Chillies - growing and overwintering 2019

[Scarlet]

These scary looking pods are grown from the mystery pods ChilliWilly70 sent me last year. They look more like Brainstrain this year whereas i thought they might be Moruga scorpions last year. Any thoughts?

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Just waiting for them to ripen now. Not sure I'm brave enough to try them.

They do look a bit like my pot 7 brain strain. I posted pics somewhere but can't find them now.

[stigs]

My family don't like to much spice
Not so good though if you want to do a big batch of cooking.

Nor mine so I have to make separate curry for me, although they are slowly getting better

[Mitzi]

Today's harvest



The Giant White Habs (bottom, slightly left) have ripened to yellow. Yet another one that hasn't turned out how it should. Hopefully they will still be tasty.

[Small pumpkin]

What’s the dark red between the white ones on the left hand side? They look big & evil. Is the yellow ones in the middle your nebru 7?. I’m very impressed with mine, producing lots of lovely big pods.

I forgot to photograph my harvest yesterday. People turned up!

[Mitzi]

What’s the dark red between the white ones on the left hand side? They look big & evil. Is the yellow ones in the middle your nebru 7?. I’m very impressed with mine, producing lots of lovely big pods.

I forgot to photograph my harvest yesterday. People turned up!

That's a shame, I love to see your mountains of chillies.

The "dark red" is my first ripe caramel Moruga, if it's the one I think you mean. The smaller dark brown one next to it is nagabrain chocolate.

The large yellow ones in the middle are scotch bonnet MOA. My Nebru7 produced large pods early in the season (indoors) but since going outside has only set tiny pods, but lots of them. They are on the right hand side.

[1Bee]

Can I ask some advice, please?

This year I've inexpertly grown medina, de cayenne, hungarian hot wax and cayenetta. They haven't done brilliantly - there are some chillies, which may or may not ripen, but will be used anyway. This year I turfed the tomatoes out into the backyard and gave the chillies almost sole possession of the growhouse, which I just leave open in summer.

Most of them are in 8 inch pots or larger, but there are four 'leftovers' that I couldn't home, stayed in their 4 inch square pots and have done surprisingly well balanced on the log pile.

How do I choose which ones to overwinter? I can bring a small selection indoors, but there's no such thing as a 'warm sunny spot' (I can do bright but chilly, or indirect light and intermittently cosy!) in our house, so it'll be hit and miss.

Do I need to repot or prune?

Thanks for your advice! Year before last I managed to overwinter one, which cropped beautifully, but last winter it cocked up its toes for no apparent reason!

[Scarlet]

Well, I've never bothered overwintering cayennes cos they give you a good crop in their first year and I've usually got lots of plants that take a much longer time to crop - so they would get chosen first!
The big thing about overwintering is that you can get an aphid invasion which can also scupper next years new plants. So if they do get them ask yourself whether it's worth carrying the problem over to your new plants...
With that in mind...I would choose the hot wax first, I've never grown Medina? Is that an F1, but no harm in trying the cayennes if they haven't given you much of a crop.
I would try a few spots for overwintering, it's all trial and error.
My best spots are two rooms that are heated by my aga - so not that warm but they have some light ( it's south facing so not that bright in the winter) and a constant temp. I've also had good results in my "work room" not much heat and east facing windows.
I don't prune much. I rarely water. I make sure all pots are free from debris and give them a good clean up when they come in. I do take out spindly growth. Some drop all or most of their leaves, others just stand still. Come Spring I repot, and shape up if needed. Cut back anything that looks brown cos once it's travelled to the main stem it's usually game over.
We all seem to do things differently.
I think "annum" die more readily over winter than other chilli varieties and they do turn up their toes for no reason.

[1Bee]

Thank you Scarlet. I froze the chillies from last year's harvest, and was thus self-sufficient in them until about June this year... that was from one plant, and I'm looking at a smaller harvest from the 8 plants I have this time! *shaking my head* Gotta love 'em, though.

[Scarlet]

Sometimes I've kept the small plants that haven't performed at all, these are then desperate to set fruit and will start flowering after christmas. Plants in my house don't drop all their leaves, maybe different for you.

Honestly it's all trial and error, everyone one Of us have different growing methods.
But if you keep back the small ones you may have more room for more

[Mitzi]

Thank you Scarlet. I froze the chillies from last year's harvest, and was thus self-sufficient in them until about June this year... that was from one plant, and I'm looking at a smaller harvest from the 8 plants I have this time! *shaking my head* Gotta love 'em, though.

I don't think it's anything you've done wrong; I think it's mainly the weather. Last year we had weeks and weeks of scorching weather, which suited my chilli plants very well. This year it's been cold, grey and wet here for most of spring and early summer and it's already dropped cold at night. Most of my plants have been extremely slow this year compared with last year. Lots of them are only just setting pods now, but unless we have a very mild autumn, it's going to be too late for them to ripen.

[Small pumpkin]

My favourite chilli.



Sugar rush peach

[Scarlet]

I didn't realise they were hot ^^^ my friends boy ate a whole one roasted on the BBQ a few weeks back - he hasn't spoken to me since

[Small pumpkin]

I didn't realise they were hot ^^^ my friends boy ate a whole one roasted on the BBQ a few weeks back - he hasn't spoken to me since

Haha . Must admit I was surprised at the heat level, wasn’t expecting quite that much heat. but I love them.

[Scarlet]

The heartless pink habs are quite useful on a BBQ alongside the padrons. But those were a bit too hot ��

[quanglewangle]

Last minute Paper Lanterns

I only decided to grow some chillis at last minute and got a clearance collection of plugs. Here is the Paper Lantern - doing OK



(Edit - just found the order on PayPal. Was about mid May from World of Chillis)

First Orange Habaneros are just turning orange too.