Chilli growing

[darcyvuqua]

I was wondering if if was possible to grow chillies in the winter in a greenhouse and if so what would you need to do ie bubble wrap greehouse with heater just a question I dunno if it's even possible just wondering as I would love to add home grown spice to my meals in those winter months!

And I don't mean overwintering I mean fresh new chilli producing plant on a medium scale!

Thanks to all who reply

[vikkib]

I haven't tried this so I'm prepared to be told differently but even if you could heat the greenhouse sufficiently (and I dread to think how much that would cost! ) I'm not sure you'd have enough light during the winter months to keep the plants going in a very active state!

I try and keep us going over winter by turning my fresh chilli into lazy chilli or drying them but it's never quite the same and I've yet to produce enough to keep us going all those months!

[eirish]

I once grew a small chilli plant as a houseplant and it flowered and fruited nicely - I don't remember exactly, but I think it was more or less year-round. That was at a more southerly latitude than the UK, however, so a bit more light in winter.

If my chillies actually grow this year I'm planning to try overwintering a few in the house. Might need a grow light, we'll see.

[vikkib]

If my chillies actually grow this year I'm planning to try overwintering a few in the house. Might need a grow light, we'll see.

I cut back and dug out of my greenhouse borders 4 plants (one Red Cherry, one Jalapeno, one Facing Heaven and one Bishop's Crown) at the end of the season last year and stuck them in pots in the front bedroom.

They now look like this!



I plan to start moving them into the greenhouse during the day (and back into the kitchen at night) this week before planting them back out next month.

I wish I hadn't cut them back quite so much now... there's a thread somewhere... will go look!

[rustylady]

I was wondering if if was possible to grow chillies in the winter in a greenhouse and if so what would you need to do ie bubble wrap greehouse with heater just a question I dunno if it's even possible just wondering as I would love to add home grown spice to my meals in those winter months!

And I don't mean overwintering I mean fresh new chilli producing plant on a medium scale!

Thanks to all who reply

No, not really. You would need heat and light. Cost would far outweigh the benefits.

No need to be without chillies though, you can dry them or freeze them to use during the winter.

[Creemteez]

I slice up fresh chillies open freeze them on trays, then "crumble" them up into plastic tubs for freezer storage. This way they are loose and not frozen in a lump so I can add as much or as little as I want to anything - and you really can't tell the difference between them and fresh.