cover 25 - 30 seedlings.
You have a nice Grow Box of at least one cubic meter and you have many seedlings, even more than 100, what to do? Well I suggest something very similar to what I have, that is, a Professional Grow Lamp which costs very little for the service it performs:
- LED Cultivation and Flowering Plant Lamp which provides light for 600 Watts but consumes only 50, a very valid and long-lasting object, it provides light for 600 Watts but consumes only 50, my favorite I have bought many over the years and the thing incredible is that as time goes by the quality increases, the consumption in watts decreases and the price also decreases, currently you can buy it for around 50 Pounds which for the quality of the object is really a very good buy.
- LED Grow Light Plant Lamp with 1,000 Watts but consumes only 100, a real bomb of a lamp with which to cover a ground surface of 2 square meters, effective consumption of 100 Watts which is truly excellent, the cost of the lamp It's around 60 Pounds which is a really good price for this professional item.
Take into consideration this Concentrate of Hydroponic Genius, truly an absolute blast, it is a complete kit, a Smart Garden, where you can place some seedlings, with a LED light and a convenient timer, I suggest 16 hours of light and 8 of darkness, with which it is possible to grow in hydroponics, i.e. with the use of water and liquids instead of soil, the cultivation of aromatic herbs is particularly suitable for this object. There are some spaces where you can grow Basil, Sage, Mint, Coriander, Marjoram, Parsley and so on, thanks to which you can have always fresh aromatic herbs all year round, always organic, all year round comfortably in the kitchen or wherever you want to place it, seen which is also a design object that could act as a modern art installation in the living room hahaha and I'm not joking: Smart Garden Hydroponic Smart Garden for Aromatic Herbs
HOW TO HEAT THE GROW BOX
If the Grow Box is small you can use the same Heating Mat as a heat source, to maintain an ideal temperature of around 24° degrees Celsius (75° F), but not under the seedlings, in fact once they have germinated if you leave them on the mat and under the lamps, they will probably burn, so you can stick the mat on a vertical wall so that it heats up but not in direct contact, if that's not enough you can use one of these solutions:
- Lighthouse Heater for Greenhouses
HOW TO MEASURE TEMPERATURE AND HUMIDITY
To know the temperature and humidity values during the germination phase it is absolutely important to have a thermo-hygrometer, I have repeated it many times but I will do it here too, to obtain 100% germination of all the chili seeds the values to pursue are, 22-24 degrees Celsius of temperature (71-75 F), no more, no less I RECOMMEND, and a value of 90% - 100% Humidity, which can be achieved by placing a kitchen Nylon film over the seedbed.
The right tool for measuring Temperature and Humidity is this: Digital Thermometer / Hygrometer, Humidity and Temperature Meter
To measure temperature and humidity with a probe, the perfect object, at a ridiculous price, is this: Thermometer and Hygrometer with probe
Humidifier to increase the percentage of humidity inside the GrowBox: Humidifier for Chili Pepper Plants in Indoor Cultivation
SOIL / COMPOST FOR SOWING AND POTTING, AGRIPERLITE, EXPANDED CLAY AND LEONARDITE
- BioBizz Light Sowing Soil for Chilli and Tomatoes / 50 Liters
- All Purpose Compost 50 Liters
- Horticultural Perlite to promote drainage and improve the soil
- Expanded Clay Pebbles to promote drainage and improve the compost
SEEDBEDS PROPAGATOR FOR MANY SEEDLINGS
If you have a lot of seeds you need a seedbed to plant them in: honestly I hate plastic and all its derivatives but I'm not even a fan of biodegradable seedlings because they are more difficult to manage because they rot easily, so I advise against them especially for beginners.
