chilli picks

[Philthy]

Here are my main ones. All shown are overwintered plants.


Thai Dragon - 3 yrd old


Carolina Reaper - 2 year old - growing steadily but slowly (really need HOT weather for this one to fulfill it's potential. A return to the start of this month would be nice...)


Main: Hot Lemon - 5 year old - this one peaked in year 3. Doubt it'll get as big as last year and cropping is much less than a couple of years ago. I'm interested now just to see how long the plant lasts. Right: Fatalii - 3 year old. Left: Paper Lantern - 2 year old (cheated slightly with this one - it was a bought plant last year. Inspired to try it by chilligrower as it goes )


Peruvian Orange - 3 year old - the new contender for the crown. It's an Aji, same as the Hot Lemon.

[Jay22]

Didn't know you could overwinter chillis...you learn something every day. My leggy ones have filled out a bit and now have chillis on (cayenne). Quite proud of myself I must say.

[CaroleL]

I have teeny-tiny chillis appearing on the Apache plants. I'm very excited

[Deano's "Diggin It"]

Carol! Im loving the fact this is indeed your first serious year at "Growing Your Own" and your commitment and Expectation is really giving me a "Glow"

Update from my end!




Things seem to be going well!

[Ribs]

2 half decent looking pods on my Brainstorm.

[vixylix]

I have loads of buds but its been 3-4 weeks and they're still firmly showing no signs of opening

I'm assuming this is due to the cold weather but anything I can do to motivate them?

I'm feeding with tomato feed once a week and they're in the raised bed so dont really want to be bringing them inside. Is is worth wrapping them up at night?

[SusieG]

Overwinter

Philthy, you sound like a serious chilli grower!
I have my first 3 plants (don't know what sort they are ...) and all have some nicely formed fruits on.
Any tips on overwintering, please, or would it be best to start again next year, keeping a note of the type of chilli it is I'm actually growing??

[SusieG]

Philthy an impressive array of chilli plants!! They're huge!!! I feel really inspired by your pics. I'm definitely going to try some interesting varieties next year, and hopefully get them over wintered to grow like yours!

[bario1]

Susie, have a read of this thread (get a cuppa first).

http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...w-done-18.html

[Ribs]

Try overwintering but go at it with the attitude Im about to kill my plants....... its a huge bonus then if they survive!!

[Philthy]

Thank you!

Re. Overwintering - everything is pretty much covered in the thread above. Everyone will have a slight variant on the method but the common denominators seem to be maintaining a low/cool temperature for the duration of the dormant period (an unheated room is ideal), minimal watering only of compost once plants are taken inside/undercover, and a prune of the top growth. Saying that some people don't bother pruning at all, others cut right back to within an inch or two of the main stem. Personally I aim to take off half to two thirds of the foliage per plant that I want to overwinter. Pruning is also influenced by the variety of chilli.
The time to be thinking about whether to overwinter plants is ahead of the first frost of autumn / winter ie. a sign winter is around the corner. The plants won't survive a dip in temperature like that so need to be undercover before hand. Down here in Surrey that's usually late October / mid November. I tend to stop feeding mid October and not resume until early March of the following year.
Luck is a big part of the process as one variety that overwintered fine two years running may well perish in it's third winter even if the variables remain the same. But some varieties do tend to have a higher success rate than others, and these tend to be the hotter types such as you find in the chinense group of plants (Fatalii and Trinidad Scorpian are well recommended if you like fire). The baccatum group of plants includes the Aji chilli, and these are also highly recommended as they are more cold tolerant than most, easy to grow, and can achieve some impressive sizes under the right conditions (Hot Lemon / Lemon Drop is a favourite of mine).

Your chilli growing year can be extended through the use of grow lights / grow tents; I've found through overwintering that the plants are pretty much guaranteed to crop in their 2nd year regardless of the sun / lack of, so provided I maintain the cycle of growing biennial plants I don't need to worry so much about giving them a helping hand in this way. Of course living in the southeast always helps

So definitely have a go with your three plants. Post pictures of the chillies; we may be able to identify them for you, or at least get a ballpark estimate

[SusieG]

Philthy, many thanks for all overwintering advice/tips. Plenty to be thinking about/do. The chilli plants were just cheap from Tesco, so I'm going to give O/W a try and if unsuccessful, not lost anything!
Just hoping my eldest son (chief waterer in my abscence, bless him, and not a bone of him interested in growing) hasn't drowned them!!!

[Philthy]

You never know who's going to pick up the growing bug... He could surprise you yet

Good luck with the plants!

[SusieG]

Yes, well, stranger things have happened I suppose !
All will be revealed when I'm back home to the sub-tropical Midlands!!!
I'll keep you posted ....