Chilli's and Peppers

[Ger-annie-um]

Can anyone advise on the watering and feeding of chillis and peppers. I seem to remember reading somewhere that they should be kept on the dry side in order to encourage flavour.................but I could well have been on another planet at the time!

[buzzingtalk]

I keep mine very dry then water rather than keeping moist - apparently this helps to keep the chilli spicy. I feed with general plant feed and seaweed extract to give them an extra boost, had some cheyennes last year absolutley laden with fruit on them, about 60 chillis for each tiny plant.

[chilliking]

they are pretty resilient. i tend to keep mine on the dry side and never have any issues. once the plants begin to bud i feed them twice a week with 1/2 strength liquid tomato feed.

[Jamesy_uk]

Firstly, apologies for Hijacking the thread a little but I thought it might save the clutter of a new one.

In response to OP - last year I did little and sparingly with watering and i think I only fed them once and got a good crop although fairly late in the season.

My question:

My Chilli's (Jalapeno) and Peppers (California wonder)are doing wonderfully har har, they are about 12" and starting to flower but compared to my lot last year they are about half the size or less. I was wondering wether I should kill off the flowers so the plants can carry on growing unfettered or will the flowering have minimal effect if I feed them?

[chengjing]

I dont know about peppers, but for small and hot chillis, I keep them really really dry and hardly feed them at all. As buzzingtalk says, that will keep chilli's spicy. As long as you keep them in very sunny and worm spot, they should be fine. However you probably need to feed and water more if you are after the flesh.

[chilliking]

Jamesy_uk - they're probably flowering early due to the great weather over the last few weeks. if it were me i'd leave the buds in place and let them get on with it!

[Jono]

This is my first year of chilli growing, but I've been watering them from the bottom (filling up the plastic saucer they're in). The water seems to sit in there until the plant wants to suck it up.

Don't know if this is something to consider?

[crumley]

this is my first year of chilli growing too and I've just been watering once a day just a little in the evening. now my chilli's are on the window sill till i move then I'll erect a small polly tunnel. how long roughly from seed to fruit?

my chilli plants are taking huge strides

[chilliking]

crumley - it all depends on variety and conditions so its very hard to say.

[VirginVegGrower]

Little and often has always given me good results. I never saturate.