Chillies - growing and overwintering 2017

[Philthy]

Hi Mitzi,

Funnily enough it was chilli_grower from this forum who clued me in on Paper Lantern's culinary potential; I've used the pods before in my first few attempts at hot sauce (as they were used by CG, he hasn't posted in a long time) with great results, very tasty not too much burn but enough to say hello, and slight sweetness I found too. Having started again with all my plants this year (and thanks to the latter half of summer being decidedly ropy) I only managed a slim harvest this time around, not enough for a decent batch of sauce at any rate. So I hope to overwinter the plants for a better crop next year.

It's a great plant to grow. Flowers early, pods develop quickly and quite prolifically (provided conditions are right i.e. decent summer heat essential for it to really fulfill it's potential). Very much suits pot culture in that it naturally develops a balanced central framework and doesn't get too huge (straggly). Pods look nice too, deep bright red.

I've never had issue with no heat in the chillies. I almost exclusively grow under glass though and I'm sure that is factor. Only time I grew plants outside were Padron, and Apache, they grew well enough I think but unfortunately can't remember how they tasted.
One school of thought is that if you water sparingly in summer and regularly let the leaves wilt between waterings that is supposed to make the pods hotter

[Scarlet]

Im another to vouch for paper lantern - again grown on chilli growers advice. It was pretty prolific when I grew it (not this year) It's always had a reasonable heat for me....but I found black naga to hot to bear! Horses for courses I suppose - depends on how hot you like your chillies? I like to taste my food

I also only grow under glass.

[monkeyboy]

I've got jalapenos in pots indoors on the kitchen windowsill. I was planning on chucking them away and starting again next year. I need to ask some stupid questions:

1. Is it better to chuck away or try and overwinter and hope the plants produce fruit next year?
2. If I wanted to "overwinter" indoors, how do I do this?

When I planted seeds in June this year, the outdoor ones failed to thrive and died after growing about 2 inches tall. The indoor ones fared better but I had 2-3 plants per pot - I think this plus short growing time was the reason we got only 3 jalapeno peppers this year (and a couple of sweet chillies). I know for next time that I need seed earlier in the year, to pick out the weaker ones, and to repot the plants at an earlier stage.

[Mitzi]

I've got jalapenos in pots indoors on the kitchen windowsill. I was planning on chucking them away and starting again next year. I need to ask some stupid questions:

1. Is it better to chuck away or try and overwinter and hope the plants produce fruit next year?
2. If I wanted to "overwinter" indoors, how do I do this?

When I planted seeds in June this year, the outdoor ones failed to thrive and died after growing about 2 inches tall. The indoor ones fared better but I had 2-3 plants per pot - I think this plus short growing time was the reason we got only 3 jalapeno peppers this year (and a couple of sweet chillies). I know for next time that I need seed earlier in the year, to pick out the weaker ones, and to repot the plants at an earlier stage.

Sounds like you've learned lots of lessons this year and will be far better placed to get a good crop next year. One plant per pot is a good rule of thumb, although I tried two or three small plants in a large pot this year and they did OK.

Overwintering:
1. It's entirely up to you. A lot of people don't overwinter annuums (like jalapenos) because they grow quite quickly so if you start them in about February, you should have time to get a decent crop next summer. However, if you have the room on your kitchen windowsill then I would say try to overwinter, because you will definitely get an earlier crop next year. I think I was picking my first crop of annuums in April this year.

2. How to do it - there are a lot of different opinions on this, some people cut back to stumps, others don't... I'd say it depends on your conditions. If your kitchen windowsill is light and quite warm then the plant is likely to keep trying to grow, so even if you cut it back hard it will probably sprout again straight away. If it keeps growing and is happy then it might even flower and fruit over winter.

The cooler and darker the conditions, the more dormant the plant will go. Even on a south-facing windowsill, light levels in winter are very low compared with summer. Don't feed, reduce watering - only water when the pot feels light and/or the leaves start to droop, otherwise it could get waterlogged and rot. Don't panic if lots of the leaves fall off - reduce the watering accordingly. Cut back any stems that are dying back or any that are very leggy and sappy. Talk to it! (Carbon dioxide from breath is good for them.) If it doesn't survive, chalk it down to experience and try again next year.

