Chillies 2024

I keep a good pepper on the plant and let it fully ripen, then when we want to eat it, I remove the seeds and dry them, folded in a bit of kitchen towel for a few days then store them in a paper bag till needed.

 

Overwintered locotos first day outside of the year.

I also put the seedlings outside but on a shelf and covered with fleece.

 

Well done! You should have a good crop. I have only just sown my seeds for this year.

 

I did try once over wintering some chillies but the white fly attack was horrendous and the crop wasn't so good, so I now just sow new each year. I should point out that I only grow the milder, easy to grow ones, so no expert on chillies or peppers.

 

Hello Chilli people,

Just an update from the grow tent. Chillies are growing well. Soon be able to take them out and into the greenhouse. I can then start the tomatoes.







Mixture of Chillies(16) and Sweet Peppers(8)

Regards

Ademission

 

Hi all,

Do people here top, or prune their chilli/pepper plants?
First time growing them - and a couple that I sowed early (beginning of Jan) are fairly big now (33cm (Zitava) and 24cm (Padron)).

Both have small flowers developing - that I am picking off, and the Zitava has split into a Y.

Should I leave them both as they are, or do I need to get the scissors out?

Any advice most welcome - I really have no idea what I'm doing!

 

This will be a challenge JWK - but I'll try!

 

If you want bushy ones snip the growing tip when it reaches 6 inches

 

I've been growing chillies for many years and never pruned them.
Some remain small - e.g. Basket of Fire gets to about 12"-18" and Jalapeno gets to about 3.5ft.
The growing tops of the plants naturally split into a Y shape, so there's no need to prune, although you can if you wish.

Just look carefully for nodes below where you will cut which is where the additional side shoots will grow from.
If there are none or few, it won't be able to bush out much or at all.

You planted yours very early so they may have become leggy with quite a gap between the nodes.
I don't sow them until end-Feb at the earliest, then by the time they've germinated sunlight has some strength in it to reduce legginess.
Mine are about 2-3" atm

 

For any of us who 'missed' the chilli boat, for whatever reason, LIDL have trays of 6 plants this week for £1.99

 

Thanks Pete8, and Waterbut.

I'm still looking for my phone so that I can post a photo, but this is helpful.
Yes, I started early - but also have more coming that I sowed throughout Feb - so if i've buggered up these initial ones, I'll still hopefully have some Chillis!

Re the nodes - does this mean the intersection between the leaves and the stalk? This seems to be where the side shoots are coming from.
Sorry, my terminology may be wrong.
Will post a couple of photos asap.

 

Yes, you're right - a node is where a leaf joins a stem and can produce a side shoot.

The highest tip(s) of plants send hormones down the stem that inhibit the growth of side shoots below it - it's called apical dominance . They do this as in the 'wild' all plants are growing upward to get as much light as possible and can't afford to waste energy producing side shoots that won't get as much light.
If you remove the dominant tips, they can't send hormones down the stem, so produce side shoots instead.

 

Thanks Pete - I didn’t know that was the reason. Interesting stuff.

Managed to get a couple of photos.
Hopefully this will work.

The bigger one is Zitava (which seems to have split into four at the top - a double Y !?) - the other is Padron.
Should I leave these alone do you think ?

 

They look superb plant!