How long do chilli pepper plants last?

[Newton]

I want to move to espana.

[Snadger]

Til the first hard frost!

[salome2001]

well I movedthem into the conservatory and they are LOVING it... all the fruit is starting to go red and the plants are even starting to get new flowers!! I may get some fruit from them yet!

[Two_Sheds]

Mine are now inside on a south windowsill, ripening nicely but now covered in greenfly, with the odd fungus gnat flitting around ~ what is good for the plant is also good for its pests, unfortunately

[teakdesk]

Great info on your blog! I'll treat my indoor chilli to a new pot and maybe a mild prune and heavily prune and pot my outdoor chillis. I wonder if it works for sweet pepper plants as well? I have two that are 4 inches tall and did nothing all year, but obviously will die when the temp drops. Although if they did nothing this year maybe they aren't worth keeping. Or maybe they'll do better indoors (I have a plastic mini greenhouse only, not a proper one). So many possibilities!

Don't re-pot them until new growth starts next year.

The plant is dormant below ground as well as up and if you do it now you will rip off lots of roots leaving the plant with nowhere to get its nutrients next year.

Once growth is established above ground next year new roots will also be growing and they should be re-potted.



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[unclefudgly]

Thanks for all the great links everyone! I didn't realise you had to cut them back u til now. My polytunnel plants are all about 2 feet tall or more for the Thai Birds Eye, so a good prune would certainly be welcome from a space perspective. In fact my Birds eye has only just started flowering and fruiting regularly in the past few weeks.

[Two_Sheds]

I have tried pruning and not pruning. I got better results from not pruning, and even better results from freshly sown seed in the spring (wintered plants never seem to come back very strongly, and are slower to fruit than new ones. In my - limited - experience)

[Zenithtb]

Well, as I recently dug mine up to throw in the new raised bed (and I'm not planning to do much more with it in the next few months) I can (if someone reminds me) report what 'Ideal Conditions' achieve?

I mean; I'm 'over-wintering' mine, but in conditions the plant is expecting to achieve (no frosts, cold weather, but still a lot of sunshine). So maybe mine will be bigger, better, stronger next year. Dunno as not tested this before (lived in a flat until this year)...

It'll be interesting to see if this years plants beat spring-sown seeds, if winter conditions are 'ideal'...

Let me know if you wanna know my results

[Zenithtb]

Well, no one did, but I'll tell you anyway!

We had one of the longest-coldest winters on record here (negative temperatures for a long time).
It looked like all the peppers / aubergines had died (dry brown stems), so I cut them back this Spring.
However, from low down on the stem new leaves are appearing, so I have full confidence they're going to bounce back.

If they can survive the previous winter, they must be at least fairly hardy.

I learnt something new too!

[Newton]

Tanks zenith......they might go on for ever......

Mine got aphiified in the house and swmbo banished them in to the cold exterior. Morte! Mui morte!

However this year we have recommenced and I have healthy bhut jolokia, choc habanero, Jamaican something's, and rocoto all growing nicely.

[The Large One]

Overwintered Bhut Jolokia and a couple Nagas and noticed today the choc hab has loads of flower buds on it
Cut them right back and kept them in spare bedroom, they did get aphids and sticky residue but sprayed and cleared up, banished them to UH greenhouse in Feb where they get fleeced every night and doing really well
Will be trying to keep these for a few years if I can

[maytreefrannie]

Great encouragement for hitherto-unsuccessful chilli growers!!!

My daughter has kept them alive on a windowsill and has had chillies throughout this winter (last year, the same) - yet whenever she's given me one or two plants, they withered and died in a short time. I had some limited success a few years ago, from seed - a few green ones, nothing turned red.

Trying again this year from seed - a few have germinated.

[horticultural_hobbit]

Did try and over winter two cayennes in the glass roofed utility; and failed. It was a long shot they'd survive. The mystery chili plant that I had from last year now looks as though it is an ex chili too.