Easy to grow chilli plants in England?

Looking excellent

 

One of my chillies has just sort of flopped over in its pot - I have shored it up with some compost around its toes for now, but should I be re-potting them all a wee bit deeper than they are now (they are still in the position they were sown in)?

 

A photo would help . It's difficult to try and diagnose without seeing them.

 

Thanks for the swift reply - not a very good photo, but here it is



I have two pots the same, each with three plants in them - pots are 6L.

 

It must be the angle of the photo but that pot doesn't look as big as 6L to me. The plants look pretty healthy but I always prefer only one per pot - minimum 4L pots. Also the required pot size depends on the type of chilli. Large chillies will need larger pots - obviously .

They look as though they may be leaning because of the light. Remember to rotate the pots every day or so.

So, I would repot, one to a pot, and you could then put a support in at the same time - although they shouldn't really need it.

 

Thanks - I'll need to go and get some pots then; bit of a bind, as I was hoping to keep them in those pots and grow them on those sunny windowsills. I do turn them every day, and the photo was taken after I had propped the wee fella back up as he had keeled over completely.

Are they shallow rooted to begin with until re-potted?

The current pot is 10" diameter, so I take it I am looking at something around the 8" mark?

Cheers

 

That should do for size. The plants aren't particularly shallow rooted but you haven't given them a chance to develope good roots on the side by the pot. If they're planted in the middle then they can grow roots all round which will give them more strength. Pity you're not closer or I could have given you the pots.

 

Thanks - not only for the advice, but for the kind sentiment re the pots

I have to go and get more compost before the week is out anyway, so I'll get more pots while I am there.

I don't know what variety they are, other than the description on the packet which is (Hot) Super Chilli F1 - don't know if that means anything to you?

 

It's a pretty hot variety with small to medium chillies. The plant doesn't get too big but it's quite a greedy plant so will need feeding - tomato feed is good enough. You can pinch out the leaves to help it bush out and keep it shorter - if you want to.

If you're going to keep them indoors you need to keep a sharp eye out for whitefly. Also, try not to get the surface of the soil too wet - see whether you can put a piece of 1" tubing or the top cut off a half litre water bottle (inverted) in the pot. You can then pour the water into that. Keeping the surface drier helps to stop mould and fungus gnats (just like vinegar flies) living on it.

 

Sometimes it depends on the variety and, of course, it wouldn't be really necessary if the insects have good access to the plants.