Chillies - growing and overwintering 2017

[Small pumpkin]

I would have loved to taken you up on that "Adventure" but sadly work will get in the way! Really hope somebody as taken you up on it and you and whoever have a great day!

Thanks Deano. A couple of lovely members have offered. unfortunately once I had to figure in trains and 3 nights accommodation it just worked out way too expensive. Hopefully I'll be able too go next year.

[Deano's "Diggin It"]

Well! Bare me in mind for next year! As I would love to attend one too!

[darraghb]

Hi Everyone,
Just found this and read through the entire thread. Great to see how everyone got on over the season.
First year growing chillies. Most from seed supplemented by a few from B&Q. All outside on a south facing patio. Fought the good fight against greenfly. A lot of caterpillars for some reason.
The Jalapeno, Ring of Fire, Cayenne, Thai Hot were all were fairly prolific. Less so the hot ones. Various Habenaro's, Ghost Peppers, Trinidad Scorpion and Scotch Bonnets only had a couple of small chillies on them.
Overall a good supply of chillies for cooking for the next few months. Already planning next year.

[Small pumpkin]

Welcome to the vine darraghb.
Sounds like you've had a good year.
I applaud you for reading the whole thread that's a lot to get through
We talk A LOT about chillies!
You may want to have a look at this one as well
http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...8-a_95160.html
Let us know what you're growing next year we're all really nosy too

[Scarlet]

Hello and welcome Darragh, the new season will be on us in no time...,I might have a bit more time for chillies this year...but SPs enthusiasm should keep us all on our toes

[Scarlet]

You got in before me SP!

[Mitzi]

Welcome, Darraghb; it sounds like you're addicted already! The hot chillies generally need warmer conditions to do well. They will struggle outdoors unless you have a really good summer, which 2017 generally wasn't. Also, some of them don't do so well in their first year. If you are able to overwinter them indoors, they will probably produce more next year.

[darraghb]

Definitely addicted.
There are quite a few of this years plants hidden on window sils throughout the house. Hopefully some will survive between the weather and the wife not liking a house full of plants.
I am already planning next year. Am looking at a small grow light so I can get started earlier and I'm bought a bunch of varieties online.
I'll get reading on the 2018 thread now.

[Philthy]

Hi darraghb (ah.. another chilli fiend in the making, excellent )

I'm bought a bunch of varieties online

What's caught your eye so far then?

The Jalapeno, Ring of Fire, Cayenne, Thai Hot were all were fairly prolific. Less so the hot ones. Various Habenaro's, Ghost Peppers, Trinidad Scorpion and Scotch Bonnets only had a couple of small chillies on them

Trinidad Scorpion is for me a consistently solid performer for overwintering; always the last to drop leaves (if at all), retains it's green throughout the dark months, largely untroubled by greenfly, hardly any die back from pruning cuts, just goes from strength to strength for the first few years. And a top performer during the growing season too, makes a thick stem early on.

There are several schools of thought to overwintering; personally I prefer the fully dormant method, as it means the plants (mostly) survive to next year with the bare minimum of maintenance. I like to leave my plants in my GH for several weeks after they've stopped fruiting (early Oct onwards usually), knowing the increasingly colder conditions will encourage them to switch off, shed leaves, and not respond to necessary pruning like they would in spring i.e. with new sappy growth. Once that's achieved, they are transferred to my back bedroom - as many as I can fit [18-20 plants usually] - which is kept cool with heating turned off and door kept closed, sporadically watered, and monitored for greenfly. That's it until early March when I'll gradually start feeding the plants to wake them up again.

That said I cut it a bit fine this year in that I only brought my plants in this weekend just gone and that's after several frosty nights already. I probably won't know for another month or so if that delay caused any real damage; the plants are sensitive to temperature fluctuations and generally not cold hardy [outside] at all. First definite casualty is my Thai Dragon plant which was over 5' - black rot had entered the main stem fairly low down, so everything above this point (and an inch below) had to be removed, leaving barely 1' of plant. So long as this survives and buds well in spring it should still do well next season as it has well developed roots

[Scarlet]

I'm closing this thread and starting a new one for 2018.....ready for sowing seeds at Christmas, even if SP has already started!

New thread can be found here :http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...ml#post1568040