Rubbish at peppers and chillies... HELP

[Lisamcflisa]

Hi, I'm new to the forum so any help would be appreciated. I've only been growing my own for about 3 years now, and each season I don't do well with peppers and chillies. I've tried planting early but as I dont have any south facing windows I've struggled to get them going early, anyway this year I was lucky enough to get a freebie greenhouse so started them in march in a heated propagator, but with the rubbish summer we're having in the east mids the fruit I've got is remaining green, got more this year than most years, I'm now worried they won't ripen in what remains of our rubbish summer, any advice on ripening? Can they be over wintered in an unheated greenhouse? Thanks in advance for any help

[Dusty Rhodes]

Welcome to the forum Lisa.

Peppers need warmth, so they would perish if you tried over-wintering them in an unheated greenhouse.

If you go into your profile and add your location, you will be able to get more specific help in the future.
I did see the east mids mentioned inside your post...

[veggiechicken]

Hello Lisa and welcome from me too!
As Dusty says, ^^^^ if you add your location to your profile it will help us to understand your local conditions.
Have at look at this thread http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...one_67644.html where others are discussing overwintering too. You're not the only one having problems this year!

[zazen999]

Welcome to the forum Lisa.

Peppers need warmth, so they would perish if you tried over-wintering them in an unheated greenhouse.

If you go into your profile and add your location, you will be able to get more specific help in the future.
I did see the east mids mentioned inside your post...

Dusty? Is that you???

Welcome to the Vine.

Lisa - I also grow in the East Mids and some of my chillis have yet to flower.

My routine is:

Sow in Feb in small pots [about 10 to each pot] and stick in heated prop.

As soon as they germinate, take out of the heated prop, leave on kitchen surface until they have 2 true leaves.

Transplant/prick out into their own pots, leave them a few days indoors and then put into unheated greenhouse as soon a they are an inch or two tall. It is often still early March so I put them on a tray together, and put a few layers of fleece on them.

Repot as they grow - in usual years they start growing really fast once it warms up in May/June but this year they sat there for ages.

Take the first flower out, it causes the plant to throw out a flush more and really kicks the plant into action. I know which ones have had the first flower removed as when I do this, at the same time, I stake it with those green thin stakes and I tie it in.

Keep them on the dry side of damp.

Feed regularly.

I grow some that don't need to colour up, like Numex Twilight - and have been eating them for weeks now.

[Two_Sheds]

This is the worst year I've had for chillies, I've not got even one fruit.

It was too cold for too long this summer

[chefgage]

This is the worst year I've had for chillies, I've not got even one fruit.

It was too cold for too long this summer

Weirdly this is one of my better years for chillies???? I usually grow a smaller variety such as priare fire or chilli
pyramid which always do well but I always strugle to get the larger variety to ripen. This year however I have
had better success.

[chefgage]

Hi, I'm new to the forum so any help would be appreciated. I've only been growing my own for about 3 years now, and each season I don't do well with peppers and chillies. I've tried planting early but as I dont have any south facing windows I've struggled to get them going early, anyway this year I was lucky enough to get a freebie greenhouse so started them in march in a heated propagator, but with the rubbish summer we're having in the east mids the fruit I've got is remaining green, got more this year than most years, I'm now worried they won't ripen in what remains of our rubbish summer, any advice on ripening? Can they be over wintered in an unheated greenhouse? Thanks in advance for any help

I usually end up starting my chillies of rather late such as may etc.. however the last few years I have started them
off quite early such as begining of Feb. That usually gives them enough time to fruit and ripen if the weather
is poor. I still have a couple of plants that have only just started to fruit, so if it starts to get a bit colder I will
bring them inside on the window sill.

[The Goatreich]

snip

Zazen999, that's all really great advice. I've had varying success with chillies over the last few years, this year being the worst by far.

Last year I kept all my chillies outside after they had got to a reasonable size and they were still producing and ripening fruit up until late October. This year I decided to only have a couple of windowsill plants as I knew I'd be smashing my entire garden up at some point, but even on the windowsill I've yet to have a single fruit.

[zazen999]

Zazen999, that's all really great advice. I've had varying success with chillies over the last few years, this year being the worst by far.

Last year I kept all my chillies outside after they had got to a reasonable size and they were still producing and ripening fruit up until late October. This year I decided to only have a couple of windowsill plants as I knew I'd be smashing my entire garden up at some point, but even on the windowsill I've yet to have a single fruit.

The first year me and mr z lived together, our chillis were still outside ripening on a balcony in Nottingham at C*mas - hence why we started the tradition of Chilli on C*mas day.

[Florence Fennel]

The first year me and mr z lived together, our chillis were still outside ripening on a balcony in Nottingham at C*mas - hence why we started the tradition of Chilli on C*mas day.

Aww that's really romantic Zaz, I wondered why you have Chilli at Saturnalia. I rather thought it was because unlike me, you aren't daft enough to do dinner for over a dozen people

My chillies are looking ok. The plants are big, but the chillis are smaller than last year. There are plenty of them, so not too worried. I've grown hot patio sizzle for the first time and they are robust little plants with lots of fruit. Mine are all in the lean-to unheated greenhouse (usually known as the stayput).

[Dusty Rhodes]

Dusty? Is that you???

Welcome to the Vine.

Hi Zaz.

It's me. After living outside the fence and looking in, I decided it was time to join the bunch Thanks for the welcome.

[zazen999]

Hi Zaz.

It's me. After living outside the fence and looking in, I decided it was time to join the bunch Thanks for the welcome.

About time!

[Leif]

I usually germinate seeds in early February. This year I had some lovely seedlings - C. chinense and C. baccatum - put them out, and the gales, torrential rains, and dull skies almost killed them. Not one pod.

Chillis like warmth, and you can grow them on a windowsill, which is what I normally do. A variety such as Tabasco will produce huge numbers indoors, although the windowsill will end up looking like a South American jungle. Capsicum chinense do not sprawl so much, C. baccatum and C. pubescens can sprawl. You don't need many plants. One fruiting from a C. pubescens will give 40 big pods, two fruitings in a year if overwintered. You'll get more if growing in a warm country.

[Lisamcflisa]

sorry i'm slow to reply, but ty all for the advice, i never seem to have problems actually getting fruit its just getting them to maturity, i've grown loads of different chillies and peppers this year including satans kiss, cayenne, birds eye, anaheim, hot wax, scotch bonnet, california wonder and sweet banana, as i said they all have fruit apart from the scotch bonnet but from what i've read they fruit later, I live in lincolnshire and this year we have had one of the wettest summers i can remember, i think my main concern is how bad the weather has been i dont know if any of them are going to change to the ripe colour, we have picked them at green before and the flavour is rubbish with most unfortunately, i was hoping to make my own version of lazy chilli and make some oils etc

[Rhona]

Our worst chill year too. I keep looking at the dried chilies strung up in the kitchen from last year (still have about a dozen left) and realising that we'll be buying most of ours this year. We've got a few decent ones but nothing like the numbers in other years. It'll be that weather again, won't it?