is there any point of overwintering and how is it done

[Two_Sheds]

I used to prune, and discovered that the plant got knocked back quite a lot from it. Now I don't prune

[PMW]

I've overwintered a cayenne in my shed before. I cut it back a bit and the first year it survived and did very well the following summer. I did the same the next winter, but prolonged freezing spell finished it off.

This year I've got a small plant indoors on a windowsill just producing its first few flowers. It was a seedling that to my surprise popped up in amongst my leeks in August. It looks like a fairy lights plant with purple flowers and it must have germinated from a seed from last years plant that survived the compost bin.

I've no idea if there will be enough light to produce chillis over winter, but thought I would just give it a go and see what happens. The fact the seed survived the compost heap and then germinated outside in this cool, wet summer suggests it should at least put up a good fight!

[Kaiya]

We grew a chilli indoors on a North facing kitchen windowsill for a year and a half (had been started off in someone else's conservatory). Got a bit odd at the end - the leaves and chillis went variegated. It died in the end from a combination of exhaustion, a mis-timed heavy prune and an kitchen-wide drought enforced to deal with a fungus gnat problem. But overall did fruit slowly but consistently for the whole time.

Two other chillis I pruned heavily before bringing into the garage died. This year I'm just leaving them in the blowaway until the weather finally gets them.

[VirginVegGrower]

See, my east facing windowsills are only sunny until about 11am, then the sun moves round the back of the house

Could it be that through Winter, when clocks have changed that there is more light for longer on an East facing window, than on a South? I am just exploring it, so don't shoot me down I truly have no idea why that advice is given. My living room window is quite large and is SE facing so I use it for all my overwintering/seed sowing. I may have to start using the children's windowsills, which are also on the same side of the house

[jacob]

[Admits to not having read whole thread.]

* I don't prune as a policy, only pruning off anything that looks genuinely dead, or completely unbalanced.

* I've often found that I get a crop of mini-chilis inside Feb/March.

* There seems to be about 20 chilli plants in my house at the moment. Including 'Grandma' Hungarian Black who is hoping to make it through to her fourth summer...

[darcyvuqua]

[Admits to not having read whole thread.]

* I don't prune as a policy, only pruning off anything that looks genuinely dead, or completely unbalanced.

* I've often found that I get a crop of mini-chilis inside Feb/March.

* There seems to be about 20 chilli plants in my house at the moment. Including 'Grandma' Hungarian Black who is hoping to make it through to her fourth summer...

ohhhhhhh i would love some of the HB seeds where could i get some of those?

my chilli plants were not prunned however my peppers have been suffering from leaf drop and aphids i have sprayed jetted with a hose yet they were still there so prunning seemed to be a logical thing to do i have however ummmm and ahhhh about prunning for some time now

please tell me your secrets of a 4 year chilli plant pleasssssseeeee

[Thelma Sanders]

me too, but I was too shy to be the first to ask

[Kaiya]

Could it be that through Winter, when clocks have changed that there is more light for longer on an East facing window, than on a South? I am just exploring it, so don't shoot me down I truly have no idea why that advice is given. My living room window is quite large and is SE facing so I use it for all my overwintering/seed sowing. I may have to start using the children's windowsills, which are also on the same side of the house

Unless you have curtains between the plants and the window and thus the time affects their opening, I don't think the clocks matter However in certain circumstances an East window might get more light in the Winter if for example the angle of the sun matters.

[vikkib]

I used to prune, and discovered that the plant got knocked back quite a lot from it. Now I don't prune

Bah! I wish I'd read this yesterday!

Ah well, having trimmed and potted up 4 chilli plants ready to come inside and have a queries about watering...

How often/how much during the winter?

[Thelma Sanders]

Very little until they start to sprout in the spring

[vikkib]

Very little until they start to sprout in the spring

Enough to keep compost moist or not even that much?

I've really no idea as I've not tried overwintering them before!

[vikkib]

Very little until they start to sprout in the spring

Hmmmm.. mine seem determined to sprout now!

Will sort out pic later!

[maytreefrannie]

[Admits to not having read whole thread.]

* I don't prune as a policy, only pruning off anything that looks genuinely dead, or completely unbalanced.

* I've often found that I get a crop of mini-chilis inside Feb/March.

* There seems to be about 20 chilli plants in my house at the moment. Including 'Grandma' Hungarian Black who is hoping to make it through to her fourth summer...

Jacob - Please please please tell me and Darcyvuqua and Thelma Sanders how you

kept Grandma Hungarian Black chilli still going for 4 years.

[Two_Sheds]

I ... have a queries about watering...

How often/how much during the winter?

how to water seedlings - YouTube

[Thelma Sanders]

Enough to keep compost moist or not even that much?

Add enough to keep the soil barely moist - enough that the tops dries out between waterings but the compost isn't dust, which to some extent depends on which compost you've used. I give mine the odd cupful when I remember
The plant needs to just be kept alive rather than actively growing .