Chillies - growing and overwintering 2018

[Mitzi]

Can anyone tell me whats the lowest temps chilli's can stand before they suffer.
We have already had a few nights of around 3 or 4 c around here.
One morning last week i had ice on the car windscreen.
And how the hell is my other half going to react when i sit a 30 litre pot on the window sil when i move them indoors.

Most are unhappy with anything under 10*C and frost will kill them. I've had temps down to 6 or 7 a couple of nights and quite a few leaves have gone yellow. I don't have the room to bring all my plants indoors so they just have to like it or lump it. Thankfully it's got a bit milder this week.

[Small pumpkin]

Can anyone tell me whats the lowest temps chilli's can stand before they suffer.
We have already had a few nights of around 3 or 4 c around here.
One morning last week i had ice on the car windscreen.
And how the hell is my other half going to react when i sit a 30 litre pot on the window sil when i move them indoors.

Minimum they can cope with is 10c and they're still not that happy about it. Where are you............Antarctica?
You might be looking for a new other half
There are several chilli grower here that have to compromise because other half's don't want a chilli forest in the house.

[ChilliWilly70]

Minimum they can cope with is 10c and they're still not that happy about it. Where are you............Antarctica?
You might be looking for a new other half
There are several chilli grower here that have to compromise because other half's don't want a chilli forest in the house.

Out of the six plants i have the 4 small ones have definately suffered.
The yellow fruiting triffid looks slightly jaded but the red guy looks lush and green.

I'm live on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales.

[4Shoes]

Loving the harvest pics. 4Shoes your annotated one is brilliant; you are so methodical, I love it!

Thanks. Going to have to tart it up and keep as a record for 2018 season. Been picking for the kitchen to date, but now have tasted them all and must decide what to do next. This was just the beginning.

Now it is time to start on sauces and pickles

[Bluenowhere]

No, I don't. Usually 3 years max. I think they get a bit woody and tired. Year two often gives the best crops. I'll usually start another one next year and that fresh plant will get overwintered the following....so I've usually got several 2 year plants on the go at the same time.

That said, I have a Trinidad scorpion in its 3rd year at the moment and I may keep him again.

Perfect, thanks so much, well they say the exception proves the rule

I’ll try as you suggest. I’m hoping to go to a chilli festival at a local’ish nursery in a few weeks - tasting them etc, obviously can buy seeds so hopefully will have some more interesting varieties so I can join the seed swap next year

Yes did get a good crop on the annums.

Yours are an inspiration.

[Bluenowhere]

4 Shoes, wow just wow.

[ChilliWilly70]

It's taken me a while but finally worked out how to post photos.
These are supposed to be carilina reapers but are definitely not. I think the Yellow ones are starting to change to a orange hue now..
I'm thinking some kind of 7 Pot variety.
What do you guys think.

[4Shoes]

It's taken me a while but finally worked out how to post photos.
These are supposed to be carilina reapers but are definitely not. I think the Yellow ones are starting to change to a orange hue now..
I'm thinking some kind of 7 Pot variety.
What do you guys think.

Love the style of the plants. Similar to standard roses - are they similar in height?
Didn't know you could get that this in a chilli plant. All mine are of the bush type. Next season will have to be a couple of standards to give height, baskets to give eye level interest and some thing like spaghetti to give a waterfall / fire effect. Dream on

[ChilliWilly70]

Love the style of the plants. Similar to standard roses - are they similar in height?
Didn't know you could get that this in a chilli plant. All mine are of the bush type. Next season will have to be a couple of standards to give height, baskets to give eye level interest and some thing like spaghetti to give a waterfall / fire effect. Dream on

It's funny you should say that I've been checking out lots of photos on the net, these have grown really uniform.
I should take some photos from above..
I pruned the red one on all 4 corners to put more energy into the fruits. The Yellow one is untouched and slightly.more leafy and less fruit.

[Mitzi]

It's taken me a while but finally worked out how to post photos.
These are supposed to be carilina reapers but are definitely not. I think the Yellow ones are starting to change to a orange hue now..
I'm thinking some kind of 7 Pot variety.
What do you guys think.

Wow, they are incredible! You have done brilliantly to get them to crop like that; what's your secret? I would be thrilled to have a crop like that.

They look pretty reaper-like to me; you've got wonderful tails on them. If they are not reapers then they will still be incredibly hot. Have you tried any yet?

[ChilliWilly70]

It's been a roller-coaster of emotions, I have great respect for you guys and the amount of variety and volume you grow.
The one's below don't have long tails.
I supposed to be working right now I will on again later today.

[Mitzi]

It's been a roller-coaster of emotions, I have great respect for you guys and the amount of variety and volume you grow.
The one's below don't have long tails.
I supposed to be working right now I will on again later today.

Those ones look more like 7 pot brain strain.

Let me know if you have any spare pods you don't know what to do with... I'd love some! (Based in West Yorkshire nr Emley Moor mast.)

[Philthy]

Another very silly question, this is my first year growing chillis, assuming you can keep them healthy do you overwinter the same plants for many years?

Good warning on the greenfly, if that becomes an issue I’ll move them to another window sill and clean down before I sow my seeds

Longest I've kept a plant going for is 5 years for a Lemon Drop. It'd gotten quite woody and gnarled by then. Production had dropped off too. By the 5th summer it was really just to see how long I could keep it going for. I'd agree with Scarlet; years 2 & 3 seem to be peak years for cropping. I've also had consistant overwintering success with Trinidad Scorpion. Definitely agree also that if you've limited overwintering space prioritise Superhots over the likes of cayenne, jalapeno etc.

Greenfly are absolute scum of the earth, the bane of every chilli grower I should think. I've made that mistake of mixing new seedlings with established plants that've only had the beginnings of an invasion; the big plants are less affected by them initially
But for young plants the last thing they need when striving to establish themselves is the debilitation caused by aphids, so I wouldn't even put them in a space recently treated for greenfly, as they always reappear in time whenever plants are introduced.

I’m hoping to go to a chilli festival at a local’ish nursery in a few weeks

Would that be Challock Chilli Fest? I'm going to that, maybe see you there
Hoping to get hold of some Cheiro Roxa seeds; it's one of the exhibition plants on show

ChilliWilly70, your photos are fantastic, seriously, well done
I tend to grow mine upwards - using frames and pruning - rather than out so as I can have a smaller footprint for each plant and therefore get more plants into the space. But either way that crop looks excellent

[Small pumpkin]

Stunning looking plants ChilliWilly70 very nice.

[Scarlet]

I'm thinking some kind of 7 Pot variety.
What do you guys think.

They look pretty reaper-like to me; you've got wonderful tails on them. If they are not reapers then they will still be incredibly hot. Have you tried any yet?

They look fabulous!! I’ve never grown a reaper....(even though I was gifted some seed ) so I’m not really sure but I have grown scorpion butch T and they look quite a close match, they have tails too....but you never know!