Chillis in greenhouse over winter?

[Lesley Jay]

Hi Mike! Welcome to the grapevine - finally!! You should have posted sooner. You will find us a friendly bunch even me and Nick!!

[dexterdoglancashire]

Hi Mike and welcome to the Vine! Many thanks for your advice regarding chillies - this is my first year growing veg, so am learning as I go along - also experimenting to see what happens. Shall try and keep my chillies going for as long as I can - unfortunately, not sure what varieties I've been growing. Look forward to your posts in the future! Dexterdog

[Earthbabe]

Having read all that, as I was pondering bringing mine inside, I will dig mine up and put them on the lounge windowsill where they will get most light and won't get completely forgotten.

Thanks folks. Another job to do.

[dexterdoglancashire]

If I bring mine indoors the cats may have a chew! DDL

[nick the grief]

not twice they won't dexter

[dexterdoglancashire]

Don't think they are going to get the chance Nick! DDL

[Earthbabe]

Cats will chew/lick/sniff some funny things. Although yes nick they may draw the line at chillis. Roxie rabbit doesn't go anywhere near them and she loves her greens.

[dexterdoglancashire]

Will let everyone know how I get on! DDL

[yoanbob]

speaking of which, i was up rooting my toms in the green house and some of my chilli's have been eaten by somthing, quite strange, i didnt think anything was daft enough exept us humans, (and no it was'nt OH) any ideas?

[mjryder]

Chillies

Thank you all for the welcome. I'll try and be a bit quicker next time - too busy in the greenhouse!
Just about ready to harvest a large number of Habanero orange chillies. I can smell them as soon as I open the greenhouse door. Will keep you posted as to heat and taste.
Mike

[dexterdoglancashire]

Exciting isn't it Mike? I harvested a lot of my chillies and then dried them slowly in the oven. DDL

[pickledtink]

Found this:

Overwintering
Most chilli plants can be treated as perennial house plants, but will need some pruning in the winter. Some varieties are better suited than others, smaller hot varieties like Serrano and Twilight, and Prarie Fire fair better than the bigger fleshy plants such as Poblano and Anaheim.

I thought they must be. My 'second home' in Asia has a few large chilli bushes around the house which seem to produce all year round. They get to about chest height with about a 3 ft spread.

[dexterdoglancashire]

Thanks for that PT! I hadn't realised they could grow so large! will have a pruning session once they have finished growing the chillis! DDL

[bramble]

I've overwintered two of mine the year before last but i did'nt prune them. They wer'nt that tall so i left them as they were and they were fine.

[hils]

I'll bring mine indoors I think. I'm really hopefull of it giving me a head start next year.

I brought my chilli plant indoors last winter with great success. No cutting back or anything. Sat it on a sunny window sill. The leaves got a little crispy around the edges due to the central heating but a daily mist of water soon sorted them out. Kept the compost just damp all winter. The poor thing produced quite a few 'chilli flowers' but these soon dried up and dropped off.
Once the temperature and daylight hours improved I moved it to an unheated greenhouse. Well, this overwintered plant just shot off and produced so many yummy chillies it was difficult to keep up.
Kitchen now festooned with chilli 'streamers'.