Chillies - what are you growing/overwintering?

[Small pumpkin]

Whisper it quietly....I probably had too many plants in 2016

For 2017, I've combined my chilli and sweet pepper lists, so that will reduce the total number of varieties by about 4.

My grow list is now limited to 31 varieties, based on the number of rows in the computer document I use to keep track of things. Although that's 31 per page, but only page 1 gets printed out for ongoing record keeping of sowing dates, germination etc.

There are others in reserve on page 2, ready to be moved up, swapped around, or ones that I might have to leave for the 2018 list

Ha ha that sounds very familiar!
Next year 31 varieties (+ 3 if they over winter) all chilli's
Number of plants 49 (+5 if they over winter)
Only one sweet pepper and only the one plant ( maybe 2 )

[cptncrackoff]

I think you may be a bit further south than Chris...chilli plants won't survive a prolonged frost. I've had a couple of plants survive a ŵinter in my unheated porch (Perspex roof) but it's very sheltered and the warmth of the house wall helped...and it was a warm winter.
If you want them to ripen up now I'd bring them inside.

Hi Scarlet!

We've had a handful of frosts here, only one or two ground frosts though.
The plant is all but gone, the leaves are sparse!
But this one plant just keeps giving me fruit!I'm taking them off the plant at the end of the week and putting them in the warm to finish off and let the next ones start to ripen on the plant.

There's no chance of moving the plant he's huge!!

Hopefully another two or three weeks of fruit..here's last week and this weeks pickings..

They're heading in a bag in the freezer for project Rocoto jam..

[Chris11]

Plus the Turbo Alberto crosses which may be more cold tolerant, so I'm giving them a chance to overwinter in the greenhouse.

I'll be amazed if it does...my red manzano's have already been frosted and kicked the bucket. They may have some 'cold tolerance" but they won't manage a hard frost.
# didn't you try last year to overwinter some in the GH? What happened to them?

I agree, most chillies in most years would not survive or overwinter in an unheated greenhouse.

Winter 15/16 was mostly exceptionally mild. An unheated green house will give protection of about 5*C, so I was quite optimistic, particularly about my Bishops Hat, as C. baccatums are more cold tolerant. It was in the greenhouse all winter, and lost all leaves, but getting in to January, the stems still looked green and healthy.

And then there was an extended cold snap in mid January which I think was too much , but up until that point, I think some of the plants might have survived.

C. pubescens are even more cold tolerant than than C. baccatums, so it will be interesting to see if the Turbo Alberto crosses survive or not.

And prepare to be amazed, I did have one chilli plant last year that survived the entire winter in a cold greenhouse

It was grown as an experiment from a supermarket chilli, which was almost certainly a Serenade F1, so my super cold-hardy survivor is a Serenade F2. It's still alive now, and in the greenhouse laden with ripe pods.

[Ms-T]

The Turbo Alberto crosses are now in the g/h .and still giving lots of chillis.they have bubble warp over them as well.they look happy at the moment.

[Chris11]

I have brought a number of plants inside at this stage including some annuals that still have a second flush of flowers and developing chillies 
Will probably try to over winter a few like the Habs, Lemon Drop etc

I don't know what a lot of those are, e.g. Elysium Oxide and Burkina Yellow. Do you think it's worth overwintering annuums, then? And what was the Golden Cayenne like for you this year? It's on my "Maybe" list for 2017, I'd go as far as saying it's a strong possibility, but I read somewhere that despite the seed companies' glowing reviews, it's not all that prolific a producer.

Elysium Oxide is pretty obscure, and not an 'established' variety. Seeds were shared by the original breeder (SvG) before it was stable, and I was lucky enough to get some seeds further down the line (from JW).

Burkina Yellow is more established, but it's still described as 'a rare variety and a collectors dream': burkina yellow chile pepper database
I'm contributing it to the Seed Circle this year

Like Trip, I have some healthy annuums that are still productive and carrying pods. Some people will say it's not worth trying to over winter annuums, but in my view it depends on how much space you have and what looks like your healthiest plants before you decide what to bring indoors.

