Chillies

Bought some Chilli seeds from a stand at Gardeners World Live the other week. Lovely exotic looking one and one with variagated foliage.

When I asked if there was still time this season she said it's too late to get them to a proper size and crop this year, but as Chillies are perrneial I should bring them in keep them warm and then next year they would be the business.

Has anyone got any experience in overwintering Chillies?

I have grrenhouse space - but unheated. Should they come into the house?

Do they need trimming back before winter?

And presumably they don't want much watering during winter months?

Any help much appreciated.

 

Chillies and peppers need a long growing season and it's best to start the seeds in Feb.,in a propagator ( unheated) in the house. When they have germinated it's still better to keep them on a warm sunny windowsill till it's warm enough to move them to a greenhouse. This year I did overwinter a couple of plants, they were cut down and didn't get much attention till spring, then when it was apparent that they had survived, I started nursing them along. They now have a very sturdy main stem and are still putting on leaf growth, I don't think that they will be any more productive or advanced the this year's plants, time will tell. If you wanted to grow some you may be lucky and find young plants for sale still, in either a garden centre or nursery. good luck.

 

Is there enough seed in the pack for some-now, some-next-Spring?

 

Hi Kristen.

If you've already got seeds, try germinating some on wet tissue paper in a jam jar lid, covered in cling film in a warm place. An airing cupboard might be OK. When they start to produce very small shoots (1mm or so) put them in some fine compost (john innes no 1 works well) in 3" pots on a warm windowsill, and grow on until about 3-5" high. If it's a well lit windowsill, south-facing for example, you might try leaving them to grow a bit bigger.

Put them out in the greenhouse in 9" pots, and feed them. If the weather is good, you might get a crop, although a bit less than optimum. On the other hand if you do several plants, you'll still get a half decent crop......

I did this a couple of years ago with some success - can't remember exactly when the 2nd sowing was, but it was probably around now. It might be unorthodox, but it worked for me.....

cheers,
Dave

 

Judging by your photos Shiney, it is obviously worth overwintering chillies, the two I've got did survive in an unheated greenhouse but I live in Cornwall. I've taken plants into the house in November for the final few chillies but the plants have always start to get sickly and leggy due I suppose to the lower light levels, maybe this year I'll make take more care of them, if I could have plants fruiting that early it would be worth the extra effort, thanks for the inspiring pictures.

 

Bit confused Shiney.

Do you mean the same plants after they have fruited and you have kept them alive for the following seasons....?

I've never grown chillies, but have grown peppers, I thought they were annuals...see how much I know.:confused:

 

Hi guys.

This site is a good one.....
http://www.thechileman.org/

cheers,
Dave

 

Cheers Chaps..I learn something everyday, heh heh.

 

well I never knew that..or put it antoher way, I know in Kenya you have chillie plants growng outdoors, year in ...year out, great big bushes of them but then we had the climate there to grow everything.

As of this year, my chillie plants will not be disposed of. I shall put a few in the veg patch and make sure that I give them some protection with a fleece covering and I will bring a few indoors to see if I can overwinter them.

If I wanted to keep them in the green house, how hot would do you think I'd ahve to keep the green house to allow them to survive.

Many thanks

 

A good site synthhead, now in my favourites, another one for seed and some info is --www.southdevonchillifarm.co.uk. On the subject of over wintering again, I don't think that there are many crops valuable enough to warrant heating a greenhouse with the high energy costs these days but Shiney has shown what can be done if you have a large south facing window to get a good head start for the early fruit, it is something I'll be trying at the end of this season.

 

This is all brillient news. Thanks for the info guys.

I've sown half the seeds now and will keep the rest for next spring in case the young ones don't make it over the winter in the house.

Shiney, your pictures have really inspired me. It would be brilliant to be able to start the season with such mature bushes.

Thanks everyone.