Chillies - what are you growing/overwintering?

[Philthy]

This is my overwintering setup.

I use my back bedroom. The windowsill is essentially extended back into the room, with the side panels reflective and the rear panel (remade since original build), with a mirrored finish. The rear panel slides out for watering access. The pots sit on 6mm ply, over a radiator, which is kept low much of the winter but gets turned up a couple of notches as spring approaches, effectively turning the ply base into a heat mat.
With the lights off it's quite gloomy during the day time which for winter suits just fine.

All these orange pots were plants sown last year. I pruned them as required when I brought them inside in mid November (very mild end to last year). Some resprouted in response to that so there is a bit of new growth but no further development in the last 10 weeks or so which is what I want. I don't feed at all during winter and the compost is from last year, so some leaves do go a bit pale but that is normal and reversable later on. I water every 3-4 weeks. Some plants require a further trim when they get repotted late spring ready to go back outside, as some dieback and straggle is inevitable.

[Philthy]

I position older / bigger specimens set back from the window; whatever fits in the space available. These plants spend most of the time in semi darkness as the window arrangement blocks out a good portion of the already weak light. Cool ambient temperature and minimal watering apply here too.

Most of the leaves have dropped. Leaving a few on is a good way to keep an eye on the moisture levels of the compost - I want it dry, but not to the point where the stems are wilting.

The Hot Lemon / Lemon Drop (single plant Right pic) is the most reliable specimen I have grown to date; this'll be it's fifth year.

[jackarmy]

That Lemmon drop sure does look great Phil, really nice plant.

[unclefudgly]

Here's mine. Three Thai Birds Eye all stuffed into one pot and s couple of Rocoto type chillies.

[Philthy]

Cheers Jack
I almost gave up on it last winter as I thought it had died. It's much greener at this point in the year than at the same time last year, so that's encouraging. It doesn't provide the bounty it did in years 2 & 3, but it still produces adequately and to be honest I'm more curious now just to see how long it lasts for.

[Scarlet]

Do you know roughly how many chillies it gave you last year?

[maverick451]

This year I sowed Loco, Prairie Fire and Basket of fire, plan it to grow the small compact plants in the conservatory.

At the moment they are under lights, were sown around 11th January

Its nice to have something green thats growing again!

[Deano's "Diggin It"]

Philphy! Just loving that set up!

Now if it comes to divorce and un-ownership!

The "Cogs" are churning! It's your fault!

[Philthy]

Scarlet, probably 250 give or take, over a number of weeks.

Cheers Deano You had quite a tidy arrangement in your GH last year as I recall.
What's on the cards for this year then?

[Chris11]

Indoor overwintered plants are showing new buds and small leaves.
Hopefully the ones in the green house will not be too far behind, if some have survived, as I hope.

White Habanero seedlings survived being knocked on the floor by a young feline and repotted

[Scarlet]

Hopefully the ones in the green house will not be too far behind, if some have survived, as I hope.

is it heated? If not I think you would be very lucky to get any chilli to survive the winter outdoors.

[Chris11]

Scarlet, I agree, most chillies in most years would not survive or overwinter in an unheated greenhouse.

This winter has been exceptionally mild, with very few nights colder than zero, and even then only going down a degree or two below zero. And no extended cold snaps. An unheated green house will give protection of about 5*C.

My Bishops Crown was in the greenhouse all winter, and lost all leaves, but stems still look green and healthy, so I'm hoping it will start growing shoots again sometime soon.

As you know with your Lemon Drops, C. baccatums are more cold tolerant.

[jackarmy]

Sown today

Red Monzano
Padron
Facing heaven
Hungarian black................all courtesy of Scarlet, so hopefully there will be a few more seed producing plants around this season to send back to the swap.

Really looking forward to this growing season

[Scarlet]

Scarlet, I agree, most chillies in most years would not survive or overwinter in an unheated greenhouse.

This winter has been exceptionally mild, with very few nights colder than zero, and even then only going down a degree or two below zero. And no extended cold snaps. An unheated green house will give protection of about 5*C.

My Bishops Crown was in the greenhouse all winter, and lost all leaves, but stems still look green and healthy, so I'm hoping it will start growing shoots again sometime soon.

As you know with your Lemon Drops, C. baccatums are more cold tolerant.

All the chillies that I don't bring indoors are kept in the GH to over winter ( I'm too lazy to clear everything - and there is hope ) -but I've never had any luck yet so I would be interested if it does survive.

My GH is very much in the open and during the night, when there's been little warmth from the sun during the day the temperature difference is nowhere near 5c.

I'm in the South West, it was -6 on Tuesday, Wednesday it was minus something , to be honest it's been pretty cold here all week. I think you need to take into account how long it's cold for... It didn't warm up here much on Tuesday, 4 at the most during the day and it's prolonged cold that will kill a plant not a little dip that lasts an hour or so.

Keep us updated, I'd love to know if it does manage to survive. Have you got any photos?

[bario1]

I potted on my Jamaican, Hungarian Wax, Padron and Inferno seedlings yesterday as they were outgrowing their trays. Had to ditch a lot of healthy little plants, which always hurts a bit... but I've promised myself I'll be more ruthless this year, I don't have room for 24 chilli plants!