Chillies - growing and overwintering 2018

[Mitzi]

My habanero plants are growing little side shoots that look like the cordons that you remove on tomatoes. Should I be taking them off ?

No, leave them, they're fine.

[Mitzi]

Well so far my padron peppers produced a reasonable harvest (total 12 peppers between two plants).

The jalapenos on the other hand struggled. Two normal sized peppers, and about four mini sized (think large grape) from a total of four plants.

Not sure whether to overwinter or just start again from scratch next year.

Well obviously it depends on how much space you have indoors etc. but I think I'd probably start again next year with the jalapenos, with a different source of seeds - maybe they are just a feeble type?

[Saltyseadog]

Pot size help

Sooo ive been doing some reading and im confused. I have all my chillies in 3lt pots, 2 have fruits 2 have the flower bits but not opened. My gues is the naga and scotch have matured and trinidad maruga and reaper are still growing. Is it to late to transfer to 10lt pots? Roots are showing on the 2 fruiting ones. Wish i could attach pics and show. Ta

[IainM]

I'm really struggling to believe that what I've grown is 500 SHU. I also grow hungarian hot wax which is supposed to be 1,000 to 15,000 and the hottest ones that I've had barely register a tingle on my tounge.

I've had the same. Hot banana, cayenetta and space chillies with almost no heat at all, then the kitchen peppers, which are suppost to be sweet, are scorching hot. Completely took me by surprise. Some of the jalapenos have been heatless too. Makes no sense.

[Philthy]

Is it to late to transfer to 10lt pots? Roots are showing on the 2 fruiting ones

Depends a lot on where you are and where your plants are being grown.
I'm still potting some of mine up due to various delays (six weeks approx. after my usual cut-off for that job ) but then we have had a pretty exceptional summer this year and there should be a few weeks yet of productivity to capitalise on. Also I want them to be in a bigger pot size to be winter ready.
If the plants look like they need going up a size, then I would, but I think 10lt would be the max. given the time of year. In my GH I'm now closing all the vents certainly at night and also during the day to get the temperature right up (high 20's the target), to ensure the tail end of the summer still ripens my chocolate habanero and paper lantern pods. I've got loads of Joe's Long cayenne still green, and Espelette, but less bothered about them, they'll turn easier when it's time.
But if you're in an artificial space i.e. a grow tent I'd have thought the passing season is less of a concern. Maybe all it comes down to is what have you got space for?

[Saltyseadog]

Depends a lot on where you are and where your plants are being grown.
I'm still potting some of mine up due to various delays (six weeks approx. after my usual cut-off for that job ) but then we have had a pretty exceptional summer this year and there should be a few weeks yet of productivity to capitalise on. Also I want them to be in a bigger pot size to be winter ready.
If the plants look like they need going up a size, then I would, but I think 10lt would be the max. given the time of year. In my GH I'm now closing all the vents certainly at night and also during the day to get the temperature right up (high 20's the target), to ensure the tail end of the summer still ripens my chocolate habanero and paper lantern pods. I've got loads of Joe's Long cayenne still green, and Espelette, but less bothered about them, they'll turn easier when it's time.
But if you're in an artificial space i.e. a grow tent I'd have thought the passing season is less of a concern. Maybe all it comes down to is what have you got space for?

I am in a 70x70x160 tent under led. Not wanting to remove one from the tent to make space but also worried that the pots may be to small. First time growing so total trial and error.

[Small pumpkin]

My ladybirds have been breeding. I've spotted lots more larvae running around my chilli plants the last couple of days .

[Tripmeup]

A few Jalapenos picked this evening

[Mitzi]

What to do with the rocoto La Paz rojo? (Grown from Jackarmy's seeds received in the seed circle last year.) First pods have turned red.

I've never grown a rocoto (or any pubescens) before and I don't really know what to expect. From the outside they seem as if they will be very fleshy because they are quite heavy and solid-feeling compared with other chilli pods. They are supposed to be medium heat. I'm thinking chilli jam might be the way to go with these; anyone got any better suggestions?

[Mitzi]

A few Jalapenos picked this evening

Those yellow ones don't look very jalapeno-like!

[Nicos]

Urm...I have a question!
How on earth (apart from tasting) can you tell if a black chilli is ready to take? They have been black for several weeks now but taste 'green' if you know what I mean?

[Small pumpkin]

Urm...I have a question!
How on earth (apart from tasting) can you tell if a black chilli is ready to take? They have been black for several weeks now but taste 'green' if you know what I mean?

What are they?
Lots of black ones turn a dark red when ripe (depending on variety) and they do seem to take longer than anything else to ripen.

[Mitzi]

Urm...I have a question!
How on earth (apart from tasting) can you tell if a black chilli is ready to take? They have been black for several weeks now but taste 'green' if you know what I mean?

As SP says, most "black" chillies ripen to red, e.g. I am growing Chenzo and they start off green, very quickly turn black, and weeks and weeks later, turn red. I believe Hungarian Black does the same. I have read that Pimenta da Neyde stay black (neither of my plants have produced any pods yet and I've not grown them before, so I don't know yet!) and there may be others, but most blacks turn red.

[Nicos]

OK...thanks! good to know .
I was hoping they would ripen before digging them up to move indoors
You'd have thought with this really hot summer they'd gave ripened earlier!
(I did sow them late though and they took ages to get established outside)

[Small pumpkin]

As SP says, most "black" chillies ripen to red, e.g. I am growing Chenzo and they start off green, very quickly turn black, and weeks and weeks later, turn red. I believe Hungarian Black does the same. I have read that Pimenta da Neyde stay black (neither of my plants have produced any pods yet and I've not grown them before, so I don't know yet!) and there may be others, but most blacks turn red.

Yeah Hungarian black go a dark red eventually. I grow them. They have a lovely flavour when ripe and really quick unpleasant when still black.