In or out

[anthonyjb]

Can you grow chillis &a peppers outside of the greenhouse or must they all be grown in a greenhouse

Thanks

Anthonyjb

[Jungle Jane]

I always grow peppers outside,I don't have a greenhouse,they start off indoors untill it warms up properly. They go really well in a pot with tomato & basil,the peppers like a little shade.

[Scarlet]

You can grow them outside in a very sunny sheltered spot although you won't get such a good harvest from outside grown plants. Chillies (IMO) would do much better indoors on a sunny windowsill if you don't have a greenhouse. I grow in flower buckets - one plant per pot.

[Penellype]

My attempts at growing peppers outdoors (I don't eat chillies) have always completely failed. Its probably too cold in Yorkshire, but may be ok further south.

[Bacchus]

Where I am - always indoors. The weather just doesn't lend itself to any sort of outdoor crop for those.

[Bacchus]

And I just noticed Penellype say "I don't eat chilies" O)

I'm sure that's illegal!!

[muddled]

I feel that with our unpredictable summers in the UK of late, you really have to play it by ear.

This is my first year with a greenhouse.
Previously, I have had glorious successes and abject failures with both chilis and sweet peppers outside.

I believe the successes made it all well worth the gamble.

However, if you have not yet sown seeds, I would say, you are far too late this year. Chilli plants should arrive in garden centres anytime now. If we have a long, hot summer, you can put them outside.

[Thelma Sanders]

Mine are grown in the greenhouse border, excess stay in pots - which do move outside if we have a good summer......but then I'm in the SE which is, sometimes, warmer - so I'm told

[Jungle Jane]

I don't eat chilli except in dip form,I found Mohawk peppers to be quite hot,but got loads of little yellow/orange peppers grown outside. I did well with California wonder outside last year,probably not as big as they would be in a greenhouse,but they were about 6-7cm top to bottom. Not great compared to growing with greenhouse humidity but still good for gyo

[maverick451]

I read a trial (annoyingly cant find it just at the moment) by a seed company and the chillis/peppers outside produced more than the ones grown under cover,

I think it was by fothergills or T&M or simular, one of the big seed companies anyway.

[maverick451]

Found it, it was Fothergills 2011, I cant post a link because its a report by another magazine.

[Penellype]

And I just noticed Penellype say "I don't eat chilies" O)

I'm sure that's illegal!!

I'm not at all good with anything hot or spicy. Strictly very mild curries for me.

[sparrow100]

I've only got a greenhouse this year (SNAP muddled!) so prior to that have only grown chillies in pots outside. They've done well everywhere - including my north-facing balcony which gave me a fab crop of lemon drop chillies last year.

[Valleyman]

I always have too many pots for the greenhouse and some end up outside once it gets too crowded in there. So occasionally a pepper gets stuck outside. Usually this doesn't happen until about July thought, so it's nice and warmed up and I make sure to put them under cover if we get any cold snaps, too much wind etc. They are a little fragile after all.

Yields are reasonable... sometimes slightly smaller fruits, but sometimes slightly more (I assume because of better pollination conditions outside).

The problem is if you don't have a greenhouse, they will be taking up a hell of a lot of space in your house and will require good heat and light such as a conservatory or south facing window until June. If you plant them later the season length will get you. If you plant them out earlier they might get stunted due to a cold night.

[jacob]

Never had much joy with chillies and peppers outside. Too cold here, and when I used to grow further south my spot didn't seem to have quite enough sun. So greenhouse all the way for me.