How to get Chilly Plants to grow

I seem to have no luck in trying to grow chilly plants.I use good compost keep them moist and they are placed in a heated propagator what else should I do so I know for next season.Have now bought a few plug plants.

 

This is my first year of growing chilies I planted mine in February, they are very slow growing plants they took a while to germinate but mines have been on a sunny window sill now from then. they grow very slow is the only thing

 

My chillis are mega slow this year has anyone over wintered chilli plants ?

 

I tried over wintering some but didn't care for the results. I find that I am successful with mine because I start the seeds on Boxing Day. They can take up to a month to germinate and are slow growers but I usually manage a good crop by the start of September.

 

Don't think I will get good yeild this year was really late starting cause of house move the only ones doing ok are scotch bonnet

 

One of my work colleagues had one over a couple of winters. He kept his in the house on a windowsill. It suffered from lack of light and the leaves tended to drop off, it also suffered from greenfly/whitefly.
I have heard of people treating them like geraniums so frost free and dry over the winter and then starting them into growth with light watering and warmth in March.

 

I decided not to try overwintering again because the gain is so little and indoor space for plants is limited - so I prefer to squash a lot of seedlings into the area rather than a few sickly chillis.

I try to get the most out of my growing real estate whether it is indoors or out.

 

That's great how do you over winter them I have read to cut them right down repot fresh compost keep them as warm as poss ?

 

They look great I'm doing Trinidad Scorpion , scotch bonnet , nagars , early jalapeño the only ones that are doing good is the bonnets scorpions took over a month to germinate so I'm well behind still under led grow lights hoping the weather sorts it self out then they can go in the greenhouse - last years took 120 days to reach peak so fingers crossed warm autum

 

View attachment 65442 Forgot to mention got my secret growth weapon there to small now but when I have four sets of true leaves they get seaweed tea ! I did an experiment last year feed the same plants with seaweed tea and the others with basic tom food the diff was unreal

 

Shiney, those hybrids look like they are doing well