I'm seriously thinking about giving it a try, starting this spring.
ok later I will write a little how to for you
I am using peat earth wich I buy from the market.. it is mixed with some other stuff from trees and so on
you can also use coconut earth but that stuff is not cheap..
I am beginning with a mini glass house (from plastic) in february sometimes I think it woulkd be better to start in january here in germany you need to make shure that you plan them so that you will have this in end of february or the first week of march:
dont push the seeds into the earth just put earth onto them if they begin to germinate
if they are at this size I wait a little bit and seperate them to their next home:
these are transparent its not good and could make some trouble you need something with a hole and something wich is not transparent
note I always use these cheap plastic for excample in brown because I do not want to harm the roots I just cut the plastic and than I can easily seperate them
that aluminium foil was a bad idea it prevented the water coming out of the plastic can.. at this stage you need moderate use of fertilizer..
and at this stage put them into a bigger bucket or whatever it is.. make shure it has some holes the plants dont love to much water and make shure that you do not wait to long because if the roots grow to much they will begin to circulate around your pod and that will prevent it a little bit from growing bigger in their new home.. also ensure that it is warm enough in the night.. dont go under 15 (at home that wont happen 20 degree is good) degree if it goes down for a while they will grow slower for a period of time..
I also think if it is warm outside like >22C you should put them outside and when it gets colder again (darker) than put them inside your home always make shure they get enough light and dont get a cold
if you put them outside dont forget they never ever have seen the sun! they arnt used to it are not fit for it . They would burn and take damage..
so place them somewhere in the shadow without sun but a lot of light.. after some days they will be fit and you can put them in the sun but you have to look after them the sun can still harm them if they get too much.. you see if you want to maximize the growing you need some work else they will grow slower and you wll not be able to harvest as much as seen all over the internet..
you should use a good fertilizer something with a lot of kalium a good amount of nitrogen and less phosphor N:20 P <10 K:24 or N12 p 5 k15 or something like that
at that stage they need more fertilizer you may notice I had not used much so some leafs got more and more yellowish
and at this stage I gave them all 1-2 weeks liquid fertilizer..
you have to be carfull sometimes your earth has enough nutrients just begin with a little bit and than use a little bit more but never too much..
if you have dark or wodden area like the a wall of you house wich gets enough sunlight this may be a good place for your chili because the wall absorbes the heat and your chili will it have a little bit longer warm..
if you can affort it or have a place for it a glass house is perfect!! the best temperature is about 26°C
Chilis are like tomatos they need good fertilizer and if it is warm the are really thirsty I have 12Liter buckets for each plant and have to give them in the summer every day 1-2 Liter water but be carefull they dont love to swim in water you need to have holes ( just make 3-5 on the bottom and ~4 on the sides ( I think the earth needs some air)
as you see I have used artificial lights.. I did it because I dont have a good room for them and if you wanna begin in january than you definitivly need artificial lights.. the more it is warm the more you need light and fertilizer and the more it will grow compact and good
this year I did not use artificial light and the plants did not grow how I wanted they were not much compact so I had to cut off some leafs and put them onto the bottom of my buckets and fill it up with earth.. that has also slowed the plants down because they had lesser leafes
it sounds like a lot of work but its not.. just the seperation into new pots takes some time (specially if want to loosen the earth wich benefits the growing of your plants)
if you want to have easy plants than try sweet cayenne they grow fast and have a lot of peppers (sweet peppers)
jalapenos are also not hard to grow.. (if you harvest the first wave of peppers green than they will begin to give even more peppers)
habanero orange for real hot ones they are lets say not really hard to grow..
Fatalii, habanero brown are also good..
red savina is really good and give many many peppers
you may try joes long cayenne, and de Arbol these are are good productive plants
rocoto types and some baccatum are not really easy..
if you want to grow the most spicy ones
than try
7pot,
Bhut Jolokia
Carolina Reaper
Trinidad Scorpion Moruga
Ghost Pepper
but all these peppers are really satanic ones..