Chillies - growing and overwintering 2018

[Small pumpkin]

I suspect I'll be doing that soon. Should make some plant labels, but so much other things to do.

I saw you have a 100l planter and thought it must be a type (10l), but now that you say it takes a trailer load of muck, bag of BFB and all other things - now must ask... what do you grow in it?

My Dorset naga goes in their every year. This year his name is Monty

This photo is last years Dorset naga (Norman )



I name all my Dorset Naga's. I'm a bit nuts

[jackarmy]

Why do you put hobbits condoms on the sticks ?
lovely plant SP

[Small pumpkin]

Why do you put hobbits condoms on the sticks ?
lovely plant SP

So I don't take my eye out on a pointy stick

Thank you

[IainM]

Good morning chilli people,
Just a quick update. The plants seems to be loving this new weather. They aren't as advanced as some of yours, but I think they're doing OK. Saw some ladybirds in the GH and garden yesterday, which is nice.


There are three medium sized tomatillos, a large staked tomatillo, and some little tomato plants on the bottom shelf of the staging, but otherwise they are almost all chillies, except the 'guardians': marigolds, basil and chives.


The top of the staging gets the most sun, so most the chinense are on here, as well as some jalapenos, cayenetta, apache, aji amarillo and lemon drop.


The padrons and cherry bombs are still the winners, and there is one of each on the right here. The bigger ones are on the floor.



I don't have photos of all of them, but I think I might have gone over the top for a first year grow. I have absolutely told myself that I won't be getting any more. Anyway, the final grow list is:

Jalapeno early x3
Cherry bomb F1 x3
Apache F1 x1
Carolina reaper x3
7 pot primo x2
Padron x3
Cayenetta F1 x4
Lemon drop x3
Aji Peruvian x2
Aji amarillo x4
Rocoto x1
Bishops crown x1
Aji omnicolor x1
Fatali yellow x1
Bhut jolokia x1
Kitchen x1
Tabasco x3
Hangijao#4 comets tail x4
Scotch Bonnet (I think) x2
Hungarian Hot Wax x1
Zimbabwe Black x1
Medina x1
Trinidad Perfume x2
Jamaican Yellow x1
Aji Delight x1
Hot Burrito x1
Paper lantern x1
Hot banana x1
Peach scorpion x1
Chocolate habanero x1
Chocolate doughlah x1
Moruga brainstrain x1
Orange habanero x1
Borg 9 x1

The last two are almost dead as the plugs barely survived the journey and haven't recovered. I'm only keeping them in case they do start to mend and I can try to overwinter.

[AmateurOne]

Impressive list. That’ll be some yield

[Mitzi]

Blimey, that's a list and a half! They look really well, so you should have a huge crop later in the year.

[unclefudgly]

Can anybody tell me is it best to remove flowers from overwintered chillies? Just put mine back in the polytunnel, and I noticed they are already flowering.

[Tripmeup]

Can anybody tell me is it best to remove flowers from overwintered chillies? Just put mine back in the polytunnel, and I noticed they are already flowering.

Should be ok to let flower now..I have and have some new chillies already

[Mitzi]

Can anybody tell me is it best to remove flowers from overwintered chillies? Just put mine back in the polytunnel, and I noticed they are already flowering.

It depends how the plants are doing. If they are strong and healthy then encourage them to flower and fruit now. If they are a bit weedy looking then pick the flowers off for another few weeks to let the plant beef up a bit.

Bear in mind that the whole point of overwintering is to get more and/or earlier fruits the next year. So let it go for it unless the plant doesn't look strong enough.

[Mitzi]

I've picked a few pods off the overwinters one or two at a time but this is my first proper harvest of the year:



The reds are all Aleppo, then there's a tiny Scotch Bonnet MoA and a slightly larger Bahamian Goat. There are a couple more ripe Aleppo pods but they have ladybird eggs on them so I won't harvest until they have hatched. The SB MoA was a nice surprise - I trimmed the very bushy overwintered plant back and found a ripe pod. Then yesterday I trimmed the overgrown Bahamian Goat plant back and found another surprise pod, about twice the size (not in the photo.) I'm not generally keen on surprises but I love this sort.

[darraghb]

I've picked a few pods off the overwinters one or two at a time but this is my first proper harvest of the year:

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The reds are all Aleppo, then there's a tiny Scotch Bonnet MoA and a slightly larger Bahamian Goat. There are a couple more ripe Aleppo pods but they have ladybird eggs on them so I won't harvest until they have hatched. The SB MoA was a nice surprise - I trimmed the very bushy overwintered plant back and found a ripe pod. Then yesterday I trimmed the overgrown Bahamian Goat plant back and found another surprise pod, about twice the size (not in the photo.) I'm not generally keen on surprises but I love this sort.

