Keeping a chilli plant alive?

lucy_lemon

I hope someone can help! I am the biggest plant killer going, but I want to keep a chilli plant alive! I bought it in a pot from Asda and it did really, surprisingly well! I got loads of chillis from it, but now I'm wondering on how best to keep it alive? I don't have a garden or windowsills, so it's been on my kitchen table all summer. I've cut all the chillis off now, so I'm hoping it'll stay alive till next year so I can get some more. Any tips?

Thanks in advance

Billie-jo

not sure if you can save the plants I believe its very hit and miss to do so but you can save the seeds. Even if you save the plant you may not get many off it the next time around.

take seeds out of pods, remove any damaged then paper towel dry the good ones. Remove any bits of debris that are attached.
Dry in a warm place for about 2 weeks but out of sunlight and turn every couple of days so as those underneath dry as well.
After about 2 weeks see if they are dry enough - you will find them fairly brittle and if you try to bite them they should not dent.
Store in a cool dry place until its time to start to grow them again.

ellie2912

well i grow chillies in my greenhouse and they just die off...so i'm not actually sure if one would last all winter indoors..but what you might want to do is save some seeds in case it does die.Then plant them in the spring and away you go..you will never need to buy another chilli plant. I freeze my chillies too then defrost as and when (we like spicey stuff a lot!)

blossomhill_2

Well chilli is a bit of an "easy come easy go" plant but we have overwintered them in an unheated greenhouse by trimming them to about 2 inches, wrapping bubble wrap around the (9") pot and keeping them just about watered (morning watering only)

They do provide a very early greenhouse crop if they do survive the winter (same for other peppers too) - we top dress with some fresh compost if they do survive, but hedge our bets by sowing some fresh in Spring anyway
Good luck

CCP

I'll be keeping an interested eye on this thread as I have a chilli plant I'd like to keep over winter, too - mine is one I grew from seed back in the spring, but it hasn't yet got big enough to get any flowers on it, let alone any chillis. I'm hoping that keeping it over winter will mean a head start next year, and maybe even some chillis like yours, OP!

wheelz

I have grown chillies for the first time this year. Outside in a pot on the patio. The first one got drowned because of all the rain we had, then I think it must have been July I planted the second one and it has green peppers on them. They are meant to be red and it's getting October soon, can I put them inside now and will they turn red or is it a lost project? And where would I put them inside?

THIRZAH

We overwintered one in the porch last year. We had two but the one nearest the outside door died.

DH has had a chilli plant growing in his office for two years now .The office does catch the sun but does get cold at times. The plant seems to produce chillies all year round.

I dry the chillies with the seeds in. As soon as they ripen I pick them, put them on a thread and hang them fom the curtain rod in the spare room

valk_scot

I'd just keep it where it is, make sure you don't overwater it and come the spring give it a shot of plant food and see what happens. I'd recommend these slow release sticks that you push into the compost for feeding if you don't have green fingers. If it does burst into growth after that you'll probably have to think about repotting it into something larger but don't worry about that now, wait to see if it survives the winter.

Shropshirelass

I have over wintered chillis by cutting them down to bare branches, and leaving in (cold) conservatory until spring. Water sparsely every 2 weeks or so.

I grew them from seeds given away by a chilli restaurant my friend went to - didnt really expect them to grow, but they did very well. As well as chilli con carne etc, made excellent chilli chutney.

Are you sure you dont have any where coolish to put it, Lucy, you seem to be enjoying yourself with a pet plant? Why not try salad leaves?

cdodd

We have had one since last summer that MIL bought us from a supermarket, it is now huge and full of chillies which we harvest regularly, it seemed to die off last winter, i presumed it was an annual and ready for the bin but it seemed to come alive again in the spring, we cut it back and have have fed it regularly over the summer, i do think the secret is not to over water. It is kept on the kitchen window most of the time which is sunny in the day in the summer but cool in the winter, on really sunny days i put it out on the patio, have just taken a picture of it but not sure how to attach it,