Chillies - growing and overwintering 2019

[stigs]

Won't start this early encourage soft growth at the wrong time, which could encourage aphids?

I am going to control the light and heat and try to slow them down just before they start flowering, they will be in a sealed room in my attic so ( cross fingers ) will be pest free.

[Scarlet]

Let me know if you manage it. Everyone that grows early with light seem to get a huge aphid party.

Interesting that Philthy thought that my lack of aphids was to do with none being around ( no neighbours) so with that in mind....your closed space may be the answer.

But I want to know as soon as they land if they do

[stigs]

But I want to know as soon as they land if they do

I will post a progress report every now and then, Insulation and acetone came today better get some potting compost and start the popty ping

[Mitzi]

I like variety, 2 of them are to give my Chilly sauce flavour and aroma ( Champion and Mayan Black )
the heat will came from whatever i have left at the end of the season.

I grew Aji Champion last year and it was basically a sweet pepper with a nicer flavour than a bell pepper. No heat at all and to be honest there wasn't all that much depth of flavour. I've never heard of Mayan black (and a few others on your list.)

Aleppo is a nice variety if you want some heat plus a real depth of flavour.

Chenzo and Filius Blue are quite small bushy plants and pretty, so maybe SWMBO will allow you to grow them on windowsills?

What sort of lighting have you got in the loft? I hope you're not going to be picked out by the police helicopter's infra red cameras! Also, don't forget a fan or two to keep the air circulating as oedema can be a problem with enclosed grows. But there's no reason why you can't start at any time of year if you've got enough warmth and light. You'll be harvesting chillies in early spring while the rest of us just have tiny seedlings. Good for you!

[Mitzi]

I’ve been doing some working out of next years grow list. I’m dropping 18 varieties from this year!
Which is very exciting because now I need to find 18 replacements

Are you going to have time for chilli growing next year?

I'm also working on my list for next year. I'm wanting to cut down a lot because this year I just haven't been able to take proper care of the plants (insufficient time.) I decided I'll only grow 20 varieties and one or two plants of each, so probably around 30 plants. However, I'm thinking of overwintering 12, revisiting 10 varieties that I've grown and liked in previous years, and of course I'll want to try a few new ones...

It's fair to say that I'm struggling.

[Scarlet]

I used to grow loads but when some get neglected due to lack of time things start going wrong -the crops are never as big if they are crammed together.
I've enjoyed my time more this year by only sowing what I have room and time for ( this includes toms/flowers and other stuff as well as chillies).

[Mitzi]

I used to grow loads but when some get neglected due to lack of time things start going wrong -the crops are never as big if they are crammed together.
I've enjoyed my time more this year by only sowing what I have room and time for ( this includes toms/flowers and other stuff as well as chillies).

That's far too grown up and sensible, Scarlet! I still want to try lots of new varieties. This year has been poor for me (mainly because of the weather) so I want to overwinter some that haven't done too well (but I really want to try them,) plus some that have done well so I'd like to reward them by keeping them going. Also I've never successfully overwintered a baccatum but remember you saying that Lemon Drop does really well in its second year so would like to try some baccatums.

Overwinters:
- Ethiopian Berbere - has taken forever to produce pods this year and I'm not sure they will have time to ripen. Want to give it a head start for next year
- Baccatum cross 1 - has only produced a few small pods so far, again not sure if they will have time to ripen
- Baccatum cross 2 - Super plant, small and bushy and full of pods. Is an F2 so highly unlikely to get anything like it from seed, so would like to keep the original for another year
- Havana Gold - I like it, it's still indoors, so would seem cruel to throw it out now
- Bhut Orange Copenhagen - has such a good reputation that I want to try it. Hasn't produced any pods this year.
- Nagabrain Chocolate - Has done well this year in adverse circumstances, in fact has just set a dozen or more new pods. Extremely reliable for a superhot.
- Mystery chinense - Has been extremely disappointing for most of the year but has just set loads of pods in the last week or two so I need to keep it at least until they ripen
- White bhut jolokia - currently has about 40 unripe pods on it. If it can produce 40 pods growing in a pop bottle, what might it be like in a big pot next year?
- Caramel moruga - just starting to ripen some pods. Only has about a dozen but they are a nice size and shape. Superhots tend to be better in their second year so want to keep it
- Peach fatalii - similar to white bhut jolokia - lots of pods in a small pot
- Scotch bonnet MoA and Bahamian Goat - these two are already 3 years old and still going strong. I couldn't possibly consider getting rid of them unless they were diseased etc. I am emotionally attached to them!

Oh I also have a Cayenne and a Chupetinho on the windowsill at work but I don't count those because they're not in the house.

Varieties I've liked in the past and want to grow again:
- Aleppo
- Basque (Espelette)
- Rezha
- Orange Thai Large
- Sugar Rush Peach
- Aji Omnicolour
- IC2
- CGN21500 (Purple Peach)
- Chilliwilly70's Red - the plant in the greenhouse is magnificent but far too big to bring in to overwinter so try again from seed next year
- Rocoto La Paz Rojo - none of the other pubescens I've grown have done as well as this.

[stigs]

I grew Aji Champion last year and it was basically a sweet pepper with a nicer flavour than a bell pepper. No heat at all and to be honest there wasn't all that much depth of flavour. I've never heard of Mayan black (and a few others on your list.)

My Champions are always banging with flavour and that umami smell I add other chillies for heat, mayan black originated from robsrareandgiantseeds.com but I'm on about 4th gen since I got the first seeds.