My Golden Cayenne was started a bit late, so I can't really say whether it is as productive as other Cayennes. But the pods are a lovely colour and flavour, so would definitely give it a go

[jacks10]

I thought you were supposed to do a bit of root pruning in spring anyway, while repotting? You'll just have to be a bit more drastic t



As with most gardening, it depends on the fickle



I don't know what a lot of those are, e.g. Elysium Oxide and Burkina Yellow. Do you think it's worth overwintering annuums, then? And what was the Golden Cayenne like for you this year? It's on my "

OK so hopefully now they are somewhere warmer, they will pop for you. Do the lights provide extra heat? Otherwise, there's no point having them on yet. Did you make your setup or buy it ready made? I'd really like to get some grow lights but I'm DIY averse and not sure I can make a frame for holding them above the plants.

The lights don't produce any heat. I have adjusted the timer and cut the light hours. It's quite close to radiator so now hoping it's doesn't dry out!!

Very simple to put together even for my standards 😀

[Sappidis]

Bought some more seeds for the growing system, and did a seed swap on a social media platform..

Growing list for next year so far;

Kristian (I always grow this, I'll put a few packets in the seed bank when I can)
Bhut Jolokia II(ghost)
"Peppadew" - So hard to get, can't wait to grow. Had to order from Australia for £5
Trinidad Scorpion
Aji Lemon
Scotch Bonnet red
Apache (I might bin it)
Hot banana (LOVE these, hoping it overwinters/the only seeds I have haven't crossed)
Hot Thai
Orange Habenero
Sweet California wonder
Hungarian Black (Might remove, hate the taste)
Few others I've probably forgot

looking to hopefully get;
Rocoto
One of the CAP Varieties
Tobasco
More superhots!!! - preferably something from the 7pot family, maybe a dorset naga, and a chocolate

[Newbiegrower1970]

Hello,

I am trying to over winter some chillies i gre this year, are the best in a very warm room with little light, a cool conservatory with light or a cool garage with no light?

Thanks

[Scarlet]

What chillies are they? Some overwinter better than others. We all do things differently

I think they need plenty of light. I keep mine on window ledges in coolish rooms...not near a radiator. How cool is your conservatory?
If they get too warm, even though they are on a window ledge the heat coupled with the lack of light will encourage the plant to produce long, straggly shoots. The new leaves and sappy growth is a magnet for aphids - they are really difficult to get rid of and often people get sick of the sticky mess and end up binning them.
Have you got any photos?

[Newbiegrower1970]

Jalapenos
Red demon
Lemon drop
Other i cant remember

They are in the conservatory at the moment but it can get quite chilly by the windows

[Tripmeup]

But what are the lights hanging from? Oh, hang on - is it the lights that are supported by the paint tins, not the plants?

Yep..Put the lights on top of paint cans at either end and add or subtract big cans/small cans to adjust height

[Mitzi]

Hello,

I am trying to over winter some chillies I grew this year. Are they best in a very warm room with little light, a cool conservatory with light or a cool garage with no light?

Thanks

This is my first year overwintering chillies too, but I’ve been reading lots about it. Given those three choices, I would go for the cool conservatory with light. I’ve got mine on a south facing window in an unheated room (actually it’s heated at the moment because I’m still trying to get fruit to ripen but I’ll be turning the radiator off after that.)

If you have both heat and light then the plant can continue growing as normal. If you have heat but not light, the heat will stimulate growth, but that growth will be very leggy and floppy and not strong and firm, which is what you need to support next year’s fruit. So if you keep them in the warm room, you will need to provide grow lights of some sort. In the cool conservatory they will not grow much because of the temperature but if they do grow a bit, the light will enable the growth to be stronger. If a particularly hard frost is forecast, you could temporarily move them from the conservatory to somewhere warmer until temperatures increase a bit.

They are likely to drop all or most of their leaves if it's cold. Have you cut them back? Some people cut them right back to almost a stump and remove all the leaves. I’m not going quite so drastic myself but I am cutting them back fairly hard. Reducing the amount of leaves they have to support means the plant will be less stressed. You should also reduce the watering to a minimum, i.e. only water when the soil is quite dry (e.g. the pot feels light). If they are cold and soggy they are far less likely to survive.

Good luck!

[Tripmeup]

Dreaded greenfly infestation to deal with

[Small pumpkin]

Dreaded greenfly infestation to deal with

Sorry Trip, chilli's having a shower tonight then ?
I've only got one in the house that has any leaves on it, so I'm hoping the little green blighters won't find it to quickly. But they will find there way in, they always do !

[Ms-T]

Dreaded greenfly infestation to deal with

Me too