Chillies - growing and overwintering 2017

[Chris11]

What happens to the plants at the end of season? Do they die and are thrown or can they be saved for next season?

There's a clue in the title of this thread. Overwintering

[Deano's "Diggin It"]

Got a few more potted on!

Well chuffed with em this year!





And cheers Vix for rehousing a few, gave me a little room!

Forgot the chuffing cucumber, which I'll drop as passing!

[mic]

There's a clue in the title of this thread. Overwintering

how does that explain what I need to do? I have to read over 100 pages to find an answer?

[Mitzi]

how does that explain what I need to do? I have to read over 100 pages to find an answer?

Your original question was: do we throw out chilli plants at the end of the season or can they be saved for next year? As this thread is about growing AND OVERWINTERING then that implies that they can be overwintered and saved for next year. It doesn't explain what you need to do but it does answer the question.

There will probably be a lot of talk about preparing for overwintering when we get round to about November, so stick around until then. As with most things chilli-related, there are varying opinions on what to do.

[vixylix]

MIC I'm sure it'll get discussed lots again as we near the end of the season, (snap Mitzi!) but in brief they can be brought inside and protected over winter.

Some varieties are better at this than others, don't ask me which

I brought all mine inside and promptly forgot about them until April this year - 4 survived and are doing well.

I believe they are best with a prune back at the start of winter, and then minimal watering just to keep them going. It does give you a stronger and earlier crop the following year - but they don't all make it

[damian1225]

I have always started from scratch but this year they are all coming in and I will see how many make it

[Lymmguineas]

I've just found some chilli seedlings in a propagator that I had completely forgotten about.
Despite the fact I can't remember watering them for ages they seem quite healthy albeit only about two to three inches tall and appear to have roots/shoots coming out of the side of the stem.
Is it too late to put them into pots and get a few chillis from them this year or should I bin them and start again next year?
Any advice (apart from suggestions of memory training) would be welcome.

[jacks10]

My frigitellos coming on nicely I think. What I read of them they are meant to be a yellow greenish colour. AS you might be able to see as they are quite hidden amongst the leaves they are more green with one now tuning red.

Do you think I should pick the others of before they turn red. I haven't decided what going to use them with yet.

[Mitzi]

Kitty helping with the harvest...



Cayenne, Peter pepper x 3, Sugar Rush x 4, SB MoA, Burkina Yellow x 4, Market SB x 2.

[Scarlet]

I've just found some chilli seedlings in a propagator that I had completely forgotten about.
Despite the fact I can't remember watering them for ages they seem quite healthy albeit only about two to three inches tall and appear to have roots/shoots coming out of the side of the stem.
Is it too late to put them into pots and get a few chillis from them this year or should I bin them and start again next year?
Any advice (apart from suggestions of memory training) would be welcome.

I would pot on, straight into a big pot. It does depend on the variety how soon it will fruit. Super hots take a long time. But if they don't flower till Oct you will get ripening chillies for Christmas if you have the room indoors for them. If nothing comes to them they will be great for overwintering.

Mic, what varieties are you growing? Some overwinter better than others. We will talk you through it when the time comes.

[Lymmguineas]

I would pot on, straight into a big pot. It does depend on the variety how soon it will fruit. Super hots take a long time. But if they don't flower till Oct you will get ripening chillies for Christmas if you have the room indoors for them. If nothing comes to them they will be great for overwintering.

Mic, what varieties are you growing? Some overwinter better than others. We will talk you through it when the time comes.

Thanks Scarlet,
There are a couple of Santa Fe Grande about three inches tall. A Hungarian Hot Wax and a Cayenne Longs Slim which are both about two inches.Three Red Cherries which don't have "true" leaves and are about an inch and a half.
Finally there are three really tiny Poblano at less than an inch.
At least i remembered to label them even if I forgot I had them!

[Mitzi]

Thanks Scarlet,
There are a couple of Santa Fe Grande about three inches tall. A Hungarian Hot Wax and a Cayenne Longs Slim which are both about two inches.Three Red Cherries which don't have "true" leaves and are about an inch and a half.
Finally there are three really tiny Poblano at less than an inch.
At least i remembered to label them even if I forgot I had them!

It's got to be worth a try. You haven't really got much to lose by potting them up, have you? If we have a hot sunny summer then you have a chance of getting them to fruit by the autumn but if you have the space to overwinter them and are lucky with it, you could have them covered with pods by spring, whereas if you start again from seed next spring, you won't have pods until the summer.

[Mitzi]

The bedroom window is now full of Chilligrows; it's not easy to open and close the curtains! I had to cut some of the plants back a bit to fit them in the space.



Outside I have eight pots in mini greenhouses, as well as some pots exposed to the elements (no pics of those.)







Still have too many plants (not yet potted up) for the space available. Most have been banished to a north-facing windowsill. At this time of year they get sun morning and evening but as the nights start drawing in (eek!) they won't get much sun at all. Mind you, the weather at the moment isn't giving us any sun at all. It's never got properly light today.

[Mitzi]

Reaper now flowering. Taken really well to the heat and plenty of water with feed.

Where did you get your Reapers? I really hope I'm wrong, but looking at this picture and the one from your previous post, they look more like annuums than chinenses. Hopefully for you I have no idea what I'm talking about and they will be perfect Reapers!

[Tripmeup]

Thanks Scarlet,
There are a couple of Santa Fe Grande about three inches tall. A Hungarian Hot Wax and a Cayenne Longs Slim which are both about two inches.Three Red Cherries which don't have "true" leaves and are about an inch and a half.
Finally there are three really tiny Poblano at less than an inch.
At least i remembered to label them even if I forgot I had them!

Have grown Sante Fe most years so I would say all being well you will get a crop from that one anyways..from my experience