Although I would normally have waited a bit longer to write this, I am about to move soon, and it is also quite clear that I can wrap up my growing season a little earlier this year than in previous years...
When things grow TOO well
Sweet Banana Chili
So let's start with what really ought to be a good thing, but turned into a problem - not just once, but twice...
In early spring, I planted this year's chili varieties. My mom had given me "Sweet Banana", which sounded like a fun chili to try out. Not too hot, fairly large fruits, and a variety I hadn't grown before - perfect. I also planned to grow "Hungarian Carrot" and a lovely purple, habanero-like variety whose name I didn't actually know, as it was a gift from a chili-loving neighbor.
It was clear from the start that the "Sweet Banana" seeds were particularly vigorous - they grew rapidly and earned a spot in the hydroponic system within just a few weeks. The other varieties, however, showed no results. Several seeds failed to take root - even though the growing conditions were good, as other seeds did thrive. Regardless, it quickly became apparent that the "Sweet Banana" plant I kept (I gave a few away) was growing fast - very fast. It grew so fast that the stem couldn't support the plant's weight; within just a month, it had grown to the point where it simply buckled near the base of the stem.
After the plant collapsed
I had no choice but to cut the plant near the stem and hope it would recover. It didn't. However, I also kept the top of the plant and let it sit in nutrient-rich water so it would grow new roots - which it did. After a few weeks, I was able to fit it into a hydroponic basket and place it back in the grow setup. After some time, it had recovered and everything looked good. I hung some strings from the ceiling to provide extra support for the plant, as it was back and growing very rapidly again.
By this point, the other seeds still hadn't produced any results. I had used up all my "unknown" seeds - they simply weren't viable enough, so I had to give up on them. As for the "Hungarian Carrot", I had just managed to get ONE seed to take, so it went into the grow setup as well. Slowly but surely, I had two plants, at least. I also dug out some old seed packets and chose a classic Cayenne for my final plant.
Repotted in soil
My "Sweet Banana" plant continued to grow very rapidly, and a short while later, flowers and fruits appeared. A few weeks after that, the fruits had become so large and heavy that the plant buckled again - right at the point where I had attached the support line...
This time, however, I had enough of the stem and the rest of the plant intact, so I felt it was time to repot it. It was simply growing faster than it could support itself. So now I had two plants left in the hydroponic setup, but on the positive side, the repotted plant seemed to thrive better in soil, with its growth rate significantly slowed down.
Time to move
So, once things started falling into place with the grow setup, it was time for me to start packing and preparing the apartment for viewings ahead of the sale. I decided that my "MacGyver-style" setup might not be particularly appealing to prospective buyers, so I chose to dismantle everything and instead transplant the two remaining plants into soil. This made it easier to move things around while I cleaned, washed the windows, and other things - tasks that had been difficult with my system of bins and water pumps in place.
Hungarian Carrot Chili
But before I got that far, another problem arose: pests had invaded my "Hungarian Carrot" plant. I tried a few different methods that had worked well for me in the past, but the pests kept coming back.
Since I had already decided to dismantle the entire system soon anyway, I tried a few other methods to get rid of the bugs - such as taking the whole plant and submerging it in a solution that had been effective previously. I could easily move the entire plant, root system and all, so I figured it was worth a shot. Although things looked promising at first, that didn't work either.
Banished to the balcony
In the end, I gave up on it, moved it to a smaller planter (a Harvys unit with space for three plants), and put the whole setup on the balcony instead. The bugs didn't like the change in environment, and their numbers dropped drastically. However, I never got rid of them completely. I did manage to harvest a few peppers from that plant, and they were perfectly fine - I could see myself growing them again.
My last plant - Cayenne - did quite well and started producing some peppers, though it was a bit late in the season by then, and the plant never grew very large. I also transplanted this one into soil, and after a few weeks, it recovered from the move. Overall, I only got a handful of peppers, but at least I had a healthy plant free of pests.
Next year
In short, there won't be any more growing using this system next year. I'm moving into a significantly smaller apartment and won't have the space for the entire setup. That said, it was a great DIY system that yielded plenty of chili peppers over the years. I still have many of the plants I grew in the system, though they are now potted in soil instead. I plan to keep them as long as they survive and prune them back heavily so they take up less space.
Overall, I have to say that growing chilies this way was a really fun project. I learned a lot and still have plenty of chilies in the freezer just waiting to be used in cooking. If I have the space for a similar system in the future, I'll definitely throw one together again, but for now, the parts have been dismantled and partly discarded. So, there will be a break from chili growing at home for the time being - but who knows what the future holds...
