Chilli plant advice please

Tabby_cat

Happy New year All.
A quick question regarding one of my Chilli plants.
I have a variety called Reaper, and as they are quite fleshy, I got nervous about leaving them in an unheated greenhouse, so in late October brought the plants into the house. All the leaves had fallen and it was just the fruit left on the plant.

I've just spotted whilst harvesting the last chilli, that a new set of baby leaves has started already. I was going to put it out in the greenhouse now the last chilli has been used, but will that just kill it, now it's started sprouting again?

Should I keep it in the house, or will that just exhaust the plant, with it not having any "down time"?

Any advice to novice chilli grower gratefully received.

unrecordings

My understanding is that if you move a chilli indoors then it's not unusual to lose leaves while the plant gets accustomed to its new environment. I'd keep it in the house for the duration. This is my first attempt at overwintering chillis too.

silverwhistle

Here in southern Hampshire I've bought a chilli indoors on a south facing windowsill and it's got flowers on it as well as all the leaves I haven't pruned. So far so good. The one I left in a sheltered spot outside has succumbed to the wet, but I have over-wintered outside before. Maybe I'd shove some fleece around it if anywhere less sheltered, or a cold winter forecast.

unrecordings

Could have sworn I posted something last night...

Anyway different chilli varieties will overwinter more/less successfully. I've got padrons which is likely to be a bit of a punt, but one is still producing leaflets. I've a couple of habaneros which are looking a little grumpy, and thai cayenne which still has ripening fruit (but the flowers are long gone). As I remove the fruit, I'm also pruning the plant back, hopefully making it bushier when/if it comes back in the spring

Tabby_cat

Thanks Both, most helpful.

I've also got a Demon Red which is more of a small bush, so I'll have a go at pruning as I pick the fruit.

Silvertabby

We like our chillies, but I've found it's easier to grow them from seed each year rather than trying to keep existing plants alive. Our favourite 'ring of fire' freezes well, and 4 plants give us enough fruits for a whole year.

Have just ordered this year's seeds (from South Devon Chilli Farm), ready for sowing in a heated propagator early February.


Have also ordered 'Razzamatazz' seeds - not as hot as Ring of Fire. but they look like fun!

unrecordings

Silvertabby wrote: »

We like our chillies, but I've found it's easier to grow them from seed each year rather than trying to keep existing plants alive.

Yep, I'm not sure I'll do it again, I'll be running out of windowsill space come March so something will have to give (and it's unlikely to be the cat) - but an interesting experiment for the winter months nevertheless.

Silvertabby

unrecordings wrote: »

Yep, I'm not sure I'll do it again, I'll be running out of windowsill space come March so something will have to give (and it's unlikely to be the cat) - but an interesting experiment for the winter months nevertheless.

Once my seedlings have been potted on, they will live on the study windowsill until it is warm enought to move them to my unheated greenhouse. The door to the study will then have a big notice blu-tacked to it - "Don't let the cat into this room!"

unrecordings

Ha,
Ours is sat right next to me. After a few xmas visits to the vet (just routine) she's finally become a bit clingy. Come March, tomato seedlings will take priority

crv1963

We tried overwintering ours 2018 into 2019 but they died. Had them in the conservatory which does get cold, but I think it was lack of water that really got them!

This year we've so far managed not to kill 3 plants called Apache, in the conservatory but watered! Cut all the fruits off in November and kept them dryish, going to put them into a heated propagator with grow lights in February in a frost free greenhouse when I sow this years chilli seeds.

I was advised but haven't so far to prune them back really hard to main stem with branches no longer than 3 inches.

I'm not sure if my keeping them makes economic sense though- I turned the propagator and lights on New Years Day when I sowed the Onion seeds, Mrs CRV tells me the Smart Meter has gone up a notch, although I was advised the set up uses around a pound a week in elecricity. Maybe she should be told I've set the greenhouse heater to 5 degrees to keep it frost free!