Question
I have started propergation of chillies from seeds.  (Taken from green chillies themselves) The problem I am facing is that the stems are very thin and long with two leaves at the top. Ihave picked out and put the plants in bigger pots but am unsure as to whether the plants will come to anything. Is there anything I can do to slow the growth?  

Answer
Debbie, leggy plants are the result of one of three problems.  Either the plants are not getting the proper light, they are becoming root bound, or they need pinched to promote bushiness.

The ideal situation is to have them 3?below grow lights.  I grow over 700 seedlings and hardly ever experience leggy plants.  This is because I am constantly adjusting the fluorescent lights to stay just above the top of the plants.

In regard to lighting, light from a window is hardly ever sufficient enough for growing seedlings, especially this time of the year when the days are still short. That is why you should invest in some type of lighting system. Gro-lights are the perfect fluorescent bulb because they most closely replicate natural sunlight.  A less expensive alternative is to use one warm and one cool fluorescent bulb each as a set. These also will provide the proper spectrum of light.   

Seedlings should never be pinched until they form their fourth set of leaves.  At that time, they are mature enough to handle the shock.  Pinching is a good practice to get into because it promotes a more bushier habit.  I usually pinch mine two or three times before transplanting.

Once the seedlings reach maturity, they are ready to be placed outdoors, but the need to be slowly acclimated to the harsher conditions.  This procedure is termed hardening-off.  I recommend placing them on a protected porch or patio in indirect sunlight for 3 hours the first day.  Double the time outdoors each day until they are out a full 24 hours.  They should then be able to be transplanted to the garden with no problem.

Also, check the root system to make sure the root ball is not overly bound or tangled.  If it is, you need to transplant the seedlings to a slightly larger container.

Attached are a couple of websites that will give you even more information on growing plants from seeds.

http://www.gardenguides.com/TipsandTechniques/starting.htm
http://muextension.missouri.edu/xplor/agguides/hort/g06570.htm
http://echonet.org/shopsite_sc/store/html/SeedStarterHandbook.html

I hope this helps.  Good luck, and please write again if I can ever be of assistance.

Regards,

Mike