Are chilli plants annual producers?

[HayleyB]

Hi all

As a complete novice at this and some of you will probably think this is a daft question but.....

I wondered if my chilli plant will produce more chillis next year

It's a Cheyenne and is on its 3rd and 4th chilli with more flowers coming. As it looks like a proper little tree I wondered if chillis (and sweet peppers) were not necessarily grown from seed year after year.

I aim to grow lots of chillis next year as we do go through them, the same goes for peppers.

Thanks everyone

[shirlthegirl43]

When it stops flowering and producing this year, water sparingly and keep frost free for the winter. Start watering more when growth starts up again next spring. It should crop profusely next year and it may be possible to overwinter again but I have so far failed to keep one going more than two years.

[Capsid]

Chillis/peppers are perennials I believe; they are tropical plants and just keep growing, but in our temperate climate with seasons, their growth slows down/stops in winter.

[terrier]

So would it be possible to take semi ripe cuttings at from a mature plant and grow the new plants that way as opposed to growing from seed? Just a thought as I've not tried it yet.

[markwcel]

give it a go....no harm done...

[fwuffydragon]

I'm hoping to try this this year. Have loads of peppers and chilli plants so we'll see what happens ...

[kentvegplot]

I overwintered some last year, but the only ones that survived were in the house - so I'm not sure whether you need quite a high (+5 or better) temp for them to survive. A frost-free greenhouse wasn't warm enough.

[HayleyB]

So would it be possible to take semi ripe cuttings at from a mature plant ......

Thanks all, I'm chuffed that I have at least another year with my chilli.

Another daft question, how do you take a semi-ripe cutting

Maybe I can grow its babies, have loads of different seeds for next year's chillis and peppers - can't wait

[Kristen]

"have loads of different seeds"

I expect you know, but seed saved from a plant which was grown from F1 seed won't usually grow "true" to the parent

[HayleyB]

"have loads of different seeds"

I expect you know, but seed saved from a plant which was grown from F1 seed won't usually grow "true" to the parent

Thanks Kristen but they are packet seeds that I've been picking up here and there, probably got enough for a few hundred chillis

Actually I have 4 seedlings from peppers that I got from T--co saved the other hundred or so seeds for next year. Do you think they'll be non fruiting or something

[smallblueplanet]

I think chillis are quite easy to grow from cuttings, I pruned a small bit of branch off one of my habaneros a couple of months ago, its still growing (just).

They need free draining compost, don't over water - I put ours in a lemo bottle/ greenhouse cloche.

[nilling]

I overwintered some last year, but the only ones that survived were in the house - so I'm not sure whether you need quite a high (+5 or better) temp for them to survive. A frost-free greenhouse wasn't warm enough.

I am also hoping to overwinter this year's chillis. Last time I tried this I put them in the garage but they did not survive - need to find some space indoors

[Alison]

I overwintered a Praire Fire last year and it's fruiting again now. Don't bother with the bigger ones but intend to keep this one again for next year as it's a lovely little plant and looks nice in the conservatory over winter.

[lynda66]

will this work with sweet peppers too? as i planted some, but all 3 that grew are still tiny, and i'm sure they won't get big enough to produce this year, but i have loads of room in my boiler cupboard, which is lovely and warm, and i have a grow light too?

[Alison]

I personally wouldn't bother with sweet peppers as mine are always pretty big by the end of the season and I don't like using things like grow lights as I want to reduce my energy use as much as possible. When did you sow your seeds this year? Even my later batch (mid March) are fruiting well and my January sowings have been going for a while now. I used to sow into April and never really got much happening.