- Seedbed Propagator 200 cells
ORGANIC FERTILIZERS
You always need a fertilizer to feed the seedlings, especially when they are in pots, they will live on what you give them, you can start when the seedlings have 4 leaves with a minimum dosage, here are the tips for the Fundamental Organic Fertilizers:
Bio-Grow Biobizz is the top of the organic world, it is 100% extracted from organic sugar beet, it is an organic fertilizer valid for any kind of plant, it must be diluted with water, preferably rainwater, it costs around 10 euros and is truly the best purchase of this kind you can make: one liter Bio Bio-Grow Biobizz fertilizer
The legendary Chili Focus is an excellent organic fertilizer, unobtainable for a few months, now it is back on the market: Chili Focus Bio Fertilizer 1 L
Nitrozyme organic fertilizer to develop roots, perfect for every repotting: Nitrozyme - Bio Growth Stimulator
Bio fertilizer to develop Biobizz Roots, perfect for every repotting: Root Juice
100% Natural Organic Earthworm Humus Fertilizer, excellent for potted plants and flowers, gardens, flowerbeds, fruit trees and horticultural crops, promotes vegetative development and improves the availability of nutrients for plants and promotes the development of the root system: Fertilizer Natural Bio Earthworm Humus
Organic Manure in Pellets with NPK 3-3-3, a big bag will be enough for you in the garden for quite a while and you can give it to any vegetable: Organic Manure in Pellets
ORGANIC INSECTICIDE AND FUNGICIDE FOR CHILI PEPPERS AND TOMATOES
The absolute top against any insect, such as aphids, and any leaf disease, i.e. various fungi such as "Collar Rot", "Root Fungi", "Blank Disease" or "Rust" is the fantastic Oil of Neem + Potassium Soft Soap to be given with the following dosage: for one liter of water add 6 ml of Neem Oil + 4 ml of Potassium Soft Soap, repeat the operation every 15 days. It is effective against aphids, mealybug, whitefly, thrips, red spider, ants, mosquitoes and other pests that do not allow your plants to grow healthy and strong,100% ORGANIC, NATURAL AND ECO-FRIENDLY: Potassium soap is made from natural ingredients which do not contain poisons in its composition. Neem oil is a vegetable oil that is extracted from the fruits and seeds of the Neem tree. DOES NOT DAMAGE THE TERRITORY AND WATER SOURCES: Potassium soap residues oxidize and are quickly assimilated by the plant as a fertilizer, excess neem oil is assimilated by the roots of the plant, further strengthening its immune system. HARMLESS FOR PEOPLE AND ANIMALS: Being natural products, which do not contain pesticides in their preparation, they are totally harmless in contact with people and animals: Neem Oil for plants
Watch my video here on how I use Neem Oil: Neem Oil + Potassium Soap, Organic Treatment against Aphids and Fungi by SemiStrani.it
Alternatively, still among the organic remedies, against leaf diseases, such as fungi, I recommend:
Copper Sulphate, this is enough to give it 6 or 7 times a season: Copper Sulphate for Organic Agriculture
GROW BOX
The Grow Box, i.e. the environment of various sizes in which you can recreate the microclimate with the right temperature and humidity for the Super Hot Chilli Peppers (Capsicum Chinense) which, being Caribbean plants, need at least 22-26 CONSTANT degrees celsius and humidity to grow of 55 - 65%: Grow Box of Various Sizes
TIMER REGULATOR
The Timer is used to adjust any Grow Lamp times, for example leaving them on for 16 hours and off for 8 hours:
The Mechanical Timer is excellent even though it belongs to a technology from a few years ago, the price is really competitive, plug in what you want to adjust and plug the Timer into the mains, it will simply remove the energy and put it back on based on the chosen times from you: Mechanical Timer
THERMOSTAT
The Thermostat is used to regulate the turning on and/or turning off of a heat source once a certain temperature has been reached: Thermostat, Temperature Thermoregulator for plants
FAN
Fan to circulate the air inside the Grow Box in order to avoid humidity stagnation and strengthen the stems of the chili pepper plants:
Fan with Clip to be attached anywhere, 20 cm diameter, 2 speeds, very quiet, 15 Watt: Small Fan with Clip
SOIL PH
If you want to check the Ph of your soil or your vegetable garden I suggest these simple testers: 100 Tester Strips to check the Ph Value of the Soil obviously this is to get an idea as they will not be the most reliable, in case you notice some values that are very far from 6 - 7 then it will be appropriate to intervene with more appropriate means to understand how to solve the problem.