[Small pumpkin]

Are you going to have time for chilli growing next year?

I’m cutting down massively on everything else. I’ll probably cut down on chillies as well. But there’s no harm in looking at what I might replace 18 varieties with
And I’m going to break my own rule. I’m going to attempt (again) to overwintering 1 and only one (because I really don’t like overwintering). A white one I got from you in the plug plant swap. And still can’t successfully isolate! Now on attempt number 8

That's far too grown up and sensible, Scarlet! I still want to try lots of new varieties. This year has been poor for me (mainly because of the weather) so I want to overwinter some that haven't done too well (but I really want to try them,) plus some that have done well so I'd like to reward them by keeping them going. Also I've never successfully overwintered a baccatum but remember you saying that Lemon Drop does really well in its second year so would like to try some baccatums.

Overwinters:
- Ethiopian Berbere - has taken forever to produce pods this year and I'm not sure they will have time to ripen. Want to give it a head start for next year
- Baccatum cross 1 - has only produced a few small pods so far, again not sure if they will have time to ripen
- Baccatum cross 2 - Super plant, small and bushy and full of pods. Is an F2 so highly unlikely to get anything like it from seed, so would like to keep the original for another year
- Havana Gold - I like it, it's still indoors, so would seem cruel to throw it out now
- Bhut Orange Copenhagen - has such a good reputation that I want to try it. Hasn't produced any pods this year.
- Nagabrain Chocolate - Has done well this year in adverse circumstances, in fact has just set a dozen or more new pods. Extremely reliable for a superhot.
- Mystery chinense - Has been extremely disappointing for most of the year but has just set loads of pods in the last week or two so I need to keep it at least until they ripen
- White bhut jolokia - currently has about 40 unripe pods on it. If it can produce 40 pods growing in a pop bottle, what might it be like in a big pot next year?
- Caramel moruga - just starting to ripen some pods. Only has about a dozen but they are a nice size and shape. Superhots tend to be better in their second year so want to keep it
- Peach fatalii - similar to white bhut jolokia - lots of pods in a small pot
- Scotch bonnet MoA and Bahamian Goat - these two are already 3 years old and still going strong. I couldn't possibly consider getting rid of them unless they were diseased etc. I am emotionally attached to them!

Oh I also have a Cayenne and a Chupetinho on the windowsill at work but I don't count those because they're not in the house.

Varieties I've liked in the past and want to grow again:
- Aleppo
- Basque (Espelette)
- Rezha
- Orange Thai Large
- Sugar Rush Peach
- Aji Omnicolour
- IC2
- CGN21500 (Purple Peach)
- Chilliwilly70's Red - the plant in the greenhouse is magnificent but far too big to bring in to overwinter so try again from seed next year
- Rocoto La Paz Rojo - none of the other pubescens I've grown have done as well as this.

You have the will power of a melting citcat (spelt wrong deliberately) when it comes to chillies
They’re some lovely chillies on your list. I’d have the same problem if my list was that awesome
I did look up Aleppo when you mentioned it earlier. I like the look of that. Couldn’t find anywhere in the uk that had them in stock (luckily!)

[Scarlet]

I've never successfully overwintered a baccatum but remember you saying that Lemon Drop does really well in its second year so would like to try some baccatums.

I've over wintered at least one lemon drop for the last 4 or 5 years. I have one on the go at the moment.
I am quite selective on what I choose to overwinter. They are always healthy plants - I won't keep anything that has struggled or looks spindly/ poor growth etc.
Same for pubecens - always over wintered brilliantly.
After 3 years old I usually get rid because generally they've had their biggest crop.

#But as you only grow in pop bottles to keep the plants small that may be different?
I know my last scorpion was about 6ft tall.

[Mitzi]

I did look up Aleppo when you mentioned it earlier. I like the look of that. Couldn’t find anywhere in the uk that had them in stock (luckily!)

When I come to sorting out my seeds (several months yet) I'll send you some if I have enough to spare. I know I have some open pollinated but I'm not sure how many isolated. Definitely not enough to put in the seed circle.

[Small pumpkin]

When I come to sorting out my seeds (several months yet) I'll send you some if I have enough to spare. I know I have some open pollinated but I'm not sure how many isolated. Definitely not enough to put in the seed circle.

Thank you

[Mitzi]

If I had room to overwinter more plants (NO!!!!) I would include this one because it's such a trooper. Has been outside in all weathers and just keeps producing more and more pods.



I think when frosts threaten I'll have to see if one of my friends or relatives can find it a home.

It's supposed to be a peach bhut jolokia. It's certainly not peach, and to start with the pods were all blobby. Later pods are more elongated but I think it's probably a cross rather than just a throwback from peach to red. They're still hot enough to blow my head off. I only ate the tip of one raw and I was crying and drooling for ages.

[Mitzi]

I did look up Aleppo when you mentioned it earlier. I like the look of that. Couldn’t find anywhere in the uk that had them in stock (luckily!)

https://spicesontheweb.co.uk/chillie...-chilli-seeds/

This is where I got mine from originally - I checked. I might have to order some more myself as I had a quick look and don't think I've got any true seeds left. Oh - they are out of stock. Not good.

I'd be interested to know which are the 18 varieties you are dropping and why. Obviously people have different tastes and requirements but I'm always interested to know which you think aren't worth bothering with.

[Small pumpkin]

Nice looking plant Mitzi. Cross or not those pods look vicious.

I’m liking this one, it’s just so pretty. Not growing it again though, pods are to small and fiddly for my needs.