If it does survive, gradually increase watering in spring and start with dilute feed. Lots of people use high nitrogen feed to start with, to get the growth going, before switching to high potash feed once it starts flowering.

Good luck!

[Small pumpkin]

I've got jalapenos in pots indoors on the kitchen windowsill. I was planning on chucking them away and starting again next year. I need to ask some stupid questions:

1. Is it better to chuck away or try and overwinter and hope the plants produce fruit next year?
2. If I wanted to "overwinter" indoors, how do I do this?

When I planted seeds in June this year, the outdoor ones failed to thrive and died after growing about 2 inches tall. The indoor ones fared better but I had 2-3 plants per pot - I think this plus short growing time was the reason we got only 3 jalapeno peppers this year (and a couple of sweet chillies). I know for next time that I need seed earlier in the year, to pick out the weaker ones, and to repot the plants at an earlier stage.

Jalapeño isn't really worth overwintering because they are one of the easiest to grow from seed. Having said that, there's nothing to stop you!

Definitely start early, February preferably.
Definitely repot sooner and regularly up to the biggest pot you've got space for and only one plant per pot.
Feed weekly.

Overwintering 2 options
1 keep it growing in your kitchen doing what you're doing.
2 move to a cooler room, reduce watering ( once a month ish! ), let it go dormant. Wake it up again in spring ( with repotting,watering & feeding ).

It takes me a long time to type! So what Mitzi said

[monkeyboy]

Thanks to you both. Yes, the jalapenos were relatively easy to grow and much more successful than my tomatoes. The wife bought some padron peppers to roast last year and she really enjoyed them so I was looking to try to grow jalapenos again (though from different seed) and some padron peppers.

I think I'll start from scratch again next year.

[Jimmy]

I got 6 Apache plants from Aldi in spring.
Used 5" pots
They didn't grow more than 12" high
but had loads of fairly hot small chillies
Yummy
Jimmy

[Philthy]

Yes, the jalapenos were relatively easy to grow and much more successful than my tomatoes. The wife bought some padron peppers to roast last year and she really enjoyed them so I was looking to try to grow jalapenos again (though from different seed) and some padron peppers.

You can't go wrong with either of those, both great choices to get started with

I'd agree with opinion and say there's no real need to keep Jalapeno going one year to the next as it is so reliable and will usually fruit very well in it's first year, better than most in fact of comparable size.
That said, if you still have the plants, and they're healthy (and free of the green plague - for now at least), why not just keep them going and see what happens. If they die, doesn't matter, you've already planned to start over next year. But you'll get to chart their deterioration beforehand and it might give useful insight for future reference i.e. if down the line you have plants you're more invested in and are actively trying to overwinter, you'll be able to spot early signs of a problem and perhaps rectify it before it's too late.

Incidentally my tomatoes were a disaster this year too

[Tripmeup]

Some Chilli pics

Sorry I am not getting to get on here much due to various issues and misfortunes, but am keeping an eye on ye

Experimenting trying to upload some pics so hopefully it works

[Tripmeup]

Few more

[Deano's "Diggin It"]

Nice to see you Trip!

Keep ya pecker up old boy!

[the big lebowski]

those look great trip ,good work

[Small pumpkin]

Chilli experience day

Would anybody like to go on this chilli experience day for free ? ( with conditions )

Chilli Experience Day | Humble by Nature, Wye Valley, Wales

Allow me to explain!
Bob the selfish S.O.B has gone and had his appendix out ( if only it was that simple!! )
Anyway he won't be in any condition to go with me .

I still really want to go. BUT here is the problem!!!!! I don't drive!
So the deal would involve.
A, spending a day in my company..........( sorry! )
B, you pick me up from which ever travel lodge, holiday inn, other hotels or B&B that's closest to you on route!
C, deposit me back to same accommodation afterwards

Anyone?

[Mitzi]

SP I hope he is ok (as much as possible in the circs). I'm not able to make that weekend otherwise I'd love to go with you. I hope you can find someone.

[burnie]

Nope, can't make that either, indeed I think all weekends now solid till the New Year now!!