Chillies - what are you growing/overwintering?

[SusieG]

Scarlet, you must be a very proud mummy!! They're all flourishing - are they kept indoors?

P.S.(Love the barrel in your piccies!!)

[Scarlet]

Ok, last lot

This is a habanero. I pruned this one heavily. The top came off, leaving just a few top leaves, I also took off the lower leaves (as per Ms T video) I then stuck the tiny plant strait into a MFB. I added a good handful of chicken manure pellets. Pretty pleased with this one actually.


Another hab, pinched out and left in a small pot.


Trinidad Scorpian Butch - this was looking good until it had a snail attack!


Numex Sandia. Seed from these were kindly sent by Philthys. I was a little late sowing them. Maybe the first week in March? They were quick to germinate though and they all look pretty healthy. Though all are trying to flower on the top. All been pinched out as a result.

[Scarlet]

Scarlet, you must be a very proud mummy!! They're all flourishing - are they kept indoors?

P.S.(Love the barrel in your piccies!!)

They were all in the house up until two weeks ago. My boys have been taking them to and fro the GH but it was getting tough so ive left them in the GH now. I did bring them in when we were forecast really low temps for 2 nights. Last week I stole the OH office heater it worked a treat. Ideally they should be brought in every night. I can definately see the health going down ever so slightly.

[Ms-T]

Looking really great Scarlet...I like the look of the Hungarian black wax too...so it looks like you can plant them in big pots...yours are doing so well. its nice to see how everyone's are doing.

[Scarlet]

I've never gone from a small pot straight to a big pot before but on the Devon chilli video that's what they did so I thought id give it a go. I'm impressed with the results.

[Scarlet]

.I like the look of the Hungarian black wax too...)

Fingers crossed I can save some seed for the chilli circle. I grew them before and had good results.

[the big lebowski]

hi ,do you think tomoright will be a good feed to use ? it has a npk of 4-3-8 ,yes mrs t i will put some picks up over the weekend ,cheers

[the big lebowski]

hi all here are the pics of my chillis. Does anyone have any ideas about why they look off colour and also the leaf damage. Any thoughts are welcome. Cheers for looking.

[Scarlet]

I don't think the leaf damage is anything to worry about. Some yellowing does happen, especially on old plants. Diluted tomorite feed will be great.

I think you could prune some of those leggy ste down on the plant on the left...though don't do anything until someone else gives advice!. If you take some off it will encourage some growth from lower down.

[Ms-T]

Fingers crossed I can save some seed for the chilli circle. I grew them before and had good results.

ohh I hope so.can't wait to see the chillis on it.

[Philthy]

Does anyone have any ideas about why they look off colour and also the leaf damage

Morning Big L,

I'd expand on Scarlet's suggestion and give your plants a prune.
Any brown stems have had it so take them off first, back to the main stem if need be.
Stems shrivelled and brown at the end which then become yellow will also need removing; cut just past the point at which healthy green tissue is reached, ideally just above a healthy leaf / shoot.
Examine the stems devoid of leaves but so far neither brown or yellow in colour - if there are leaf nodes present but they're dark grey in colour it means they're dead, and the stem they sit on is yet to deteriorate properly, but it will, so take that off too.

Leaving dead material in situ is risky as the dieback could easily spread into your main stem, especially if unfavourable growing conditions are the cause and these issues are not corrected. If such infection occurs low down, you'll ultimately lose everything above it.
Also dead material encourages other secondary issues such as mould, and purely cosmetically it spoils the overall look of your plant having dead bits jutting out of it.

Having removed the dead /soon to be dead stems, it might be an idea to trim back some of the green growth to give the plants a bit of shape and encourage new shoots.


I think waterlogging / drainage might be your issue. That one in the black pot RHS in particular, it's a big pot for the current size of that plant. It's not growing so well now and has minimal leaves. Without summer heat and vigorous growth to absorb the water it'll just sit in it and gradually suffocate. You could cut right back on the watering and allow the compost to dry out a bit. It might be better in the short term to transfer the plant back to a smaller pot, with new compost and with added drainage material eg. perlite / vermiculite. Then move it away onto a sunny window ledge away from drafts and hopefully it'll recover its vigour in time for summer.
Could also be that the compost is depleted of nutrient if it's the same as last year and you're now seeing the results of various mineral deficiencies. A bit of FBB added to the compost might help things along.

A good tip is to water from the bottom ie. by filling the saucer / tray. It'll encourage the roots down looking for it.


(Just my suggestions, mind you, there's a wealth of knowledge out there.....)

[SusieG]

Philthy, I think you can certainly lay claim to that 'wealth of knowledge'!!!

You've answered one of my questions, actually .... Regarding watering, I've been 'top' watering my chillis, and wasn't sure I was doing the right thing for them ...? I'd just read somewhere (probabably a long time ago ...) that if you watered into the saucer, they'd be sitting their feet in cold water and wouldn't like that - hence me 'top watering' ... Your thoughts, please

[Scarlet]

You water from the bottom, first thing in the morning. Let them sit in it until they've soaked the water up and then tip away the excess. I usually have them all sitting in big trays, water the tray, which Iis much easier than watering single pots.
I went away for a long weeken a coupl of weeks ago (4 days) and I came home to find that the OH had them sitting in 3inches of water he said it stopped them drying out - it was the hot weekend.

[SusieG]

Ooer Scarlet - and yet they survived!!!!!
And thanks for the watering info, too!

[SusieG]

Some of my chillis, so far

From left to right:
Pretty Purple
habanero Orange
Twilight
Ancho

Am quietly pleased with progress, so far