chillies?

hotcookie101

I have a few seed grown chilli plants, some are about 30cm tall, with flowers starting and some are only very little (sown late )
They are in 1l pots, is this big enough? Should I put the bigger ones into bigger pots (they are still on kitchen windowsill, but I have room there)
With the little ones, if they don't get big enough to flower this year, will they live until next year-I have never grown them before, so unsure if they are perennial or annual?
And will they need support? Little stakes?
Thanks

LincolnshireYokel

ive never managed to keep a chilli plant alive indoors over a british winter.

Mupette

i was successful last year, the only thing to suggest is if you put to many together they get a bit tall fighting for space, they need to have room to bush out.

got quite a few on the go this year so hoping to get a good crop this year, get them out and hopefully they can enjoy the sunshine when that decides to make an appearance

hotcookie101

So they can go outside if it is sunny? Do I need to stake them?

Leif

1L is far too small. They need a fair bit of space. A 10" pot, preferably bigger. They sometimes do okay outside, depending on how windy and cold it is. Capsicum annuum are best I think. Capsicum need warmth more than sun. They are easy to over winter, assuming you can keep them warm. They are deciduous perennials, so may drop leaves in winter. In early January cut the stem down, to 8" say, and trim the root bal to about 6" across, then repot. It will grow quickly, and you'll get 2 crops, not one, that year.

Mupette

http://www.chilli-willy.com/a-guide-to-overwintering-your-chilli-plants/

hopefully this will help for overwintering

wouldbeqaulitymoneysaver

I have brought some Chilli Plant food specialist to help my plants which I am determined to see fruit.
I also taking advice above about how to grow.
I will celebrate the day they fruit and continue to do so.

Budget_Gardener

I've kept them in a 1L pot and they've been fine - better to have them in something bigger but not crucial. They prefer sunshine and warmth (some more than others) but leaving them outside all night when it's not that warm could stunt their growth a bit. Certainly they would appreciate warm outdoor summer days.
I've grown them and they've done well the following year, and I've grown them only to fail the second year and just seem in a state of inactivity. Mixed results - if you want guaranteed success you're probably looking at a large pot, a warm conservatory that never gets cold in the winter, etc...

Leif

Yes they do not like cold. Frost will kill them, so you have to overwinter in a warm room. I overwintered two in a porch, which got chilly but not frosty, and the Rocoto survived, but the Habanero kicked the bucket. I've overwintered in warm rooms before without problems.

By the way, common chillis are Capsicum anuum, and annuum means annual. They were thought to be annuals, but they are in fact perennials. My Rocoto is about 7 years old. maybe more. Mind you it is looking bad after the recent gales. Lots of chillis on it though.