When to harvest chilli peppers

diavolina

The heat of the chilli isn't in the seeds, it's in the white membrane that the seeds are attached to. Cut these bits out if you want them to be less hot.

Also, I read somewhere that if you pick the chillis while they're green, it stimulates the plant to produce more.

Lotus-eater

Primrose wrote: »

I well remember my own "only once". It was in the office cafeteria and I'd foolishly wiped my eye after finger-picking one or two raw bits from a mixed salad. The wail I let out bought the whole place to a halt while they looked on in amazement as if I'd swallowed a cyanide capsule or something. I kept shouting "Get me some cold water, Get me some cold water" and everybody kept trying to force the bl**dy stuff down my throat instead of wiping my face!

:rotfl:

Only once my a**e

IIRC, my eye(s), up my nose (itchy nose (big OUCH!)) and other more tender areas of my person .......

I have no further comments

sunset_gold

diavolina wrote: »

The heat of the chilli isn't in the seeds, it's in the white membrane that the seeds are attached to. Cut these bits out if you want them to be less hot.

Also, I read somewhere that if you pick the chillis while they're green, it stimulates the plant to produce more.

I have three chilli plants in one pot, I grew them from seed. I hardly ever remember to water them and I have over 20 peppers on them, most have turned bright red now, but they are still outside. Does not watering them make them grow more do you think?

I don't know how much longer I should leave them out now that it is getting a bit chilli (ha ha) in the nights, when should I bring them in?

Primrose

sunset - Definitely bring your chillis in tonight. High winds are forecast and the temperature is bound to drop significantly. The cold nights will probably finish them off and it would bea shame to lose them just as they're cropping. Apart from anything else, if it's very windy the pot could get blown over and the chillis damaged. Once you've picked all the chillis, if you prune the plant back to the lowest shoots once it's indoors, and keep the compost slightly moist, the plant will probably start growing again and you might get a second crop if you give it an occasional liquid feed. But don't keep it too close to a chilly window at night.

sunset_gold

Primrose wrote: »

sunset - Definitely bring your chillis in tonight. High winds are forecast and the temperature is bound to drop significantly. The cold nights will probably finish them off and it would bea shame to lose them just as they're cropping. Apart from anything else, if it's very windy the pot could get blown over and the chillis damaged. Once you've picked all the chillis, if you prune the plant back to the lowest shoots once it's indoors, and keep the compost slightly moist, the plant will probably start growing again and you might get a second crop if you give it an occasional liquid feed. But don't keep it too close to a chilly window at night.

Oh it's a bit late reading your message Primrose, I will nip out now and bring them in. Thanks for the advice, I will find a draught free spot for them.

rosie383

I have a sweet pepper and a chilli growing in the garden. Both have tiny wee what look like wee peppers on them but have not developed. I know this is because I hadn't discovered this forum, so I planted them beside my tomato plants, hence they got watered somewhat too much!
Anyway.... is it worth lifting them and potting them up to bring indoors? And my herbs too.... should I pot some of them up to bring in too? I don't have a greenhouse, but I have some space on my kitchen windowsill.

Primrose

rosie - yes, definite dig up your sweet pepper and chilli, pot them up and bring them indoors, You may find that the warmer interior temperature will give them a new lease of life. YOu don't say which herbs you've got but if they're small enough you can keep them indoors. Thyme is pretty hardy - mine is permanently outdoors all winter. Basil will definitely need bringing in now as it doesn't like the cold. Parsley is semi hardy, depending on where it's planted. Mine stays outdoors all winter in patio containers near to the house but you can also bring it indoors.

rosie383

That's very helpful Primrose. Basil i will bring in, and coriander I think. Thyme is looking very woody outside and is quite wee so I will just leave it where it is. My parsley looks great, so I may bring some inside and leave the rest. What about mint? I already have it in quite a big pot.... should I just move it nearer the house for shelter?
I shall be bringing in my peppers in the hope of getting some produce eventually. They look healthy, just not productive.

Primrose

Mint will normally die back in winter and resprout from the roots in spring so you can bring that in too, unless it has started to flower, in which case it's pretty well finished for this year and all you can do is pull off any usable leaves and either freeze them or turn them into mint sauce. the other thing you can do if you've got any of those large square mineral water bottles is to cut the bottom off, stick it over your herbs in the container and poke a stick through the hole into the soil to keep it in situ on windy days. Those jumbo clear plastic water bottles which you find in office drinking water stations are ideal for this, but the bottom has to be sawed off with a hacksaw, and they're almost impossible to get hold of.

olly300

Lotus-eater wrote: »

:rotfl:

Only once my a**e

IIRC, my eye(s), up my nose (itchy nose (big OUCH!)) and other more tender areas of my person .......

I have no further comments

So it was you who went to the loo after cutting up chillies!

One thing I learnt the hard way is if you wear contact lenses make sure you have decided well in advance when you are going to put them in or take them out.