Chillies - growing and overwintering 2018

[Small pumpkin]

ok thanks sp ,have you started feeding yours yet ?

I would be if I had any food. I really must order that! I keep forgetting


My chillies had another day out in the tunnel yesterday as well trip. They do like it.

[Mitzi]

My aphids ate all the flower buds off. The ladybirds are starting to get up to a critical mass now so most of the plants are starting to recover but it has set them back by weeks. I had decided not to top my plants this year but let them grow naturally (space permitting.) However, the aphids have effectively topped them all for me. Some of the plants are so badly affected that I don't think they will recover but most are just starting to make new growth.

I have just had my first harvest of the year from the overwinters - two small Bahamian Goat pods and one miniscule Scotch Bonnet. There's one more Bahamian Goat pod still to ripen, but no signs of flowers or more pods, other than the Aleppo which has half a dozen or more green pods on it.

[Tripmeup]

My aphids ate all the flower buds off. The ladybirds are starting to get up to a critical mass now so most of the plants are starting to recover but it has set them back by weeks. I had decided not to top my plants this year but let them grow naturally (space permitting.) However, the aphids have effectively topped them all for me. Some of the plants are so badly affected that I don't think they will recover but most are just starting to make new growth.

I have just had my first harvest of the year from the overwinters - two small Bahamian Goat pods and one miniscule Scotch Bonnet. There's one more Bahamian Goat pod still to ripen, but no signs of flowers or more pods, other than the Aleppo which has half a dozen or more green pods on it.

Probably missed it Mitzi, but did you order ladybird to tackle the greenfly? If so, from where for future reference..
Sounds like you are getting on top of them?

[Tripmeup]

I would be if I had any food. I really must order that! I keep forgetting


My chillies had another day out in the tunnel yesterday as well trip. They do like it.

Yes they enjoy the outdoors 😁

[IainM]

Thanks Philthy and Deano! Very useful stuff. Plants are coming on nicely, though space is running out fast. I think I'll start moving the babies to the greenhouse in a weeks time, for a few hours at first but gradually getting them used to 24/7 over two weeks.

One question, is this a flower bud? I haven't seen one before. It's round and it seems light, as if it there might be some white petals forming under there. There seem to be a couple more forming at the same spot. If so, how would I remove it, with some tweezers? Its sticking right out the top where the growing tip is suppose to be, and I don't want to damage it and have it bush out, because the plant is tiny.

[Tripmeup]

Yep they are flower buds..tweezers or your finger tips and pinch..won't do the plant any harm

[4Shoes]

All this talk of flowers and green houses making me jealous.

My tallest plant is just over 120mm

Ho hum..

[IainM]

Yep they are flower buds..tweezers or your finger tips and pinch..won't do the plant any harm

Excellent, thanks. Noticed a couple on a Cherry Bomb too, so they have also gone.

[Mitzi]

Probably missed it Mitzi, but did you order ladybird to tackle the greenfly? If so, from where for future reference..
Sounds like you are getting on top of them?

I bought ladybird larvae from Green Gardener the summer before last. Despite my releasing most of them outdoors in good weather, a few remained. Numbers dwindle over winter even indoors but maybe they hibernate. Since days got longer they have been more active and breeding well. Numbers are up to about 40 adults now.

[Philthy]

My overwintered plants that are now guaranteed to grow again this year - Apple Crisp x3, Jalapeño x1, Espelette x1, Joe's Long x1, Thai Dragon x1 - are budding and in a few places new tentative growth has burst forth. To give them a boost as they're still a few weeks away from repotting I've added some nitrogen granular feed to the topsoil of each pot, to enable quicker, stronger development of the new foliage, as the plants are a bit behind compared to previous years. Given the advised dosage is one handful per sq metre in the ground, I went with half a level teaspoon per 200mm pot. I apply Epsom salts periodically and in a similar quantity and that seems to work well.
My final overwintering casualty of the year seems to be my Lemon Drop; not guaranteed yet as it's on a heat source and being monitored, but there's no signs of life. Think I may have got the watering slightly wrong with this one also. We shall see.

[darraghb]

Finally got a chance to do some potting on yesterday. Fresh compost, bigger pot and some chicken manure pellets.
All in all a mixed success so far. I didn't have the time to look after them this year but there's enough there to hopefully get a big bag of chilies to freeze for cooking for the year.

It seems the hardy plants are the most prolific. Jalepeno and a few Cayenne variety's are doing well. Also a few Lemon Drops. Only one Ring of Fire survived though.
The hotter ones are not doing as well. Bhut Jolokias and Habanero's of a few different types are only a few inches tall.

I'm hoping for a big growth spurt in the next few weeks as the weather heats up, they get bigger pots and they get moved outside.

It looks like about 5 overwintered plants have survived and another couple have the possibility of recovering. The greenfly really make it hard once you bring them indoors. Its hard to keep them fully clean and I lost a few plants I really wanted to keep.

[Philthy]

The greenfly really make it hard once you bring them indoors. Its hard to keep them fully clean and I lost a few plants I really wanted to keep

Yep they are a total pain in the proverbial. If keeping plants altogether in one space (and to be fair that's usually the only option for most of us) extra vigilance is needed as an outbreak on one plant will quickly spread to it's neighbours.
I prefer the fully dormant method of overwintering so these days whatever leaves haven't fallen off naturally following autumn cool, I tend to remove the majority of just prior to bringing the plants indoors, so there's less opportunities for greenfly to take up residence in the longer term. I'll leave several leaves per plant if they're still healthy, but that's more to use as an extra indicator of when to water than anything else. Also ensures better airflow and better use of space.

The hotter ones are not doing as well. Bhut Jolokias and Habanero's of a few different types are only a few inches tall.

That's normal if you're growing all the plants under the same conditions. Cayenne's and Jalapeno's fall into the Annuum group of peppers, along with the likes of Padron, Serrano, Poblano, Anaheim, Hungarian etc. These plants have a sprawling growth habit and can get quite large in maturity, therefore they grow fairly quickly and don't need too much heat to do well. Bhut Jolokia and the habanero's come under the Chinense header, as do things like Carolina Reaper, Fatali, Datil etc. These are naturally more compact plants and prefer a bit more heat to thrive, so while they'll still grow, expect it to be at a slower pace.

[Small pumpkin]

I have my first baby chilli forming. It's so exciting

[Scarlet]

Just like Christmas SP

[Deano's "Diggin It"]

Mine are now just flying along!





Although I do have some weaker seedling "Dithering along" on the grow station in the dining room and kitchen window sill which are prodomanantly the "Hot's"

Nigel as well n truly "Snuffed It" Gutted! And haven't got a clue what went on there!

But so far happy!