How big do chilli plants grow?

[shirlthegirl43]

My cayenne which overwintered from last year is now about 4 foot plus. It is in a 10 litre pot and got the roots cleaned off a bit and new compost in the pot earlier in the year after it started to flower again. I might try to overwinter it again this year to see what happens. It has loads of fruit on it now.

[rustylady]

Height depends on variety and the size of pot you plant them into. Most chillies will fruit when still quite small. Last year I put three plants of each variety into ten inch pots. Plants grew around 2 feet tall (maybe a bit more) and fruited well. My friend has a huge greenhouse, put hers into really big pots, and they grew to nearly 4 foot tall. I did have the last laugh though, cos she didn't ventilate properly and she had quite a bit of damage from botrytis (grey mould). Seriously though, it's only friendly rivalry. I saw on several programmes last year that chillies now grow and fruit quite well outside in UK. I may have to try that with some of my surplus plants - I hate to throw them away.

[unconcerned]

...I might try to overwinter it again this year to see what happens...

It is worth a try. Very possible but not sure to work.
Some make it, some don't.
I managed to overwinter an aji lemon this year.
Gave me a great early start.
Plant is big and fruits are ripening all over it:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/julianphotos/541185967/
(some other allotment photos one there)

[Flummery]

They are cracking chillies, unconcerned. It's my first year growing them so I'm determined to overwinter one or two as people seems to have a great start with some early fruits while I'm still waiting for a flower!

[momol]

In tropic chillies are grown as biennial, I remember my Mum's chillies, they produce year round till the end of the 2nd year ( some are parennial ) and the older they get the taller they are. Mum used to have chillies taller than 1.5 meter. As I am pretty new in veggies growing,this year I have grown some romanian wax chillie, got 2 tiny chillie hanging . Have tried Topepo rosso but slugs has eatem them up ( next year will try again ) and has germinated some 5 anaheim chillies 3 weeks ago ( I know it is a bit too late for that ) so will wait n see n hope for the best.

Momol

[Alice]

Everything you want to know about growing chillies can be found at the link below, including how your fellow Grapes are getting on in the Big Jim competition.
http://www.thechileman.org/bigjim.php

[Snadger]

Everything you want to know about growing chillies can be found at the link below, including how your fellow Grapes are getting on in the Big Jim competition.
http://www.thechileman.org/bigjim.php

Thanks Alice, just what a chillie virgin needs!

[unconcerned]

One more link...
My 2007 chile pepper collection:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/julianphotos/542718998/
hover over the plants to get variety names.

[kirsty b]

My big jim plants are about 10" high and I 've got a couple of fruits on them 2" long at the mo. Going to try overwintering a couple, just to see..

Kirsty

[Alice]

Thanks Alice, just what a chillie virgin needs!

The mind boggles Snadger. Just when I think I've heard it all - up comes the next one.
But good luck with your chillies.

[veggiewomble]

I planted my first chillis from seed in March this year. I am not sure I have the energy to do it again next year - they are really slow growing and now I have a small collection of plants about 3-4" high at most. I have a mix of Prairie Fire, Thai Hot and Orange Habanero as well as Lemondrop and I've stopped being able to tell which is which. I put them out in the cold frame in May and they've got bigger, but ... soooo slooooow! I'm an impatient gardener.

vegwomble

[bramble]

Veggiewomble,
thats usually the way with chilli peppers but when they take off they will be fine. There are some however which are very slow growing. have a look at the chileman .org site, it gives a good bit of information on the different types and if they are quick or slow growing. Good luck.

[Pottypotter]

Mine has two chillies growing at approx 12 inches high

*had to edit that as I was grossly exaggerating when going from memory!

So there about 6" then

[XR473D]

This is my first year growing chillies I did sow a lot, as I was unsure of how well they would do now I have 58 plants all doing quite well tallest is around 2 feet.

[chilli_grower]

my tallest is jo's long, currently around 3 ft high.