Growing and caring for chilli plants

[bergs]

Hi, I'm trying to over winter my Chillies. Last season they were all coming on strong when Autumn came. I thought that if I tried to keep the plants alive it would give me a head start this season. I'm in Victoria (cool temperate).

I have googled it, but it's mainly British and American area guides. I trimmed them back fairly harshly and located the potted ones in a sheltered spot in the garden and backed the watering right off. They are a mixed variety.

So far one is showing signs of shooting. There has been a fair bit of die back which I have now trimmed off. The weather is not far away from getting a bit warmer, so the hopefully, they will take off again and give me earlier crops.

I had preserved (pickled) quite a few but stocks have run out.

Has anyone else had any success in over wintering Chillies? If so please share your methods with us.

Thanks and Cheers🍻Bergs

[Jason]

Hi @gore,

Thanks for sharing a shot of your chilli plant. What variety is it? 

I've moved your post so it's part of this very long-running and popular discussion on growing and caring for chilli plants. Hopefully you will pick up some tips and be able to add further to the discussion. 

Jason

[gore]

actually i grow this chilly from the seed before march in new veggie bed but the came out very slow.i have around 20 different chilli plants i can see flower on all hope it grows soon.now i put green capcium seed to grow,corriander,pumpkin,tomatoes,beans,mustard leafy veg.its all i am doing in nsw south west.

[laidbackdood]

I have about 10 that over wintered .....only a few have died.........through winter dont feed ...little water and give them any sun they can get........give them a haircut and then feed end of winter to encourage new growth.......Feeding on at half strength often helps.....Yates flower and fruit will get them going......

If growing from seed......i use a propagator to germinate the seeds.....then get them in the sun gradually.....try to form a Y shape......take a leaf off the stem up to the V part occasionally  to stimulate growth....remove laterals like you do tomatoes........can be grown up gradually in pots and end up in a pot at least 200mm ....250 would be better.

When it gets evil hot.....morning sun only.......first few chillis wont have any heat at all......seems the way.......chillis change their power in relation to the temp......when temps cool in autmn the chill gets hotter(to keep itself warm ! hahah)........if you still have a few on into winter they will get really evil then !.......eat fresh and raw if you are man enough !....me and the mrs eat all the nasty ones that way.........excess can be sun dried and crushed up when crisp and save for winter when you really need warming up........keep picking to encourage more fruit........If light green = unlikely to be very hot....Dark green means hot......sometimes dark green can be hotter than red(change in flavour).....pot up end of winter aug.....just before spring flush.......I have about 6 different varieties coming right now.....including the carolina reaper(hottest chilli in the world).....I had a macotta ronza yellow in Auckland many years ago.......like small apples and yellow/orange with black seeds and hairy leaves......that was in the ground and lived for 5 or 6 years......it had a thick trunk on it by the time it died and chillis were always nasty........sometimes they lose their strength after year after year...hence some people just grow a fresh plant every year......Cayenne is a middle of the road chilli and

Is probably the best chilli for most people to grow. ....liquid feed with yates flower and fruit every week...water plant first....,then liquid feed the above.....either early morning or late arvo around 5 or 6 and away from sunlight.....regular light feedings are the key and no evil temps/sun in the summer.....you can also feed with a fish emulsion/seaweed mix which is a great blend....half strength ....water first......Little and often is the best way to feed.

[Jason]

Good Jalapeño harvest in the weekend. The poppers were very popular with the extended family.

Jason

 

[Aussie-Garden]

Good stuff @Jason. Is that all of them or do you have more to come?

One of our dogs chewed all my chili plants recently when I put the pots on the ground while moving things around.

I have coaxed 3 of them back to life, so looking forward to seeing how they eventually go.

Really keen to get a Jalapeno and Habenero this year. Does any of the Bunnings team know if they would be stocking those varieties?

Edit - Never mind. I messed up my search field and found them eventually. 

[Jason]

We've got plenty more to come @Aussie-Garden. They have arrived a little late this year but better late than never! The tomatoes and capsicums are also coming good. 

Glad to see you found what you were looking for. I'd be looking out for them in six months time. 

Jason

[MitchellM]

@Jason they look fantastic!

I'll have to grow some Jalapeños this year, as my wife has finally become accustomed to some heat.

Previously I was the only one to indulge in the Habaneros. Nothing like a couple sprinkled into a Kilo of chicken wings.

The bhut jolokias and trinidad scorpian butch t cross seem to be just for show, as I find it hard to even give them away.

I believe I've only got a couple of flowers on each throughout spring and summer, as they were just trying to survive the heat.

Similar to yours mine are just starting to pump out flowers and fruit right now.

[bergs]

Hi @Jason  Great lot of chillies, well done!

@MitchellM 

I tried to grow the Reaper and the Butch T and only had the few fruit that were on the plants when bought.

Tried to over winter but too cold.

They died even though I put their pots in the warmest spot I could find.

The Carolina Reaper is the hottest in the world, has been recorded at 2,600,000 SHU.

I tried some in a meal and believe me it is seriously hot.😅 It made my glasses fog up.😤

I've over wintered a couple of Manzano Orange (they actually turn yellow).

They were the only chilli plants ( two only) still growing in the ground, when we returned from our winter holiday last September.

They have been great value with many fruit  and many more to come.

They have grown so big they are taking up nearly 3 of my beds and are close to 6 feet tall.

Manzano near 6 feet tallManzano still loaded

The Manzano that I got at the Chillie Festival 2 years ago Is still growing in the pot with only 2 fruit on it.

I have plenty of other chilies on the bushes including Nellie Kellie, Super Chilli, Black Pearl and Habenaro.

All up I have harvested just under 2 kgs. of chillies with plenty more coming. 🌶😁

Cheers🍻 and happy gardening.

Manzano (yellow chilli)Nellie Kellie in 6th seasonFirst Habanero's for the seasonBlack Pearl still going strong since Spring 2013

[Aussie-Garden]

Wow, that is awesome @bergs .

I like the colour on those Manzano Orange.

Nice one with the pics too. Love it when people include photos. 👍

I scored a Jalapeno from a local in town the other day. Was very pleased to see it sitting at the front door.

It's going to live in my little patio greenhouse I got from Bunnings last year and it will hopefully do OK until later in the year.

[bergs]

Hi @Aussie-Garden ,

The Jalapeno Chilli is very tough and you can keep them going indefinitely.

I had them in the open garden for about three years until the roots of my large trees started to choke them up, by their roots taking over the patch.

They are a middle of the road in heat value, so they're good for people who like a bit of spice and the ones that prefer milder flavour.

They can be used in many ways and in most dishes that need spicing up.

Remember that the membrane holding the seeds is the hottest part of the chilli.

A lot of my chillies are under the cover of the Manzano and even though they have fruit on them ,none have ripened yet.

Don't forget to save seeds from your chillies, as they will be acclimatised to the area they have been grown.

Chillies will ripen right up to the start of winter even in cooler areas if left on the bush.

Good Luck 🌶 🌶