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

[bergs]

Hi @Rach23 

The ones on the right definitely look like Cayenne. The other thicker ones could still be crossed with Jalapeno. They do look very much like @Jason Jalapeno's on an earlier post up this page. His are still green but the shape is similar.

When the seed is harvested the grower has no idea if they have been crossed or not.

I've grown Nellie Kellie chillies and from the same seed collected have had different sized plants and fruit.

If the ones you've  grown have got too much heat use them without the seeds and the membrane, that is where the heat is.

If you like them save some seed to sow next season.

👍🍻 bergs

[bergs]

First harvest of Manzano & HabaneroManzano bush loadedManzano's are going mad

My Manzano chilli has gone mad. After cutting it back to about 30cms at the end of last season intending to shift it (which never happened) it has really grown This is the second season for this one. Originally from Bunnings it had two plants in the one pot which was a bonus. At the rear of them I have planted the one I got at the Chillie Festival in 2017 and beside all of them I planted two that I had grown from last years seed. They have actually taken over. On the bright side at least I'm going to have plenty fruit ripening from here on in. .

[MitchellMc]

I've braved the rain in Sydney so I could join the conversation @bergs and @Rach23.

I presume it has something to do with having a Bhut Jolokia and Trinidad Scorpion in the same pot, but I get this cross-pollination that gives me these chocolate brown chillies. At some ripening stages, they appear brown as they mature into red, but some of the brown ones never turn red. I think it's pretty neat, really. You certainly wouldn't want to mistake them for chocolate as my eyes are a little tingly from just harvesting them.

Mitchell

[bergs]

Hi @MitchellMc 

That's a good harvest of chillies.

The brown ones look great.

They would have a nice bit of heat in them!

The way to try and get a new variety is by cross pollinating the plants.

@MitchellMc  those two together should just about be a furnace (yum).

They are maybe what was crossed to get the Reaper which is seriously hot.

Beware of it if you haven't tasted it before, it really burns.

At the Chillie Fest back in 2017 there was a lass in the competition who actually blistered her lips from the Carolina Reaper.

Down here in Vic we don't get as long a season to grow the hotter ones, unless we can find a warm and sheltered position. 

I bought a Carolina Reaper seedling a few years back and got a few chillies off it, they are very hot.

I think they are still the hottest chilli you can get. Some have registered 2,400,000 SHU which was the record at the time.

I kept seed and sowed it the next season.

They germinated and were growing ok, but we ran out of the warm weather and they didn't survive, so now I only grow the variety I like and can grow successfully here.

I just grab a couple of  packets of Carolina's at the the Supermarket when they have them, which is not too often. 

Manzano is the easiest to grow.

I just leave it in the ground without doing anything until Spring and then trim it back low and it takes off and generally grows to 1.5 to 2 metres and spreads to nearly that as well.

Last year I got just on 5kgs off the 2 bushes and this year have planted another 3.

Will be interesting to see how much I get this season.🤞🌶🌶🌶

Manzano is a Rocoto, has black seeds and grows in the Andes in South America, that's why it over winters so well.

Habanero, Nellie Kellie, Super and Thai chillies are other varieties I have hit and miss success with.

I don't know what I'd do without my daily chilli fix. 😅😀

👍🍻bergs

[MitchellMc]

That Manzano would have to be one of the healthiest and largest chillies I've ever seen @bergs! You've certainly got a green thumb.

Carolina Reaper is still number one, although everything is HOT to me once they surpass the million Scoville mark. Next year I'd like to grow a few more interesting/rare varieties. I just need to find more people to palm the really hot ones off to. Maybe I can send them your way? I haven't actually had a good season this year as I've neglected them. I have relegated them to an un-accessible corner of my yard to keep them away from my young daughter. Normally when I tend to them and fertilise, I'd get a few dozen off each plant.

Have you seen any interesting or unusual varieties you'd like to try growing? 

Mitchell

[mich1972]

This is sensational !!!!!! @bergs 

[mich1972]

Mitch are you still growing your Chilli’s mate ? 

[EricL]

Hi @mich1972

Let me tag @MitchellMc to make sure he's aware of your question. I suspect that he still has the Bhut Jolokia and the Trinidad Scorpion.

Eric

[MitchellMc]

Not actively at the moment, @mich1972. One of my plants might be hanging on, but it's certainly not in good health. I've really neglected them since my children have the run of the backyard. 

I've had my fun with growing the really hot ones, and if I was going to grow another, it would be a Habanero. They are perfect for me heat-wise and much more usable than the Bhut Jolokia and the Trinidad Scorpion.

Mitchell

[bergs]

Hi all.

This year's crop of chillies have been slow in developing as we have had a cool spring and summer here in Geelong.

Some of my chillies are still just flowering, whilst others have quite a bit of fruit on them, but small and green.

I have harvested a handful of mixed chillies so far. I hope the weather stays steady for a while to give them all a chance of maturing.

Cheers🍻 @bergs