Where are you based?
I'm on the south coast of Ireland and despite starting sowing in January and following up with with grow lights I reckon I am at least two months off getting any pods. The tallest is about 25ish cm in height with various levels of bushiness. I did top off a few of the stronger ones a while back and regret it now. They still have barely recovered.
The increase in heat in the last two weeks has seen the first significant growth so enough plants have survived to give me a good supply of chillis for chilli oil and freezing. Very disappointed with the very hot ones though. Most didn't make it. Bhut Jakokia, Trinidad Scorpion, even some variety of Habaneros all died or are just a few cm tall. As usual Jalapeno, Cayanne and Ring of Fire make up the quantity.

They are now on a nice south facing, sheltered patio and will stay there until the winter kills them.

[Small pumpkin]

Chilli grows are set up for the season
2 have jalapeños in them
2 have fish, pink habanero, lemon drop, sugar rush peach, cherry bomb, AJI pineapple.
Filled Montys (Dorset Naga) 100lt tub and gave it a good soaking. Will plant him tomorrow.

[Philthy]

I generally use a ratio of 1/3 grow bag + 1/3 homemade compost + 1/3 vermiculite, with some BFB mixed in.

What's the thought behind adding so much vermiculite/perlite?

Hi Bario + BigL, well as I understand it both make worthwhile additives to potting mixtures, performing similar functions of preventing compost compaction and keeping it free draining without the associated weight of sand or potting grit, but also holding onto some moisture which of course sand and grit can't do.
The key difference between the two would appear to be that moisture retention ability; vermiculite acts like a sponge with the particles able to absorb x3 (roughly speaking) their size, but they also lock in nutrients from when feed is added so that it isn't just washed straight through when you next water. Perlite particles can hold a bit of moisture, but supposedly more air.
In a straight comparison you could say perlite is better suited for plants that have to have free draining soil, while vermiculite aids those that prefer a slightly wetter environment, which generally wouldn't include chilli plants. However in my setup I grow almost exclusively under glass, and I'm based in the (usually) warmer southeast corner of Britain, so in the height of summer even with ventilation the glasshouse can get pretty warm. A good dose of vermiculite ensures the pots don't dry out too quickly, thus preventing any problems that might arise from erratic watering, and quite simply means I can get away with doing less of it! Having the pots standing in trays of water beyond what they can absorb at any one time isn't a viable alternative, waterlogged soil is a definite no no.
In a cooler location, or with plants destined for outside, I'd probably reduce the amount of vermiculite in the mix by swapping out half for perlite, or even swap it altogether for the perlite - e.g. SP's preference in the wilds of Area 51 and create a richer soil so as to be less reliant on soluble feeds. But that's speculation.
After tinkering with the potting mix over the years this ratio of ingredients with supplementary feeding seems to produce the most consistent results for me

[Mitzi]

Where are you based?
I'm on the south coast of Ireland and despite starting sowing in January and following up with with grow lights I reckon I am at least two months off getting any pods. The tallest is about 25ish cm in height with various levels of bushiness. I did top off a few of the stronger ones a while back and regret it now. They still have barely recovered.
The increase in heat in the last two weeks has seen the first significant growth so enough plants have survived to give me a good supply of chillis for chilli oil and freezing. Very disappointed with the very hot ones though. Most didn't make it. Bhut Jakokia, Trinidad Scorpion, even some variety of Habaneros all died or are just a few cm tall. As usual Jalapeno, Cayanne and Ring of Fire make up the quantity.

They are now on a nice south facing, sheltered patio and will stay there until the winter kills them.

Maybe my post was a bit misleading. The pods pictured are all from overwintered plants. What I mean was that previous pickings have been one or two pods at a time, but this time I got quite a few at once.

My 2018 grow was quite badly affected by oedema and aphids early doors. I intended not to top my plants this year, but the aphids did it for me; all the new delicate shoots got damaged. Some of the plants have struggled to recover but some have bushed out and flourished. My very first pods of the 2018 grow have set in the last couple of days (you still need a magnifying glass to see them) so it will be a month or more before I start picking them. I might post photos if you're really unlucky!

[Small pumpkin]

Monty is all potted up in his big tub and he looks very happy



For those that had yellow scotch bonnets plug plants from me in the swap. As I suspected (and warned everyone). They have definitely crossed with something.



Now very excited to find out what it's going to look like, what colour, flavour & heat.