overwintering chilli plants

Primrose

I'd bring them indoors now. the nights are getting chillier and the plants will receive a real setback if the temperature suddenly drops. Chillies can stand less light indoors but do need some warmth. An unexpected early frost will finish them off.

Leif

Mupette wrote: »

you say december to bring them in, did you have a mild winter?
i saw my breath last night, and won't november frost harm them?

No, although I trim them in late December, as you rightly point out, they cannot stay outside when the temperatures get close to freezing. I bring them in before the first frosts, so sometime in October. One night of frost will usually kill a chilli stone dead, although Capsicum pubescens are said to be more tolerant than other species. They do not need that much light to survive indoors, but warmth is essential. I killed a C. chinense earlier this year when I left it in a porch. The C. pubescens it was with survived.

osaddict

I'm going to have to do this soon, to be honest I have too many plants - I've got about 40 pots! - I've brought some of my favourites inside which are more compact and still full of fruit (mainly Loco plants). There's still loads outside though, some of which have some small fruit on still.

Does anyone know what I can do with some of the plants I have inside which have some fruit on but it's not ripe yet - such as some Navahos, Big Jims etc.

Primrose

I suggest you trim back as many of the top leaves as possible above the fruit which still need to ripen, and you may need to sacrifice some of the tiny ones if some are barely just forming. This will hopefully allow the plant to concentrate its efforts on the fruits which realistically have a chance of ripening. Could you put some fruit (including bananas) from your fruit bowl close to the plants? Or ripe tomatoes The ethylene gas emitted from the ripe fruit may help speed the process a little.